Kari Kimmel

Last updated

Kari Kimmel
Kari Kimmel 2014.jpg
Kimmel on stage in 2014
Born
Kari Meredyth Kimmel

Boca Raton, Florida, U.S.
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • composer
  • producer
Years active2004–present
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • piano
  • guitar
Website karikimmel.com

Kari Meredyth Kimmel is an American singer, songwriter, composer, and producer. She is best known for the theme track It's Not Just Make Believe for Ella Enchanted, [1] the theme track Black for The Walking Dead trailer, her Cruel Summer cover for Cobra Kai, [2] and the theme track Where You Belong for The Fosters. [3] Her music ranges across the genres of pop, rock and folk. [4]

Contents

Early life and education

Kimmel was born and raised in Boca Raton, Florida. [5] Shortly after graduating high school, she relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music. [6]

She has cited Carole King as her biggest musical inspiration. She has also stated that she draws inspiration from Bonnie Raitt, Elton John and Sheryl Crow. [5] [3] [7] [8]

Career

Kimmel's career began when she was cast to sing the theme song It's Not Just Make Believe for the 2004 Disney live-action film Ella Enchanted . [9] She also appeared in the music video, which featured on Radio Disney. Kimmel then connected with Randy Spendlove, the president of motion picture music at Miramax at the time, with whom she went on to collaborate on over 20 film projects. [6]

Kimmel has written, arranged, produced, and performed music which has been licensed in over 650 studio films, network television series, trailers, video games, and commercials. [10] Notable productions include the films Blockers , World War Z , Southpaw, and The Duff , the television shows America's Funniest Home Videos , The Office , New Girl , Pretty Little Liars , The Lying Game and Grimm, in addition to the Walking Dead trailer. [11] [12] Her music has also been used in advertisements for Google and Nissan, and the popular video game The Sims . [6] [13] Her track Let's Light It Up was used by WWE wrestler AJ Lee as her entrance theme. [14] [15]

Kimmel has composed 18 theme songs for multiple television series, including Where You Belong for family drama series The Fosters, and has performed tracks in the films Pitch Perfect, Pitch Perfect 2, Dreamgirls, Danny Collins, Descendants, Descendants 2, Teen Beach Movie, Teen Beach Movie 2, and Footloose. [16] Her music video for the track Low was used to promote the television series Private Practice and her music video for the track Trouble aired on Oxygen and KNBC. [17] She has also performed live on The Adam Corolla Show , The Danny Bonaduce Show, The Conway & Whitman Show , KNBC , and Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket and at multiple venues in Los Angeles, including Los Angeles Dodgers games, Los Angeles Lakers games, and the AIDS Walk benefit, hosted by Prince Edward and the Greek Theatre in 2010, where she closed the show. [18]

Kimmel has also written songs which have been recorded by notable artists including The Backstreet Boys, Kesha, Joe Jonas, Demi Lovato and Gloria Gaynor. She has also sung background vocals for Ringo Starr, [19] Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, Willie Nelson, and Pharrell. [11] [10] [7]

Kimmel has released five solo albums, titled A Life in the Day, Out of Focus, From the Vault, Go, and Black. Her sixth solo album Gold & Glitter was released on May 25, 2018. [11] The title track was featured in the 2018 comedy film Blockers . [20]

In 2015, Kimmel launched her own licensing company Glow Music Group, and now represents over 200 bands in addition to her own music. [6] In 2017, she led a writer's retreat for VocalizeU and ASCAP in Ojai, CA. [21]

Discography

Albums

YearTitleLabelOther Artist(s)Notes
2006A Life in the DayIndependent
2010Out of FocusIndependent
2011From the VaultIndependent
GoIndependent
2015BlackIndependent
2016PoppyfieldsIndependent
2018Gold & GlitterIndependentTitle track Gold & Glitter featured in 2018 film Blockers

EPs

YearTitleLabelOther Artist(s)Notes
2008Pink BalloonTzviah
2011Own ItHype Music
2012ChristmastimeIndependent
2013Fix You UpIndependent
2017Covers, Vol. 1Independent

Singles

YearTitleLabelOther Artist(s)Notes
2008Let It Go/Taking a Ride
LowTzviah
Dance With JoySara Lee/Amber (Heavenly)Matt Meils
2011Pennies for Adam
STFU
BlackIndependent The Walking Dead trailer track
Let's Light It Up WWE Music Group WWE wrestler AJ Lee's entrance track
2012FireInternational Family Entertainment
Payphone
These Boots Are Made for Walkin'Independent
Fourteen Minutes
BNE (Best Night Ever)
Fix You Up
Perfect Day
Christmastime
2013Where You Belong Abc family The Fosters' theme song
While You Were Up High
Fingerprints
Shooting StarIndependent
SummertimeRykim Records
2014Best DayIndependent
2015Everything is Feeling' RightIndependent
Everybody Has to FallIndependent
Best ThingIndependent
Happy FamilyIndependent
2017I See TroubleFreeform
Run Run RunIndependent
Don't Feel Like Christmas Without YouIndependent
2018Voices

[22] [23]

Soundtracks

YearProductionTitleRoleOther Artist(s)Notes
2004 Ella Enchanted It's Not Just Make BelievePerformer
Shall We Dance Taking a RideWriter, performer
Chestnut: Hero of Central Park Wonderful DayWriter, performer
2006 The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold Taking a RideWriter, performerVideo
2007 Girl, Positive FlyWriter, performerTV Movie
Victoria Beckham: Coming to America Taking a RideWriter, performerTV Movie
Custody Taking a RideWriter, performerTV Movie
The Deadly PledgeCan't Be EverythingArranger, performer, producer, writerTV Movie
Holiday in Handcuffs Taking a RideWriter, performerTV Movie
2008 Tinker Bell Fly With MePerformerVideo
2009 Princess Protection Program Is It Just MePerformerTV Movie
Bitter/SweetLowWriter, performer
2010 Reviving Ophelia RememberWriter, performerTV Movie
Save MeWriter, performer
Knucklehead Taking a RideWriter, performer
Space Dogs Watching Over YouWriter, performer
I Got YouWriter, performer
2011Carnal InnocenceRememberWriter, performerTV Movie
12 Dates of Christmas ChristmastimeWriter, performerTV Movie
The Chaperone GoWriter, performer
Let It GoWriter, performer
The Family Tree STFUWriter, performer
2012The Pregnancy ProjectFinally FreeWriterTV Movie
Don't Give UpWriter
Radio Rebel Brand New DayWriter, performerTV Movie
Pitch Perfect Female Voice No. 5
2013Our Wild HeartsWho I AmPerformerTV Movie
World War Z GoWriter, performer
Girl on a Bicycle It Just Takes a MomentPerformer
Play With MePerformer
2014A Tiger's TailGreat Big WorldWriter, performer
Best DayWriter, performer
Watching Over YouWriter, performer
Composer (additional music)
OuijaGoWriter, performerShort Film
2015 Project Almanac ExtraverdantWriter, performer
Backstreet Boys: Show 'Em What You're Made Of IncompleteLyrics, Music
The DUFF Nothing Left to LoseWriter, performer
Danny Collins Danny's Background Singer
Southpaw Perfect DayWriter, performer
2016 Face 2 Face Always Got MePerformer
Best DayPerformer
Brand New DayPerformer
GoPerformer
ImaginePerformer
On Your SidePerformer
Such a Good TimePerformer
2017 Veeram We Will RisePerformer
2018 Blockers Gold & GlitterWriter, performer
American ParadiseComposer, Composer (theme music)

Songwriting

YearTitleLabelOther Artist(s)Notes
2001 No Less Reunion Records Joy Williams
Moonlight Avex Trax MAX
2002Stronger Gloria Gaynor
2004 I Could Curb Records Kimberley Locke
2005 Incomplete Jive Backstreet Boys
Taking a RideFrontiers Records Robin Beck
2010 My Song For You Walt Disney Demi Lovato, Joe Jonas
2011Velvet SkyNine North Records Jessica Ridley
2012 My Song For You Walt Disney Bridgit Mendler, Shane Harper
2017Riding FreeBack Lot Music Maisy Stella
Paper Airplane Kesha Unreleased

[6] [24] [25] [26] [27]

Awards and nominations

In 2017 Kimmel was honored, along with over a hundred other individuals, when she was awarded an ASCAP Screen Music Award for composing The Fosters ' theme song Where You Belong. [28]

References

  1. "Kari Kimmel – New Songs, Playlists & Latest News – BBC Music". BBC. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  2. Romano, Evan (September 10, 2020). "Here's Every Badass '80s Jam From 'Cobra Kai' Seasons 1 and 2". Men's Health.
  3. 1 2 "Entre Nous: Kari Kimmel – BARB". barbmagazine.com. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  4. BWW News Desk. "Kari Kimmel to Perform at L.A.'s Hotel Cafe 8/6". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Singer-Songwriter, Kari Kimmel, Talks Walking Dead, The Fosters, Singing with Al Pacino and A Whole Lot More! | All Access Music". music.allaccess.com. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Spotlight: How Singer-Songwriter Kari Kimmel Landed Hundreds of TV & Film Syncs on Her Own Terms". Billboard. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  7. 1 2 "Kari Kimmel – How being diverse turned into over 500 licensed placements – iSing Magazine". iSing Magazine. January 23, 2017. Retrieved July 24, 2018.[ dead link ]
  8. "Belonging With Kari Kimmel – Young Entertainment". youngentertainmentmag.com. September 20, 2014. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  9. Hentges, Sarah (September 10, 2014). Pictures of Girlhood: Modern Female Adolescence on Film. McFarland. ISBN   9781476608587.
  10. 1 2 "THURSDAY TRACK PICK – Kari Kimmel's "High" (EXCLUSIVE)". KeyboardMag. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  11. 1 2 3 BWW News Desk. "ASCAP Award Winner Kari Kimmel Releases New Album 'Gold & Glitter' Today" . Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  12. BWW News Desk. "Kari Kimmel Releases New Album" . Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  13. "Songwriter Kari Kimmel ends her year in the 'Black'". AXS. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  14. thewweajlee (September 1, 2013), WWE: AJ Lee – "Let's Light It Up" (feat. Kari Kimmel) , retrieved July 25, 2018
  15. Listen Free to WWE & Kari Kimmel – Let's Light It up (AJ Lee) Radio | iHeartRadio , retrieved July 25, 2018
  16. "Kari Kimmel". karikimmel.com. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  17. eMinor. "Kari Kimmel | Pop from Boca Raton, FL". ReverbNation. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  18. "California AIDS Walk Circle of Life Concert | LA Music Blog". lamusicblog.com. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  19. "Ringo Starr Announces His 20th Studio Album "What's My Name" To Be Released in October". Music Mayhem Magazine. September 13, 2019.
  20. "BLACKBOOK PREMIERE: Stunning New Kari Kimmel Single 'Gold & Glitter' – BlackBook". BlackBook. April 6, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  21. "Events Calendar". ascap.com. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  22. "Kari Kimmel Radio: Listen to Free Music & Get The Latest Info | iHeartRadio". iHeartRadio. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  23. "Kari Kimmel". SoundCloud. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  24. "Kari Kimmel – DuVinage Music". duvinagepublishing.com. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  25. "Joy Williams (2) – Joy Williams". discogs. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  26. "Kimberley Locke – One Love". discogs. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  27. "Kari Kimmel – A Life in the Day". ascap.com. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  28. "2017 Screen Music Awards". ascap.com. Retrieved July 24, 2018.