K.Flay will close out 2023 with a run of Texas shows before launching a U.S. tour in March. The dates mark the “Blood in the Cut” artist’s first live headlining performances since the release of her new album, MONO, in September.
While MONO is K.Flay’s fifth studio album, she tells ABC Audio that “energetically it’s like a debut,” which makes her feel like she’s bringing “the best of both worlds” to the live stage.
“It’s like my first record, but I have all this experience, so now I can, like, do a good job,” K.Flay laughs. “And put on a show that’s, I hope, really exciting.”
K.Flay did get to try out a few MONO songs live earlier in the year, including on her summer run with grandson.
“If people don’t even know a song, right, you get a very honest response,” she notes. For example, K.Flay was pleasantly surprised to see crowds start to clap on their own during a particular part of the cut “Shy.”
“People just, like, feel this urge to do that,” she says. “So, like, let’s lean into that, let’s extend this section and, like, make that a thing.”
K.Flay’s shows this year have also marked her first live performances since she suddenly lost all her hearing in one ear in 2022, which inspired the title of MONO. Since then, she’s developed a new sensitivity to loud noises.
“I never had that experience before,” K.Flay says. “I could be at the loudest show in the world and I’m, like, ‘I’m not bothered, I’m not stressed.’ And so now [that I’m] just having much more empathy for individuals who deal with sensory sensitivity, how do we make the show a comfortable and welcoming space for them?”
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