LA by-way-of New Zealand artist Kelsy Karter is excited to release her fiercely anthemic new single and music video for “Love Me Or Hate Me,” out everywhere today via BMG. Co-written with The Struts’ Adam Slack and her longtime collaborator Michael Morgan, the track matches its fuzzed-out riffs and frenetic rhythms with a message especially close to Karter’s heart. “ I wrote ‘Love Me or Hate Me’ at a time when I was feeling like I wasn’t good enough, and the thing that pulled me through was my fans,” says Karter. “They made me believe in myself again, and so I wanted to write them a song to make them feel the way they made me feel: like I’m a bad-ass, and I can do anything.”
Kelsy Karter Single “Love Me Or Hate Me”
“Life is too damn short to live by someone else’s rules or standards,” Karter explains further. “This song is about being unapologetically yourself and owning your individualism. “Download/stream “Love Me Or Hate Me” HERE.
Watch Kelsy Karter “Love Me Or Hate Me” Video
With the new single also comes the announcement of Karter’s debut album, Missing Person, out October 2nd. Composed of 12 songs, including the already released self-empowerment anthem “Stick To Your Guns” and the upbeat “Devil On My Shoulder,” the album serves as somewhat of a diary for Karter. “Missing Person is a collection of stories from my life about love, rebellion, heartbreak, individualism and the anxiety of the times we live in,” she explains. “It’s a cheeky and dramatic mix of punk and glam rock. When listening to this record, I want my fans to feel like a total badass and completely vulnerable at the same time.” Pre-order/save Missing Person HERE.
Missing Person Track List
You Only Die Once
Goodness Gracious
Stick To Your Guns
I’m So Mad At Him
Devil On My Shoulder
Villain
Love Me Or Hate Me
God Knows I’ve Tried
Catch Me If You Can
Int – Coffee Shop – Next Morning
Liquor Store On Mars
New Recording 254 (Outro)
About Kelsy Karter:
The debut album from Kelsy Karter, Missing Person is a thrilling introduction to a truly singular musical mind. Like all the most electrifying artists, the New Zealand-born singer/songwriter invites the audience into a beautifully strange world of her own making, a fantasia that’s equal parts rock-and-roll grit and wildly theatrical grandeur. Fueled by the mesmerizing vocal work first displayed on her breakthrough single “Harry”—a 2019 track that went viral after Karter turned up with a fake tattoo of Harry Styles blazoned across her face— Missing Person arrives as a stunning showcase for her intricate storytelling and uncompromising outlook on life, love, and self-liberation.
Despite the defiant spirit that shines through nearly every song on Missing Person , the album took shape from a period of tremendous pain and self-doubt for Karter, a time that included the death of a loved one and a devastating breakup. “I was so depressed and broke, and probably at the lowest point in my whole life,” says Karter. “For a while I sort of lost myself, which is why the album’s called Missing Person . But through the process of making the record I found myself as an artist and an individual—I stopped giving a fuck about what anyone else thinks, and finally felt completely okay with who I am.” Working in the UK and in L.A. with producers like Zakk Cervini (Machine Gun Kelly, Poppy) and Chris Greatti (YUNGBLUD, blink-182), Karter set that transformation to a guitar-drenched sound steeped in elements of punk and Britpop and classic glam-rock, giving way to a sonic aesthetic both undeniably timeless and entirely of-the-moment.
Photo by Sarah Pardini
While the fantastically warped wonderland of Missing Person offers a much-needed escape from the everyday, Karter’s world-building serves an even greater purpose, providing a safe space for listeners to discover their own self-acceptance. “Making this album helped me to find comfort and freedom in who I am, and I want everyone who hears it to come away with that same feeling,” Karter says. “I want them to feel strong in their individuality, and to stop caring about what other people think. I hope it helps them to feel both totally vulnerable and completely invincible at the very same time.”
Read Kelsy Karter’s full bio HERE.
“Karter follows in the footsteps of famous rock stars like Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, and Van Halen”
–TIME
“Championing rebellion, fearlessness and not giving a f*ck what anyone thinks.” –Wonderland
“Musically, her vintage-tinged sound leans into the blues-y textures of ’60s garage rock.” –Paper
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