David Kaptein

15-year-old Kjersti Long is quickly finding her spot in the music industry. From her first tour to singles and forthcoming EP, Kjersti has been busy so far this year. We caught up with Kjersti to get an inside look at her music, find out what her experience has been as an artist on the Boys of Summer Tour, and unpack the lyrics of her hilarious new anti-love song “Boys in Jersey” came to life.

Showstopper Magazine Online: Tell us a bit about yourself.

Kjersti Long: Hi! Well, my name is Kjersti Long. I’m 15 and I’m from New Jersey, but currently, I live in Utah. I’m a total bookworm. I love all kinds of animals. I enjoy being active, and dabbling in all kinds of sports.

SMO: What brought about your love of music?

Kjersti: My dad was the one to really introduced me to good music. Since I can remember we’ve always had music playing in our house. All kinds of music, rock, pop, new, and old. My dad plays the guitar, and my mom plays the violin and piano. We would have regular jam sessions singing anything from Taylor Swift to Led Zeppelin. My grandma also introduced me to some of her favorite bands. I got hooked on 80s rock which pushed me to write my own music and now here I am.

SMO: How would you describe your music? Who or what inspires you to create?

Kjersti: I hope my music is fun to listen to, so I’d want to describe it as fun. I want my listeners to understand that acknowledging their emotions is a good thing, so I’d describe it as touching. And relatable. Fun, touching, and relatable. That’s how I’d describe my music. My family inspires me—whether it’s to write songs about how much they annoy me or how much I love them depends on how I’m feeling. The world itself inspires me. The beauty of nature and everyday situations are always inspiring.

SMO: You jumped into music and live performance at a young age. What are your dreams and goals as an artist?

Kjersti: My dream is performing at Madison Square Garden and having everyone in the audience sing along to one of my songs. My goal is just to get my music out to whoever needs it in their lives.

David Kaptein

SMO: How do you think your music has changed since you wrote your first original song, “Rollercoaster”?

Kjersti: It’s gotten a lot better. I have a larger vocabulary now since I’m 15, not 9, so that helps writing a lot more. The messages haven’t really changed all that much. Of course, at the moment there’s a lot more teen angst added to my newer songs.

SMO: Your latest song “Boys in Jersey” is a fun and sarcastic look at stereotypical boy behavior. What made you want to bring the song to life?

Kjersti: There’s a funny story about that. I was sitting with the producers that helped me write it and they asked me, “So what do you wanna write about? We could do a love song.” And I said “Ew, no. The boys in Jersey suck.” And we all sort of looked at each other and said “That’s a cool name for a song.” So we wrote it. Being in high school now and realizing the stereotypes teen boys fall into and how accurate the stereotypes are made it really easy to make fun of them. But if you notice we don’t jab at all boys.

SMO: Do you have a favorite line from “Boys in Jersey”?

Kjersti: Oh yeah! They’re all great but my favorite has got to be either “Go have another protein shake” or “I want a love on fire like a match in a tank.” Both are super creative lyrics that are so much fun to sing.

SMO: You’re now on your first tour! What has it been like to take this step in your career? Do you have any favorite tour moments so far?

Kjersti: I know right! It’s been crazy and awesome and altogether an amazing experience. My favorite moment has honestly just been being able to hang out with some really cool new friends. Being on stage again is a plus as well but the friendships I had the opportunity to make definitely made the tour.

SMO: What are your tour essentials?

Kjersti: Herbal tea. Lots and lots of tea. As well as water and cucumbers. Those are my essentials. I drink so much tea.

David Kaptein

SMO: Do you have a part of your show that you’re most excited for at each performance?

Kjersti: All of it. It’s all exciting. Singing, hanging out with the other artists backstage, meeting everyone, sleeping afterwards. I’m excited for it all.

SMO: Along with your tour and new single, you’re preparing to release an EP. What can you tell us about that project?

Kjersti: I am! Woot woot! I believe I will be releasing another single after “Boys In Jersey” and then an EP. I have been so lucky to have worked with Grammy-nominated and Grammy-winning producers and to have continued to create new songs over the past year or so. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to tell you the names of the songs, but they’re gonna be good. I have so much new music ready to go and I’ve been itching to release it. I’m very excited to finally get everything out to the world.

“Boys in Jersey” is streaming now on all major music platforms. Check out the video for “Boys in Jersey” below!

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Veronica Good has been with Showstopper Magazine since 2016. When she isn't keeping you updated on the latest trends, she is at home with her many pets or probably playing The Sims 4. Veronica has a BA in English and an MA in writing from Coastal Carolina University. She is also a writer of fiction and poetry, and her work can be found in Archarios, Tempo, and Scapegoat.