Singer-songwriter Karen Atkins recently unveiled her single/music video, “She Rises,” a song about loss and the miraculous power of love, even after death. As viewed through Atkins’ eyes, love is far more powerful than most realize—and when one recognizes and harnesses that power, magic can happen.
After losing her dear friend Theresa in 2019, a source of light, companionship, and comfort, Atkins began searching for signs that their bond of affection hadn’t been broken. Wondrously, a series of events too perfectly aligned to be mere coincidences signaled that Theresa was still with her, always.
Shot in the Sacred Valley of Peru, the video depicts Atkins moving through a world humankind desires, a world of peace and love, including green fields, sheer cliffs, ancient ruins, and tranquil villages.
Guitar Girl Magazine spoke with Karen Atkins to discuss how “She Rises” unfolded, her unique sound, and her creative process.
What three things can’t you live without?
Well, the first obvious thing would be love, and specifically friendship, affection, and intimacy. The other two…music and trees.
What inspired your new single/music video, “She Rises?”
My best friend and soulmate transitioned from this physical plane in 2019. She had opened my heart to the depths of unconditional love. It’s impossible to describe the bond that we shared and still share. The day before she passed, I received a telepathic message from her that she was going to drop the body the next day. I was devastated and seriously wondered how I would go on living without her.
But the moment that she transitioned, I felt an excitement and a lightness coming from her and a deep knowing that death, as it is generally perceived in our world, is not real and that it would greatly serve us to have an intimate relationship with it.
Then, the morning after she passed, I was lying in bed just connecting with her and ‘heard’ her communicating to me that I needed to write a song called ‘She Rises’ that expresses a positive perspective about her passing.
A few days later, I was walking by a picture of her in my living room when I felt a strong force nudging me towards my guitar that was hanging on my wall. I grabbed the guitar and started playing and singing the entire chorus to ‘She Rises.’ Shortly after, the verses came to me all at once, and the song was complete. I kept seeing and sensing her feeling free and untethered and happily moving through the universe with no identity and no limits.
That is what the song seeks to convey – that the light of this incredible being is FREE and we all have that possibility both in life and in death, which are not as different as we think.
And, although I still grieved intensely for months after, it was a different kind of grief than what I had expected, and I eventually came to a completely new and much more positive perspective of who (or what) we really are through the process of deepening my relationship with death.
What’s your songwriting process? Melody first, or lyrics?
Generally, chord progression and melody come first, but they are usually accompanied by the lyric hook of the song, which I might modify later, but it is usually the foundation for the rest of the lyrics.
What do you hope your listeners take away with them when they listen to your music?
A feeling of connection and peace, a sense of optimism and excitement about life, and the release of whatever feelings may be stuck in them. And aesthetically, of course, it would be great if they also simply enjoyed the various components of the songs -melody, harmonies, arrangement, and performance.
What kind of guitar do you play?
I have a number of guitars, but my two favorites at the moment are my custom shop Fender Telecaster and my Martin acoustic MC-28 with a cutaway.
What is your definition of tone? Has your tone changed over time?
Hmm, I think my taste as it relates to tone hasn’t changed that much over time. I’m a huge fan of ‘70s music, and on the electric guitar, I love a nice, rich, sustained tone for lead playing and a clear, full sound for rhythm on the electric. On the acoustic, I also like a full-bodied, round tone to support my voice. I’m not a big fan of lots of compression either on the guitar or on my voice.
How did you get started in music? What’s the backstory there?
At the age of three, I had a favorite song and made my mom play it over and over again. When my older sister was taking piano lessons, I would dance around the room, choreographing moves to the music, while waiting impatiently to be old enough to start playing piano too. At one point, my parents thought my enthusiasm was hyperactivity, but it wasn’t. I was so intensely absorbed in whatever I was doing that there were very few people who I felt really understood me. As such, I often ended up doing things on my own. Thankfully, isolation and creativity are highly compatible. Given the chance, I would create something new all along. As soon as my mother agreed to let me take piano lessons at just over three years old, I not only practiced for hours, but I also wrote songs and melodies to match my moods. Creativity was at the core of everything, and music was the most amazing outlet and one of the only things that could calm me down and help me focus.
Not only did music give me a way to be creative and go inward, but it also gave me a way to go outward and make new friends. In my freshman year in high school, I joined the field hockey team and met a girl who I thought was the coolest girl in the school. She told me that she was forming an all-girl band and needed a guitarist. Something inside of me lit up, and I jumped at the chance. This propelled me to learn the guitar in just a few weeks and play ‘Day Tripper’— including the guitar solo— in front of 800 people at the high school auditorium for our very first gig a month later.
Somehow, despite the rehearsals being about 50% girl talk and only 50% rehearsal, we pulled it off and were invited to play in the Battle of the Bands the following month. I don’t think my sister has ever forgiven my parents for agreeing to let us practice in the attic of my house. I’m pretty sure that she still has ‘What I Like About You’ and ‘Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around’ ingrained in her brain for eternity. From here on, music helped me get through the many hardships and anxieties of adolescence. Joining a band gave me a sense of belonging even when I didn’t feel connected to the ‘in-crowd.’ Music also became my primary way of expressing my deepest self. The girls in my band, of all different ages, became my best friends. They were all accepting of me. We were there for a single purpose— we all had a love for music, and I felt that I was at home. Collectively, these girls inspired me to come out of my shell. I was so happy.
Which musicians/vocalists influenced you the most?
I have to go back to the ‘70s again (and late ‘60s). They had just some of the best music, arrangements, playing, and production, in my opinion. Probably the most influential were Jimmy Page, Stevie Wonder, Daryl Hall, Billy Joel, John Lennon, Jim Morrison, James Taylor, and for bands: America, Bread, Fleetwood Mac, Chicago, Led Zeppelin, and The Bee Gees.
Which artists are you listening to right now?
As far as new-ish music is concerned, I really like some of Alfie Templeman’s songs, particularly ‘Colour Me Blue.’ I tend to like one or two songs from a particular artist these days, as opposed to liking all of the songs they record. For example, I really like the song ‘Electric Love’ by BØRNS, ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ by Foster the People. and ‘En Mi’ by Alejandra Zaid. And I still listen to lots of songs and artists from the ‘70s and early ‘80s, cuz they’re great and timeless.
Do you have a guilty music and/or entertainment pleasure?
That’s a funny question. I’m not sure exactly what you mean, but I’ll share something that I’ve been experiencing lately, although it’s not music related. About a year and a half ago, I started watching Spanish soap operas after not watching TV since high school because I’m learning Spanish, and it’s the best way I’ve found to learn the language. I suppose I feel a bit of guilt for following the characters on those shows and having secret crushes on some of the actors and actresses.
Any advice for young female artists just getting started?
Just enjoy yourself and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks of you. I feel that we are way too preoccupied defining ourselves based on a specific identity and how people perceive us. It’s true that when I started playing the guitar in my teens and early 20s, I would get a lot of comments like ‘hey, you’re a really good guitar player for a girl.’ Back then, it bothered me a little, but I’ve come to actually recognize comments like that as simply compliments. I mean, really, who cares if someone is extra impressed because they don’t think girls can be that great at the guitar? If someone likes your music or the way you play, then they’re gonna like it, whether you’re a girl or a guy. So let them have whatever opinion they’re going to have. At the end of the day, that doesn’t really have anything to do with you and the best thing you can do is just keep having fun.
What’s your definition of success?
Feeling happy and free and enjoying and feeling satisfied by what I’m doing and creating. Connecting and collaborating well with others and having a positive impact on either the people I’m working with or the people listening to what we’ve created.
Why do you make music?
I make music because music makes me happy. It’s super fun to write and record, and I get to express the deeper parts of myself that I don’t always get to express in my day-to-day interactions. I love sharing, and it makes me very happy when others are touched by my music or when it helps them move through a rough patch in their life. I also really love collaborating with other musicians.
What can your fans look forward to over the next six months? New music? Videos?
I’ve just completed recording two songs that I’m really excited about and plan to release in the next few months. One is a kinda retro-sounding pop-rock tune called ‘Freedom,’ and the other is a ballad called ‘Lullabye’ that I wrote and recorded in college. It’s a favorite of my fans, and I wanted to redo it after spending the last couple of years working with a voice teacher and feeling more confident with my voice. Since I love making music videos, I will likely film videos to go along with them.
I’m also working with my bass player on a project called the Collab Lab in which we work with aspiring musicians and songwriters to help them hone their songwriting, arranging and performance skills through the process of collaborating with them on writing and recording original songs. We started out mostly working with teens and young adults, but we’ve expanded to working with musicians of any age due to the success of the program and the requests we’ve received. You can find out more about our program on collablabteam.com. This type of collaborative creativity is incredibly beneficial for emotional well-being, self-confidence and success in other areas of life, and we’re interested in connecting with and training other musicians to encourage them to offer similar programs for teenagers and young adults, especially those who don’t have access to music in their schools. So, we welcome anyone to contact us to discuss what we’re up to and how we could help you start up something similar in your area.
Lastly, a group of musicians and I recently put together a music appreciation and sharing group, called the Cool Music Club, in which we publish links on Substack to songs and music videos we like. It’s a simple way to share good music and help independent artists get exposure to a larger audience. You can check it out here: https://coolmusicclub.substack.com.
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