Meet Becky Krill | Singer-songwriter & music producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Becky Krill and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Becky, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
I recently welcomed my first child into the world – a daughter. She will be 1 on January 23rd. Prior to the birth of my daughter I worked a salaried marketing position full time and spent 20+ hours a week building my music career for the last 10 years.

When my daughter was born it quickly became clear that I wouldn’t be able to juggle motherhood, my music business as well as my marketing career. It’s taken a lot of thought, attention and planning to figure out how to balance all of these obligations. I ultimately landed on letting go of the marketing career so that I could continue pursuing my artistic dreams while also being present and a creative role model for my daughter. Transitioning into working on my dream full time has been difficult but magical.

Parenthood really puts priorities into perspective. Self care has needed to be worked into the equation in a much more prominent way since the birth of my daughter as well. To be the best mother I can be, I need to make time for my own health like never before. This means time spent on exercise, meditation, prayer, therapy, recovery and rest. These are now non-negotiable.

We can’t be everything to everyone, know matter how we might try. I’ve learned that in order to be a great mother to my daughter, I actually need to focus on myself. This is a daily challenge which I tackle with a smile on my face, one day at a time.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I make music from the heart. I got my start playing the drums at 8 years old with private lessons and eventually joined the percussion section of my school’s band. I also took every opportunity to sing during school concerts, always opting for the solo if there was one. As an only child, there were many hours spent locked in my bedroom trying to match my voice to the voices I heard on the radio or from my cd collection (eg. Jewel, Sheryl Crow, TLC, Alanis Morisette, Lisa Loeb). I picked up the guitar at 18 and taught myself how to play using the internet. My goal with picking up the guitar was always to be a songwriter, not some guitar wizard or session musician. I wanted to tell stories and make people feel things the way songwriters like Ani Difranco and Sara Bareilles made me feel things.

Throughout my 20’s I continued to learn the instrument and began writing songs of my own and performing them out any chance I got. I taught teenagers how to play guitar at summer camp, played open mics and met friends to jam with who I’m still jamming with to this day. In 2018 I had the opportunity to record an album of my own with my then band, HoloMovement.

While that band didn’t last, my love of songwriting and recording has only grown stronger. In 2021 I released my first solo album, Little Girl (https://open.spotify.com/album/7idIFSQ476fVxGk828PTDY?si=Rlz-F53xRTWwYcNtaze6Aw). And since, I’ve begun expanding into producing for other artists. In 2022, Maine-based rapper Myles Bullen opened his album Mourning Travels with a song I produced called Hypothermic Anvil (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPR_JglFbts). Since that release, Myles has released 2 other songs that I produced including The Beauty All Around featuring Anna Diorio (https://open.spotify.com/track/6UtKcYqOLUG7LWfHvHFnDF?si=78119edeb4314034) and Ice Cream – So Close (https://open.spotify.com/track/7MBwdvxJvvuW7CGIiLt6wi?si=68420613e1fc4613). Overall, the songs I’ve produced for Myles have garnered about 42,000 total streams since 2022.

My own songs have garnered over 250,000 streams since 2021 and I’m currently wrapping up my second solo album which I’m hoping to release this year.

This path is not an easy one, as any artist can attest. Taking care of myself has been the hardest part. I get hyper focused on the art or making money at my own expense sometimes. In 2022 my appendix ruptured and kicked off a slew of abdominal complications and additional surgeries that forced me to rest and re-evaluate how I was doing things. That time was extremely difficult but I continued to create through it all. Creating is incredibly healing and I owe my life to the ways it nourishes my mind, body and soul. That’s why I’ll never stop. It saves me every day.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When my friends visit me in New York City, I recommend they just walk around the boroughs. There’s always something to get into in NYC. I live in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Public Library are within walking distance as well as the Brooklyn Botanical Garden and Prospect Park. All of these are worth a visit.

I’d tell them to walk around Park Slope, Williamsburg and Bushwick but to avoid Times Square unless they’re seeing a Broadway show. I’d insist they catch a show or event at Gamba Forest, a local art gallery and performance space in Greenpoint that has an amazing community of artists built-into it. You will meet someone awesome. I’d insist they grab some fried chicken from Pies n Thighs, Israeli food from Miriam, a hip hop or producer showcase at Secret Pour, a donut at Donut Plant and a movie at Alamo Drafthouse.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to my loving wife of 8 years, Erica. We’ve been together for 11 years and have been through many challenges, including the death of both of her parents early on in our marriage. Being gay, we’ve had to work especially hard to build our family. It didn’t just happen.

My wife is an incredible mother and I couldn’t imagine walking this Earth with anyone else by my side. She’s also been an incredible support system for me as I’ve made this transition into pursuing music full time. It means everything to me that my partner in crime understands the importance of music in my life and supports my decision to do it full time even though it means long stretches of time away from home, financial inconsistency and many other ups and downs that a typical 9-5 may not experience.

Website: beckykrill.com

Instagram: @beckykrill

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesoundofbeckykrill

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDOIROQLYfqv7wvMhUfKGxw

Image Credits
Sarah Violette