Parenting Panel with Kris “Halo” Pierce
“My life is based on the immersive experience of music. I write the songs, play all the instruments, and I build from the ground up the systems that audiences listen to music on,” shares composer, solo artist, and multi-award winning, genre-crossing producer Kris “Halo” Pierce. Parallel to his career as an Avant-pop artist and a producer, Kris is also an audio tech and engineer for major events in New York City.
He has just released his second solo album, Artificial Breed, a darkly cathartic collection that finds him teaming up with SMP producer and ex-Front Line Assembly drummer, Jason Bazinet, and welcoming guest appearances from members of William Orbit, M.I.A., and Peter Murphy. Artificial Breed will also feature remixes by Craig Joseph Huxtable, Seven Factor, and a host of others. To date, the album’s lead single, “Midnight Dive,” has amassed 2 million-plus spins, and it has been played overhead in most major retail stores throughout the United States.
He also just released the music video for his synth and electronic pop single “Blue Flower.”
We got a chance to speak with Kris “Halo” Pierce in this edition of the Parenting Panel. So, without further ado, let’s dive in:
How many children do you have? And what are their names and ages?
I have three children: Sinem (16), Sinan (12), and Selma (11). Sinem follows in my footsteps of musicianship and being a stagehand/roadie for her high school band and drama clubs. Sinan is an amazing hockey player. Selma is really into 3D crafts and architecture.
In what ways has parenthood helped your creativity, if any?
All three of the kids are really supportive of the music I make. They’ll sing it, they listen to it on their own, and they talk about it with their friends. Sinem may be at the age where we disagree about most things, but the one thing that we do bond over is music - she has amazing taste in music and we do enjoy sitting down together and exploring musical landscapes. Just a couple days ago, Sinem was like, “I wish I was in high school when you were in high school because
you had better music.” Yeah, we did, said the old fart. She’s also really adept at using my studio and I find inspiration in her ability to make good music. While songs like “Empire,” from my album, Artificial Breed, may be a love letter to darker music, it was inspired by the teenage dysphoria that I see Sinem struggle with. The cover of Artificial Breed is actually Sinan and Selma from a time they went to work with me. Selma was also on the cover of my Electro Industrial compilation, Devil In A Black Dress.
What has parenthood taught you about yourself, your music, or your creative process?
From a psychological point of view, I think I found that even in my mid-forties, I still experience the same frustrations that they do. What I sort of hope they extrapolate from the amount of time and effort I put into my music is that they should see a project through, no matter how long it takes them or how difficult it is. I’ll often compare it to sticking to one Minecraft world and building it up instead of creating a new world every time they sign in. So, I make sure they see me work on a track from start to finish until I’m happy with it, regardless of how long it took to get there. I think the biggest thing I learned from being their parent is that I’m not a slave to fashion, scenes, or popularity - which is sort of confusing for them because they haven’t learned what rock stars look like when the camera isn’t on them yet. My muse works the way it does, but I don’t need to look like Rob Zombie to do an electro-rock track.
How do you juggle your family and your career? Who’s your support system?
If it’s a home studio day, I start around 6:30am and cut myself off by 2pm while the evening belongs to my family. When I’m doing audio tech work, even the busiest times only last about two weeks, and we’ll sort of cross ships in the night. I think it works out. My partner, Didem, really ties together how we execute being a family of five. She makes these color-coded calendars that we hang in a central location and it’s helpful to all of us. She makes weekly meal plans, and when I’m home, I’ll do the cooking - which is something I really enjoy doing.
What’s one thing you wish someone had told you before you became a parent? Any advice for others?
I wish I had been more prepared for the frustration and disappointment of having to be the person that teaches kids how to deal with adversity and stress. I think it’s better they learn how to deal with these things while they have a safety net, but the emotional trade off sucks. But no matter how much it sucks, you can’t be a push over. I kinda wish that was a subject more in the mainstream - that kids should be learning to work through things at home and not depend on the school of hard knocks.
Have you ever written a song for or about your kids? If so please share a description and a link.
My muse sort of doesn’t work that way. Over time, I’ve found that the songs I wrote about people are the songs I like the least. I’m more into impressionism than specific objects. But I have written many songs WITH them. Sinem and I wrote our first song together six years ago called “With The Kidz.” She’s gone on to write a song for my last album and a remix of “Midnight Dive” for my current album. Sinem was also the subject of my “Midnight Dive” and “Faking” music videos. To me, that was more meaningful. The gift wasn’t of song, but experience.
How have you been managing parenting during the pandemic? What has been the hardest part and what is the silver lining?
The hardest part was seeing them stress about life not being normal. There’s something to be said about everyone getting some time away, on their own, doing their thing without a family member breathing down their neck 24/7. It was better than getting sick, or making someone else sick, but that didn’t take the suck factor away. What I hope they had an opportunity to learn is maybe some better disappointing coping skills that they may not have had to deal with at this age otherwise.
Connect with Kris “Halo” Pierce via:
Website / Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube / Spotify / Soundcloud