Charlene Kaye | |
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Born |
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States |
September 12, 1986
Genres | Pop rock, indie pop, Rock, glam rock, electronic |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, musician |
Instruments | Vocals, piano, guitar, keyboards, keytar |
Years active | 2008–present |
Associated acts | San Fermin |
Website | charlenekaye |
Charlene Kaye (born September 12, 1986 in Honolulu, Hawaii) is an American singer/songwriter and musician based in New York City.
Kaye's musical style ranges from piano-based orchestral ballads to more up-tempo synth-leaning songs with full band backing. She has cited a wide range of influences such as Queen, Blondie, David Bowie, ABBA, Sufjan Stevens, Rufus Wainwright, Joni Mitchell, Beyoncé, Metric, Daft Punk, St. Vincent, Kanye West, LCD Soundsystem, Fiona Apple, and Elliott Smith.
Kaye began playing music at an early age, taking lessons in violin, piano, guitar, ukulele, saxophone, and clarinet. Besides Hawaii, she has also lived in Hong Kong, Singapore, and attended Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, Arizona. Upon graduation, she relocated to Ann Arbor, Michigan to attend the University of Michigan as an English major.
Kaye was trained in classical piano from the age of five, but stopped lessons at age 16 because of a newfound interest in punk rock and the electric guitar. She began to write her own music at the age of 17 after discovering the software GarageBand.