Kipani is the design of Tiffany Jhingoor—a songwriter currently residing in Binghamton, New York. Although she grew up in a small town, Tiffany was always encouraged at an early age to take up the piano. With subsequent periods of constrained lessons and an initial disdain for her instrument, she decided to take a break from her classically inspired beginnings. After some soul searching, she inevitably rekindled her relationship with a former nemesis, the piano. It's this return to her roots that would effortlessly combine with her long-lasting love for Indie Pop. It was then that Kipani was born, like a Pheonix reemerging from the ashes of her past.
With the effortless gloss of her ivory accompaniment, Kipani elegantly paints a new shade as to what Indie-Pop singles could resemble in the future. With organic feeling aspects being featured —her soft, compelling voice, the upfront notoriety of the percussion, and the staccato of her piano—Kipani's "Above" truly feels like a breath of fresh air pulling away from some of the cookie-cut, over-processed contenders yearning for a spot on your playlist. She hovers just below the dancing piano work like steam, rolling through until the song swells into a crescendo. As it continues on, her singing elevates ever so slightly, and she manages to strike the tenuous tone with practiced accuracy, while never losing the distinctive qualities that make this song unique. Her focus on building well-rounded choruses is evident in the way she produces contagious hooks and rich harmonies that drive this particular project forward. Her performance featured on "Above," both with her piano and voice, launches the beginning of her legacy in Pop music to a new height.
Listen to "Above" here.
Hey there, Tiffany! Welcome to BuzzMusic! We're wholly delighted to be featuring your newest single "Above"! What were some of the more discerning features in this song that make especially unique for you when you were initially beginning to compose it?
Thank you, I am honored to be sharing my music with you! So for me, writing is a different experience with each song. Sometimes it doesn't immediately click, and other times it almost writes itself and that was the case for this particular song. "Above" was written about a past experience that was so life-altering if felt surreal in a way. Composing is very therapeutic for me because I attach so much of my own personal life into my music. This song was unique in the sense that it was almost effortless to write. It was like I needed to get my feelings out by way of this form in order to process things, and it worked. I originally did not intend to release this as a single, but the lyrics felt like they went beyond my own personal relation to them and were also suiting for the times we are all going through right now.
Who or what has had the most significant influence on your life musically thus far? How did some of that inspiration translate into this new single?
I would say that my music is rooted in past and present experiences, both good and bad. I am heavily influenced by emotion and sometimes become overwhelmed by it, and music has always been a healthy way for me to express that. I tend to write a lot about my family and relationships, so the people who are closest to me have had the most impact on my life musically. You can definitely hear this influence in the new single because it was written about the effect someone, and a circumstance had on me. In terms of actual musical influences, that is a very tough question because I have so many. I do feel like sometimes my music is inspired by the sounds of some of my favorite artists, such as Miya Folick. But, ultimately my main influence stems from my own personal relationships.
How did you end up returning to your piano seat sometime after your hiatus away? What was the defining moment that made it all clear to you that this was the right move?
I got really involved in musical theater and would play the scores at home to learn my part. If I was cast in the ensemble I was often assigned to be an alto, which if you have ever had to read music for an alto you know that it is usually the weirdest sequence of notes in the entire song. During that time I was also writing and recording music with a close friend. She knew that I used to play the piano and one day she asked if I could compose a piano ballad for her to write to. That moment when I switched from structural playing back to playing for creative purposes was what really did it for me. I realized how much I actually missed writing compositions and creating my own music versus performing someone else's.
Thank you for joining us here at BuzzMusic. We really can't wait to hear more from you in the future. Is there anything you're particularly excited to do this year as an artist?
Yes, I am so looking forward to what this year has in store. I have an EP coming out June 2020 and some new songs on the way that I'm very excited about. Once everything is deemed safe to do so, my band and I will be playing throughout the NY area. And, I can't wait to finally share our live set with everyone! Lots of cool up and coming things will be happening this year, stay tuned!