Matching all our moods, KTJ & Carly have written the perfect track to describe how a person may be a ‘Nice Guy, But’ there’s always something off in the end. Hot off their first headlining tour, the duo hit the ground running with new bops being released left and right onto the pop scene. With an inseparable connection (being that they’re twins and everything), KTJ & Carly are throwing us hit after hit, with new EPs and singles overflowing! To say we’re here for it is an understatement.
We talked to the duo to get all the deets on ‘Nice Guy But’ and to see what we can look forward to in the coming months (because we’re a little impatient). Take a look at our exclusive interview below!
Congratulations on your latest single, ‘Nice Guy But!’ Dare we ask the inspiration behind this song? What was the writing and recording process like for this one?
Thank you! Our friend Emia wrote this song with us. When we started this session, I am pretty sure we just talked and catched up for the first hour; talked about life… then when we actually started writing the song and it was finished within the next hour because we had just talked about everything. When we wrote it with Emia, there was just one bass riff throughout the whole song. Afterwards, KT and I began producing it out, and the song really transformed into what it is now. We recorded the bass and guitar first, then vocals, then added drums after everything else was done… we usually do drums first so it was a nice change of pace! – Carly
My friends, Carly, and I describe a lot of our dates as NGBs. You describe them as nice, but…there’s always a but. I was seeing this guy who I broke things off with but that didn’t stop him from not leaving me alone, gaslighting me, saying that I’m too young and ignorant to know the difference between my left and right. He sent me novels and even videos of himself giving empty apologies for the next three weeks. He was the perfect example of a nice guy but underneath the mask, he wasn’t nice at all. We had always wanted to use the saying in a song, and after this experience, we decided to go into our next session ready to write about NGBs. We’ve all had our own unique experiences with NGBs, and one definition of NGB may differ from another. At the end of the day, we can all agree that they suck. – KTJ
We have to admit, ‘Nice Guy But’ is maybe one of the most relatable songs we’ve ever heard. What’s your advice for dealing with guys who are nice, but?
Unfortunately, there’s lots of them out there haha. Like we talk about in the song, I think it’s important to know your own worth. There’s so many relationships where a significant other treats them horrible, or maybe they don’t treat them horrible but the other person isn’t even attracted to them. They stay in it, out of a shred of complacency, settling down because it’s “what they deserve.” In order to deal with an NGB, is to first calibrate that he is in fact an NGB, and that you deserve better. It’s different with every situation of course, but the best way to deal with that is leave and move on. Don’t try to fix them or change them, because if you have figured out your worth by this point, then you know… you aren’t their mother or father. It’s not your job to teach them how to be a decent human being, let alone a good significant other. – Carly
Don’t let NGB to get away with making you feel like garbage because “they’re nice” on the surface. You have to work every day reminding yourself of your worth, and no matter how much you love this person, keep an eye out for the red flags they give off and ask yourself who they are aside from their “nice” vibe. – KTJ
We love how explosive ‘Nice Guy But’ becomes as the track progresses! It really doesn’t hold back, and it intertwines so many genres into one! How would you describe the KTJ & Carly genre?
Our genre is pop, but it is influenced by so many different genres and artists. This one in particular was really influenced by the pop/punk era in the early 2000s. Our genre could be described as pop with influences of rock, EDM, alternative, and even R&B. We are constantly inspired by all the music that has been released and continues to be released today, and I think I can say that affects our sound a lot. – Carly
I feel like our music and a lot of music today has become genre-fluid. Pop, RnB, soul, rock, alt, punk, folk/indie, EDM, rap, are all genres we love to listen to and write. We write what feels right at that moment. One could describe our current discography as pop with these influences. – KTJ
Which artists who have their own distinct sound inspire you the most?
I’m constantly inspired by the artists of today. I’ve been really inspired by PVRIS, Mitski, MARINA, Weyes Blood, and BCNR. – Carly
I’m inspired by many artists all of the time. A few are Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Jhene Aiko, Dua Lipa, SZA, Billie Eilish, Amy Winehouse, and many more. As of the last month, I’ve been going through an indie/folk music phase. Noah Kahan, George Ezra, and Hippo Campus are a few artists I’ve been listening to a lot recently. – KTJ
In the summer, you headed out on your first-ever headline tour on the West Coast! Congratulations! How did it go?
It was one of the greatest experiences ever. Being able to travel to all of these new places that we have never been to, and then do what we love… who could ask for more? It was truly so soul-fulfilling. It was nice to change it up every day, drive through the most beautiful views, see where each city would take us, and get to perform. I can’t wait to do it again. – Carly
It was incredible! Seeing so many new places and meeting so many wonderful people and seeing how our music impacts them was such a rare and beautiful experience and I’m so grateful for it. – KTJ
If there were any, what do you think the biggest hurdle was that you overcame on the new adventure of headlining?
I think the biggest hurdle was just the traveling aspect. To have to load all of our gear into our car, then drive hours and hours, and then stop for a night and move on to the next place was a challenge, to say the least. However, I feel like by the last stop, we became pros at it haha. It was tiring, but in a really great way. We learned to enjoy the tedious parts of that which made it really fun at the end of the day. – Carly
We often think that being a duo is more intimate than being in a larger group, as there’s nowhere to hide. How important is the dynamic between the two of you when it comes to working in the studio or on the road?
Since it is the two of us, we always want to make sure that it is democratic and we each get a say in what we represent. We are actually super different people, and it can sometimes be difficult to get on the same page. We always try to prepare in advance for stuff like that so that we are both happy with whatever that may be. I typically take on visuals and editing, and we do social media together which can be tough sometimes. Writing & production we do together which is always great! On a day-to-day basis, we sometimes fight, but we are each other’s best friends and have been since we popped out of the womb, so it’s never for long. We trust each other completely and I wouldn’t wanna do this with anyone else. – Carly
As twin sisters, we argue all the time. It can be difficult when we have disagreements, but at the end of the day, we are BFFs and we have the same goals and mission. That’s what keeps us together and moving forward. – KTJ
We love ‘Pink Ferrari’ too, and the contradictions between the lyrics and the production perfectly imitate the topics you discuss in the song. Can you tell us a little bit about the creation process for that one?
We wanted to make a song that encompassed the feeling of accepting yourself as you are, warts and all. This song was co-written with our good friend Aidan Laprete. We wrote it all together on the piano, and then Carly and I produced it out together later. We all have demons, and in order to be above them you have to accept you have them. Thus we wanted a tunnel song/letting go vibe, so we added a gliding synth to the chorus to give a flowy feel after the dark verses. – KTJ
‘Pink Ferrari’ is one of the tracks on the Ego Death EP you released in the summer (which we love, btw). How did you choose which tracks would be singles? Is it a democratic process between the two of you?
Thank you! It is a very democratic process, we won’t release anything or make any big decisions unless the both of us are on board. As you said before, being a duo is much more intimate, so it’s always important that the both of us are happy with our product. The decision to make this one a single was a really easy choice though. Both of us had said this was one of our favorite songs on the EP and decided long before we released it that this one would be our single. – Carly
We know we’re being greedy, but following on from Ego Death and your 2020 album Identity, would you like to release a sophomore full album sometime in the near future?
Absolutely. That is something we would love to do. For now, we have been working on a new EP to be released in the next year. I am really excited for it. I feel like it is a bit different from these two bodies of work, which is really fun. – Carly
Yes! Most definitely. – KTJ
Speaking of the future, what can fans expect from KTJ & Carly in 2023? And what have been each of your highlights from 2022? We know we’re excited to see what’s next!
As I said before, we have been working on a new body of work that we are really excited about. It’s got a lot of this new sound that we have been playing with and really excited to keep working on it and to eventually share it with the world. I think my biggest highlight of 2022 was our west coast tour, to be sure. I can’t wait to do it again. – Carly
Thank you so much for the love!! We’re excited to continue creating, releasing and growing with our fans. We have music videos, and lots of music to release from now to 2023. Until next time!! xoxo -KTJ
This sister duo is at the top of our lists for releases we can not wait to hear in 2023! But, if you need a little more right now, listening to ‘Nice Guy But’ wouldn’t hurt, right? If you’ve added KTJ & Carly to your playlists and have their latest single on repeat, we’re right there with you! Tell us your favorite line in ‘Nice Guy But’ in the comments below, or fly over to our Twitter! You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram.
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