“Someone challenged me once to go deeper,” says singer/songwriter, guitarist, Kim Char Meredith. “This person said to me, ‘There are thousands of other singers and songwriters. You need to really know what makes you different from all the rest.’ I’ve reflected on that a great deal and realized that what I do is all about connecting. My main objective with my music is not necessarily to sing the prettiest or write the most profound songs, but to let everyone I come in contact with via music know that we are connected. No one is ever really alone.”
Gifted with an uncommonly pretty yet powerful voice and an intuitive flare for songwriting, Kim Char Meredith fits comfortably in the singer/ songwriter category, but stands apart by writing and singing songs that reflect personal truths and experiences in a broader context. She’s also quick to point out that her recorded and live performances are two different animals. “My recorded sound falls along the mellow to mid-tempo range of today’s pop/rock, with arrangements informed by Top 40 radio sounds; but as a solo acoustic guitarist/singer, my concerts feature a more rambunctious edge. This engages the audience and pulls them in for the more lyric-centered, contemplative songs included in my set.”
Kim Char Meredith was born in Illinois, but moved while still an infant to her father’s home in Hawaii. Except for attending high school in Virginia (“My father's career necessitated the move,” she says) she’s lived in Honolulu all her life. “I started writing songs at the age of seven,” she says, “singing my heart out acapella in the church I grew up in. At ten, I picked up the guitar and discovered the illustrious “D” chord by strumming along with Charlie Pride’s “Behind Closed Doors.” Growing up, Kim was exposed to a diverse selection of music including country, classical, folk, Christian worship and light pop. “The first album I purchased on my own was Debbie Boone’s “You Light Up My Life” and I also loved Karen Carpenter,” Kim remembers. “The quality of their vocals definitely influenced my initial signing style --I wanted a smooth, heartbreaking alto.” Kim was also drawn to and influenced by artists like John Denver and James Taylor, thus her initial performance style was very laid back.
Kim recorded her first album, Spreadin’ Out To Come Together, in 1985. At that time, her inspirational, spiritually grounded songs put her in the Contemporary Christian genre. Over the next twelve years, she released four more albums to wide critical acclaim, and garnered three Na Hoku Hano Hano Award nominations (Hawaii’s equivalent of the Grammy) in the category of Religious Music. Kim also toured nationally, earning a well-deserved reputation as both a poignant lyricist and dynamic live performer. Driven by a desire to reach a wider audience, however, Kim went ‘mainstream’ with the 1998 release of Slender Line of Lavender.
In praise of the album, reviewer John Berger of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin wrote: “All 14 songs are well-written originals. Diversity of style, range, power, emotion, and a beautiful voice -- Meredith has it all. What a masterpiece!” Kim knew her crossover was a success when Slender Line of Lavender received a 1999 Hawaii Music Award for “Favorite Pop Recording Artist.” “In the last seven or eight years,” Kim offers, “I’ve discovered this whole slew of women singer/ guitarists who really play guitar and I’ve come to understand that you can own the instrument that you’re playing and let it be a crazed, exuberant expression. Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow – wow! These days, I’m trying to not be such a nice girl when I play!” Among the highlights of her career so far, Kim Char lists a gig she played as opening act for Melissa Etheridge at the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu. “That was such a great opportunity and a lot of fun!”
Kim’s latest album, the gorgeously melodic and intimate Give And Take, explores a myriad of intriguing interpersonal scenarios -- between family, friends, lovers and relationships of a spiritual nature -- coming from a perspective of both personal and universal resonance. Produced by Kim and the Grammy-nominated team of Roni “H-Diggler,” Lawrence Yurong and Ronnie Esteban, Give And Take is arguably her best album to date. Kim’s passionate, soulful, soaring voice is in top form and her truly heartfelt songwriting has never been more compelling. From the vulnerability of “You Want In” (dealing with the challenge of staying emotionally open after one too many heartaches) to the triumphant anthem “Sunrise to Sunrise” and the simply beautiful “Language of My Love” -- showcasing the flamenco-style guitar playing of Derrick Lee -- Kim Char Meredith holds nothing back.
Speaking candidly about her objective for the album, Kim says, “I felt the need for absolute emotional transparency and authenticity as I wrote and recorded the songs for Give And Take. I’ve spent so much of my life hiding, so I really wanted to wear my heart on my sleeve this time, trusting that my expression would strike a familiar chord with the listener.” When performing live, Kim finds audiences particularly moved by the songs “Mystery of You” and “Fly,” which addresses domestic abuse, with a core of hope for change. “My own favorite is the love song “Giving and Getting Better,” Kim offers. “I think the song is beautifully real, identifying love as often feeling afloat in a less-than-calm sea. But when we give we really do get back…and we do get better.”
Since Hawaii’s local music scene provides limited outlets for singer/songwriters not specializing in Hawaiian music, Kim enjoys touring the mainland for its exciting opportunities to bring her music to new fans. Recently, Kim embarked on an acoustic tour of the States with her two sons, ages nine and twelve, traveling together with her. “We’d embarked on our home schooling adventure earlier this year and bringing them out with me just seemed the natural extension of their education,” she laughs. “No matter where my music takes me,” says the singer, “I plan to continue connecting with people and to keep it as real as possible.”