Live Session: KairO on The Monday Night Show

Outside, the fog had turned Cheshire into what Jim called “a Dickensian Christmas.”

Inside the Mix 56 studio things were much warmer. The Jim O’Connor Monday Night Show welcomed KairO, the duo of Chesqua on vocals and Craig Elliott on keys, with a special guest on congas, and they played two songs live on air.

It was the sort of night the Monday show is made for: real musicians in a small room, playing their own songs to Cheshire.

From the Hacienda Classical Stage to a Songwriting Partnership

Chesqua lives in Manchester and Craig is in Stockport.   They met while working as session musicians on an MTV show with Hacienda Classical. Craig was on keys and Chesqua was singing. They barely had time to say hello before they were on stage together.

That was enough for Craig. He liked her voice and said they should work on something together.

After another gig together they were sure they had something, so Craig asked Chesqua whether she wrote her own music.

The timing helped. Olivia Dean was having her big breakthrough, and Chesqua saw in it the kind of artist she had wanted to be for years. They started writing, and the very first song they finished is the one they have just released.

How KairO Write: “It Feels Like Our Song”

Jim asked how the writing works, and they agreed it’s a bit of both. The music usually comes from Craig and the lyrics usually start with Chesqua. After that they’re both changing things. Chesqua keeps trying out new vocal lines, and Craig tells her when a line is “a bit cheesy.”

Chesqua said it never feels like her song or his song. It always feels like theirs.

Some songs come together very fast. Their summer single, Move, started as a groove Craig had made on bass, drums and keys and then got stuck on. They sat in his studio, pressed record, and Chesqua ad-libbed over it. They cut out the parts they liked and had the song finished in one afternoon. Jim called it “a proper serendipity moment,” and that’s a fair description.

Why KairO Release Singles, Not Albums

One of the best parts of the chat was about getting people to really listen.

Chesqua admitted she had been reluctant to release anything, because once a song is out it doesn’t feel like yours any more. Craig was the one who kept saying, “Just get it out.”

She said there’s so much good music around that it’s hard to get people to stop for a few minutes and care about yours.

Most people listen while they’re doing something else. Jim said he sees this at home: when his kids find him playing a record, they ask what else he’s doing. The answer is nothing. He’s just listening.

That’s why KairO are putting out singles.

It’s hard to get someone to sit through a 40-minute album, but a single might catch them. The duo can write in almost any style. They mentioned a country song they’ve already written that doesn’t fit next to their R&B and hip-hop tracks. They want to build an audience before choosing a sound, without getting pigeonholed.

Live on Mix 56: Move and Make It Happen

Then they played. Craig’s son Rafferty played congas on both songs. Craig went off-script for a moment, but Rafi kept the beat perfectly, and everyone agreed he did a great job.

KairO opened with Move. Chesqua said it’s about deliberately slowing down and taking life in, even though it’s called Move.

After that they played their new single, Make It Happen, released on 16 October. It was the first song they ever wrote together. It’s about not letting self-doubt stop you and putting things out before you feel ready, which fits Chesqua’s own story.

Jim’s verdict: “That was incredible.” He also told Chesqua her voice was brilliant.

What’s Next for KairO

There’s plenty to come:

• A Christmas comeback. KairO released a Christmas single last year and are pushing it again this year. As they said, Mariah Carey does it every year.
• A Valentine’s love song, ready for February.
• Live gigs of their own. Playing other people’s music is their day job, and now they want to play their own, ideally at festivals, with trumpet, extra vocals and drums added to the line-up.

As for dream venues, Chesqua would love to play an originals gig at Manchester’s Albert Hall. She has sung there before, but only covers.

Craig toured with American artists at places like London’s Jazz Cafe, and he wants to go back and play his own songs. Ronnie Scott’s and an NPR Tiny Desk are on the list too. And of course Glastonbury is the big one, though as Chesqua said, you walk before you run.

Jim’s closing thought: the Albert Hall needs to hear that voice.

Listen Again:  KairO on The Monday Night Show on MIX56

Catch Local Live Music on MIX56

The Jim O’Connor Monday Night Show is where Cheshire’s new and live music gets airtime: local musicians, original songs and live sessions in the studio. If you’re a local artist or band and want to be on the show, get in touch with MIX56.

Search for KairO on your streaming service to hear Make It Happen and Move, and keep an eye out for that Christmas single in December.

Follow the band on Instagram at @kairotunes, plus Chesqua at @chesqua and Craig at @craigelliotuk