Sunniest of Days, Darkest of Hours: Kimmortal Makes Space for it All
Photo credit: Kortney Gloska
Representation is powerful — especially when you rarely see yourself reflected in the music you love or the media you consume. As a young Filipino-Canadian, that absence has often felt like a void. My culture and identity are deeply rooted in how I see the world, and for Vancouver-based artist Kimmortal, they are the very heartbeat of their art. A queer, non-binary Filipinx powerhouse, Kimmortal is a creative force who raps, sings, produces, and paints stories of healing, ancestry, and resistance into every note.
Chatting with Kim, we talked about all things soundwaves, karaoke anxiety, ancestral intelligence, and what it means to be a star — because, as Kimmortal says, “I’m a star, and it’s true. Everyone’s a star.”
REVERIE: Hey Kim! For those who don’t know who you are, who is Kimmortal? What song would you recommend to new listeners?
KIMMORTAL: Well, it’s funny. I’ve been trying to change my one-liner. Right now, I’m saying, “I rap, I sing, I produce, make art, and I’m a star.” I’m going by that now, and I end it with I’m a star, and it’s true, I’m a star, everyone’s a star! Before recording, you had mentioned how Filipinos rule, and we do. Filipinos are the best, we are stars. The song I would recommend would be my newest track, “Sunniest Of Days.”
REVERIE: As a queer, non-binary, Filipinx artist, how does your identity shape the narratives and themes around your music?
KIMMORTAL: Because I’m queer, I’ve been thinking about how I can queer sound waves. It’s like you’re a sculptor, you think this is weird and cool, so you change the soundwave. Whatever tickles your brain as a queer person, non-binary person, brown person, Filipinx person. Whatever tickles your brain is because you are you. You are resonating with something. There’s that, and I go, “This needs to exist.” Then, being Filipinx, we have so much ancestral intelligence or “AI” as I like to call it. In my community, I am surrounded by such baddies, like such queer, trans, Filipinx, just such amazing ritualists, brujas, soundhealers, all my best friends do all of the above. From DJs to musicians, I am surrounded by many amazing Filipinx artists who I learn so much from about who we are and how we continue to be in a relationship.
The more I learn, the more I go, “Wow, this is something we need to be proud of.” Filipinx are also invisibilized as a community and in the Asian community in general, and like yo, why? We rule!
REVERIE: Filipinx are known for their love of karaoke, what’s your go-to karaoke song?
KIMMORTAL: “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus. I’d pick that because I imagine this dweeb like, longing for this lover and the story of the whole song is incredible. It’s just such a good story. Another song I would pick is Finger Eleven’s “Bones + Joints.” It was a song I used to play when I was in high school. That’s like one of my favourite songs.
It’s so sad yet so beautiful and dramatic. I want to do a cover of it one day, if I don’t do karaoke, but you know what? To be honest, I’m not a karaoke person. I don’t like it because when I do karaoke, it’s usually around other amazing Filipino karaoke-ists. It raises the question of “Oh my god, I’m a musician and I can’t even sing like my cousins!” Like, I’m embarrassed when I do karaoke. I do music full-time, and I’m always on the mic.
REVERIE: Congrats on your single, “Sunniest Of Days!” How do you develop your song titles?
KIMMORTAL: That’s a cool question! You know when it’s a sunny day and the outside world does not reflect how terrible the world is? I wanted to work with that contrast. The reality of the times right now. Like in Vancouver, all the colours of the trees are coming out, and it’s such a sunny day, yet we’re processing tragedies every day. That’s like… hypersocial publicized tragedies in this age of information.
REVERIE: You also have a new EP! Which artists or musicians influenced the creation of it?
KIMMORTAL: Wow, okay. Common’s album Be is a huge influence, and around that time, Jill Scott’s song “Golden” from her album Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2. Be was produced by Kanye, and then J Dilla’s production is an inspiration. Those have been my influences. Some influences on lyricism are Saba, No Name, and Smino. I saw Smino in Vancouver, and I low-key worship his flow and his cadence. It’s so beautiful and like man, he’s so amazing. I’m so happy I saw his show. Vancouver showed up for him as well, it was packed. I touched his arm since I snaked my way to the front because of how small I am. I wanted to take a photo.
REVERIE: Who are five artists that have influenced your sound?
KIMMORTAL: One of the artists is Khingz, who’s a rapper from Seattle. He’s one of my friends who produced a song for me and he’s become one of my homies. I grew up listening to him in my 20s, and I ended up becoming friends with him. He produced my song “Get Better.” Then, Gabriel Teodros, also a Seattle-based MC, created the first open mic spot I started visiting when I was 20. He created the open mic spot for me, and that’s how I started performing. Years later, now he’s one of my friends. I have to say Lauryn Hill. I don’t think this guy’s an influence, but I aspire to be as funny as Zach Fox. Maybe in the future I’ll lean into a song like “get off my dick” or “Jesus Is The One (I Got Depression)”. Then the last one would be Bobby Sanchez. She’s trans and Indigenous and also a friend of mine. My friends have a lot of influence on my sound!
REVERIE: As an artist, what challenges do you face in the music industry, and how do you navigate working around them?
KIMMORTAL: I’m neurodivergent, and it wasn’t until last year that I got management. I released my first album in 2014, and now I have a consistent team. I’m able to tell them, “I want this.” Or “Can you handle booking admin?” It’s just so helpful and organized. A challenge I faced was I was told that because I am queer and Filipino, I am too niche to get out there. I was told that by an individual in the music industry who is also Asian. They had said, “Oh, do you see any Asians that are making it? Exactly.” I’ve dealt with shit like that or you know when you feel like you have to be a certain thing. Filipinos are the best at anything we put our minds to.
REVERIE: Do you have a particular project or performance that was especially meaningful to you that stands out in your career?
KIMMORTAL: Performing at Island Women Rise in LA at the Ford Theatre with an all-Vancouver band and other California artists. We repped so hard as queer Fillipinx and it was all with the best of the best like Filipino MCs like Ruby Ibarra, Rocky Rivera, Klassy and Faith Santilla. That was last October, and I designed the lighting; we all dressed up. It was the most amazing show in an outdoor auditorium. To perform in front of thousands of Filipinos during Filipino-American history month was wild! They gave me so much love.
REVERIE: Who are some artists from Vancouver that you want to shout out?
KIMMORTAL: Prado, she’s fucking badass, she’s a baddie. She’s a producer and a musician, and she’s amazing. My favourite song by her is called “Elastic.” She’s sweet, honest, and real. Another artist who’s Filipina, Clara Sanchez. She hasn’t released much music, and she’s a folk artist. I don’t know if she would call herself folk, I don’t want to get in trouble, but she is a brilliant lyricist and she makes me cry. Clara wrote this song, “ben” which is based on the first Filipino to come to Canada. Then Emerald Osagie released an album called Life Don’t Love You, and lastly, Dacey! Love Dacey, she’s wonderful.
Photo credit: Kortney Gloska
REVERIE: I know you are playing Sled Island this upcoming June, how are you feeling about that?
KIMMORTAL: I am so excited because I am extremely obsessed with my bandmates. They make my heart beat. Whenever I get a chance to play with the band, if the budget allows, it’s a full sound. Audience members don’t know how much it costs to bring a band, so whenever we get that chance, I lean into it. I read a lot of good things about Sled Island on Reverie when you interviewed Hemen! I want to check out other shows while I’m there.
Catch Kimmortal live at Sled Island Music and Arts Festival in Calgary, AB on Friday, June 20th, 2025 at the BLOXS Arts Centre with Tanajah, Lowkita, and more. Tickets here.