Karma and the Killjoys
Who are the members of Karma and the Killjoys? And how did everyone meet?
Rain Scott-Catoire (piano, vocals, songwriting) and Sydni Myers (vocals, songwriting) met our first year of college studying theatre performance. We started the band with only vocals and piano and writing songs together. Later, we found Thomas Vercher (drums, mixing/recording engineer) and Tim Marchand (guitar, bass, mixing/recording engineer) who brought the band to life.
Karma and the Killjoys’ sound and style is so unique. How did the band come up with its whimsical look and piano heavy tracks?
As far as the sound goes, the band started with only piano and vocal harmonies, so piano had always been the foundation for our songs. They’ve grown and expanded since then, but that’s where it all started. I like to think our whimsy comes from a lack of boundaries. We don’t really have a genre and we never try to restrict ourselves to one. Each song is its own genre, in a way. As far as our look goes, Sydni has always had an incredible vision for the band—she’s the one who makes all of our show flyers, comes up with themes and designs for photoshoots, and directs and edits our music videos.
Are there any non-musical influences that shape your sound?
Everything from street noises to cicada-song finds its way into demos and our songs, but I think films, theory, and documentaries influence and shape our sound the most. the soundscape in movies like David Lynch’s and David Cronenberg’s Videodrome have crept into the lyrical qualities and dissonances in our work over time. I love film that has something to say but is more functionally a mosaic of human darkness. And, honestly, exploring and expanding on these themes come naturally in our current dystopia.
What is the band’s lyric writing process?
Sydni and I write our songs separately, actually, so the lyric writing process is different for both of us. For me, I start with a strong feeling, character, or concept and imagine what the song would feel like from there. The lyrics come next, and usually come sorta stream of consciousness. Sometimes I go days or weeks in between working on it and sometimes the whole thing comes out in one sitting. When the song is done, I leave it alone and don’t touch it again until I’m ready to add the musical elements.
I (Sydni) am the kind of writer who endlessly changes, rephrases, and workshops my lyrics. I’ve taken to writing as an outlet for things I think people around me are sick of hearing me talk about. Lately I’ve been drawn more to narrative form, and recounting characters and people I’ve met through my childhood to build a story around. Being that we are both theater majors, I think we are story-driven writers in a lot of ways.
We love your single “St. Pete’s”. What is the meaning behind the song?
St. Pete’s is about a lot of things, but namely, False Idols and the billionaire class. it is a metaphorical reimagining of myself as Peter, the violent agitator disciple, specifically when he denied Christ after His arrest in the garden of Gethsemane. A lot of the artists I once looked up to I have felt really let down by in recent events and St. Pete’s was my way of grappling with it. It was a stream of consciousness song that the faith I was raised in trickled into, as it often does.
You recently collaborated with Johnny Manchild and the Poor Bastards for your new single “What Is It I Came For”. How was that experience? What are the pros and cons of collaborating with another band on a song?
It was an awesome experience working on the collab with Johnny. It was all of our first times collaborating in that way! Even Sydni and I don’t write together, so it was a very new experience. Johnny came into town with the bones of the song and Sydni and I followed his lead. We deliberated over the rhythm scheme of the lyrics and adjusted chord progressions until we had something we liked enough to make a demo. A month from then, Sydni and I traveled to Oklahoma City to record everything in a single weekend with him. It was an energetic rush of chaotic music recording that was just so invigorating. I’m so happy with how the song came out, and we’re really looking forward to doing more in the future!
Do you have any crazy or funny stories that happened during a show or on tour?
Our first show in Houston, Texas was played in a DIY venue during a record freeze. It was an old warehouse filled with dolls and old animatronics that had no heater or AC. we were already feeling sick, too, so that set was performed through sniffling noses and chattering teeth. I couldn’t find any hand warmers so we’d all taped toe warmers to the inside of our jacket pockets. Much love to the DIY scene but I wish we had checked the weather.
If you could open a show for any artist who would it be?
If Fiona Apple ever decides touring is something she’d want to do again, she’d be my first pick in every lifetime. I honestly can’t name another lyricist on her level.
Do you have any shows or tours coming up?
We started touring this year and had the incredible opportunity to open up for Jukebox the Ghost in Austin, TX, which was a surreal experience. We hope to continue touring in 2026!
How would you describe Karma and the Killjoys to new listeners?
My cop out answer when people ask what kind of music we make is “piano-rock.” But Karma is so much more than that. It’s piano and electric guitar centered rock music filled with lush, intricate harmonies over powerful, emotionally raw lyrics. That’s too much of a mouthful though, so I usually say “piano-rock.”