KIMIE HAWAII

Singer-songwriter Kimié (pronounced Kim-mi-Yay) Miner taught herself guitar at age 14, when she began writing her own songs and first toured with reggae star Barrington Levy at 19. She graduated from Kamehameha Schools in 2003 and attended the University of San Diego before taking the leap of faith to follow her first love – music – in Los Angeles. In the days before YouTube, Kimié self-produced three tracks and posted them on MySpace where they hit #1 in MySpace’s Unsigned Artist chart in the state of Hawai‘i.

Turning down offers from big-name labels, she left in 2,which was entirely funded by a Kickstarter campaign. It included the #1 radio hit in Hawai’i, “Make Me Say”.

In 2015, Kimié wrote and co-produced her full-length album, Kimié Miner, which included collaborations with Caleb Keolanui from The Green and L.A. reggae band Detour Posse. The album went on to win “Contemporary Album of the Year” at the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards in 2016. The album ventured into a new widely accessible pop sound without completely abandoning her soulful island and reggae roots and included #1 radio hits, “New Day” and “Bottom of a Rainbow”. Kimié was featured on Brian Mcknight’s 2016 album, Better, on track 08 “Goodbye”.

Inspired by jazz, R&B, and soul-influenced individualists like India.Arie and Lauryn Hill, Kimié’s songwriting reflects a contemporary lifestyle while still paying homage to her Hawaiian island upbringing.

Her steadfast faith in the values of Hawaiian culture serve as her personal piko (navel or center) — the anchor that keeps her grounded through her various travels throughout different parts of the world. Her songs have a loose, down-to-earth feel, and fill her lyrics with natural imagery which illustrates Kimié’s formative years of growing up on an island.

In 2016, she started her new company Haku Hawai’i, a full-service music, audio, and talent production group providing access to the creative output from Hawai‘i’s emerging and leading artists, producers, composers, and musicians. Haku has since worked with MVNP, HTA, and The Four Seasons Resorts Ko ‘Olina as well as Kamehameha Schools and DTL, through their mentorship program.

Slated for a career-defining 2017, Kimié’s new album “Proud as the Sun” certainly marks a new chapter in her life and career that showcases her growth as a woman and journey to being comfortable in her own skin.