Behind Closed Doors with the Co-Founders of Keepsake House
Meet the co-founders of Keepsake House, Jay Miners and Hailey Savage. The two discuss their respective background with independent music and live performance, share the founding story of Keepsake House, and reveal their vision for the business. This interview is accompanied by a Spotify playlist (embedded within) featuring the songs that were most influential to Jay and Hailey, from childhood to today.
In this semi-weekly blog series, we post in-depth interviews that take you behind closed doors (or #BCD) with independent artists, many of whom have performed or will perform in a Keepsake show.
Jay:
What kind of music did you grow up listening to?
Hailey:
I moved around a lot, but most of the earlier music influences came from my mom. She listened to a lot of ‘80s music, soft rock, indie, singer/songwriter. I remember when John Mayer’s album “Continuum” came out, because that would play in the car all the time, driving around California where I lived then. My mom was a Jack Johnson fan too, so there were a lot of artists I was exposed to early that instilled my love of guitar and softer music, specifically songwriters.
The songs from Hailey’s mom :
Blister In The Sun (Violent Femmes)
One Week (Barenaked Ladies)
Do You Remember (Jack Johnson)
Stop This Train (John Mayer)
Mine’s Not a High Horse (The Shins)
Hailey:
When I was adopted by my dad Ted, that was when musical influences really kicked in for me, because he is a guitarist. He was playing music all the time and would talk about music a lot, so he introduced me to so many different things. I think he really instilled in me a love of folk and country. Before him, I hated country music, because I thought that all country music sounded like the radio country that can be a little anti-feminist and can come from a very conservative side of the country. I never resonated with that. But Teddy taught me how much music comes from country chords, progressions, and lyrical styles. Americana is country, so is folk, and there are still people playing that music.
“Country music doesn’t have to be synonymous with a particular political party.”
So I’m a big country fan now. Going to Nashville when I was in college was hugely influential too, and now I feel like over half of the people I listen to are from Nashville and would be classified as country artists.
Jay:
I think I’ve had a similar experience with country music, where I kind of fell in love with it later in life. I think there is such a storytelling aspect to country music that I really love. And lyrically, there is always a narrator, so you feel particularly attached to whoever is singing the song, or whatever character is built into the song.
Hailey:
I feel the exact same way, and I think the storytelling was always what I was attached to. I’m not a born instrumentalist, but I played violin and guitar and I always loved the cello, so strings have also attracted me to country and folk styles. Ultimately, though, I’m a lyricist, and I can stray from some alternative music, for example, because I don’t connect to the lyrics the way I connect to country lyrics.
Jay:
There are also some really iconic melodies in country music, like The Chicks and Lee Ann Womack. “I Hope You Dance,” that melody arc is so nice.
The songs from Jay’s first love of country :
I Hope You Dance (Lee Ann Womack)
You Belong to Me (Patsy Cline)
The House That Built Me (Miranda Lambert)
Hailey:
Yes! And The Chicks were a really big deal for me growing up. I remember when “Not Ready to Make Nice” came out, and that was when I understood that country music doesn’t have to be synonymous with a particular political party. Even though I was very young then, that was always in the back of my mind somehow, I think.
The Songs from Hailey’s dad :
Father and Daughter (Paul Simon)
Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash)
Not Ready to Make Nice (The Chicks)
Late Bloomer (Ron Sexsmith)
A Case of You (Joni Mitchell)
Hang Me, Oh Hang Me (Dave Van Ronk)
Travelin’ Soldier (The Chicks)
Hailey:
What about you, Jay?
Jay:
Like you and a lot of people, what my parents were listening to really influenced me. My dad talks about how music was a big part of his story immigrating to America and assimilating to the country. He would tell me stories of when he was living in Hong Kong, when he would listen to the radio all the time and sometimes what he listened to was Western music. A lot of that was folk and singer/songwriter music: Simon & Garfunkel, John Denver, etc. Then when he came here he was in high school, and I think he fell in love with American culture through listening to music.
“My dad talks about how music was a big part of his story immigrating to America and assimilating to the country.”
I remember him telling me the story of the song “New Kid In Town” (by the Eagles), which came out right around when he started high school. He was in a new place, didn’t know any English, and that really resonated with him. My dad would always blast CDs of all different kinds of artists and genres in my house.
My mom really loved motown as well, so I think all of that influenced me. That’s probably why I have an identity crisis when it comes to writing my own songs, because I want all of these kinds of music to be in my own work.
The songs from Jay’s parents:
New Kid in Town (Eagles)
Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon & Garfunkel)
Annie’s Song (John Denver)
Tracks of My Tears (Smokey Robinson)
Go Your Own Way (Fleetwood Mac)
Your Heart Is As Black as Night (Joe Bonamassa)
Vienna (Billy Joel)
Killing Me Softly With His Song (Roberta Flack)
Hailey:
I think we have so much music available right now, and maybe that’s why a lot of it is undefinable. Everybody is a “slash” genre now, maybe because we were influenced by so many different kinds of music.
Jay:
And genres themselves, pure jazz and pure country, those great works have already been made. Your version or interpretation of that genre is constantly evolving and mixing with other things, until it becomes its own genre in itself. Lo-fi didn’t exist ten years ago, and now it’s its own genre. K-Pop is its own genre.
Hailey:
That’s such a good point. I actually remember when I was really young, I had this very concerning thought of, what happens when we run out of music? Maybe everyone has had that thought, but I just couldn’t fathom how we couldn’t finish every combination of notes to the point where we have heard everything there is to hear. But I think you’re right, there will always be new genres or new melodies or even new instruments that didn’t exist before.
On to the next question!
You first came to me with the idea for Keepsake House (including the name, which we kept from the beginning) at the end of February 2020, right before things shut down. I was so excited to hear about the idea and was honored that you wanted to work with me to build this business. What sparked the initial idea for you? Can you share more about the thought process for the business, those first visions you had, and also how you came up with the name?
Jay:
To be honest, I’ve always wanted to open my own business, but this idea came to me as an alternative career path to what I was already doing, which was marketing and teaching music. I wanted to be able to make a living and do actual music, so that was the initial intention behind having my own business. And I was thinking about all the things I love to do, and planning events was one of them.
At the time that the initial seed of the idea came to me, I was doing Music + Mic Nights that you were hosting when you worked at the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA), and I think I had just finished playing the concert series show that we did there, Asian American Women in Music, with EMIA, Sam Cadorniga, and Yify Zhang. I loved the planning aspect of that show, I loved connecting with those artists, and I felt really fulfilled making that event happen with you and everyone.
And I was also reflecting on what I loved about live music and my favorite concerts I look back on. One of them was a Vienna Teng concert I went to at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, back in college, 2013 or so. One of the reasons I loved that concert so much was the intimate feel of it. It was a packed show, but it was a small crowd, and the whole show felt like we were having dinner together with the occasional amazing song. I think I had a high after that show for a whole week. It was just the best experience.
So all of those things combined made me want to open my own business that could create those feelings for other people. At the time, you and I started to get closer, and I think for me, it felt so daunting to open something by myself. Watching you put together MOCA events so seamlessly and stay so organized was really inspiring. You also have such a passion for live music that really aligned with me, so we had that mutual understanding of and respect for live music. I had this very not-fleshed-out idea that we worked together on and turned into a really cool vision. And here we are!
Jay with Sam, EMIA, and Yify during the Asian American Women in Music concert at the Museum of Chinese in America. August 2019. Photo by Hailey Savage.
“I felt like ‘keepsake’ encapsulated that feeling of leaving with something that will stay with you and be treasured.”
Hailey:
And what about the name, Keepsake House?
Jay:
Well, I was thinking of leaving a live show with that “high” kind of feeling. I think everyone has had that feeling if they’ve ever seen a really great live performance that really resonated with them. So I wanted to find a word that captured that feeling, and the word “keepsake” just came into my brain. I felt like “keepsake” encapsulated that feeling of leaving with something that will stay with you and be treasured. It kind of makes the intangible tangible, like you’re describing that feeling as something you can physically hold onto, because it’s that strong and feels that real.
And then “house” because that’s the place.
Hailey:
And we’re trying to be very cognizant about building a community rather than just being a traveling venue. I think “house” is important in that way, because it sounds more like a community theatre name.
Jay:
Yeah, exactly.
What about my business pitch appealed to you when we met last February? What do you think you bring to the table, and how are your past experiences going to shape this business moving forward?
Hailey:
Like you said, I think we were on the same page without knowing it. I wasn’t necessarily thinking of starting my own business at the time; I was very much caught up in museum work. But I loved Music + Mic Nights with every fiber of my being. That series of programs was already a series that the museum put on, but before me, they had never been consistently hosted. That was something I always thought was really important. We needed someone to be that character and to represent the museum, and we also needed that for the artists. It’s important for them to know that they have an advocate.
So I said yes to that gig immediately, and I was really nervous about it. I was very aware of the potential repercussions of a white woman becoming the face of a show that predominantly featured Asian American performers. But the reality was that I loved those shows so much, because I had performed in them before, and I realized that as long as I was transparent about and authentic with the vision that the museum wanted for these shows and what I could bring to the table, then that would be okay. And there was nobody else on staff who wanted the job. These shows were on Friday nights, so our staff did not want to have to stay around for that every month.
“Hosting is a type of performance, and I think I’m a better host than I am a musician.”
I ended up hosting every show myself, so it was really the first big public program--because we had audiences of up to 100 pretty consistently--that I hosted completely on my own. I set it up on my own, I built a relationship with my audio tech., and I found and organized the performers on my own. That was really exciting for me, and I missed it terribly when the season was over. When I was laid off from the museum, one of the most devastating moments I remember was when I realized I would never host Music + Mic Night again. It was genuinely very emotional for me, because the performers from Mic Night were like my family, and I also felt like I was helping them. I didn’t know what would happen to Mic Nights and if these performers would be invited back, and I didn’t want them to feel like I was abandoning them.
Turns out there was a pandemic so there haven’t been any Mic Nights since me.
But anyway, when I heard that you wanted to start this business, I think that’s why I immediately said yes. Any semblance of the community from Mic Nights, and also the possibility of being a host again, was something I knew I wanted and needed. Hosting is a type of performance, and I think I’m a better host than I am a musician. I always knew that was the right place for me, and I’ve always been a natural public speaker. I really enjoy that, and I get a lot of good feedback doing that, so I immediately knew I would do Keepsake House no matter what.
And I trusted you. Our friendship was strong at that point, and you were the first artist that I connected with from Mic Night. You were the one I most associated with Mic Night. I mean, I put you on the poster!
I guess that sort of answers the part of the question about past experiences. Mic Night is the most clearly relevant past experience. But I’d also hosted a lot of community events in my hometown, in Canada, back in highschool and college days. I hosted dinner parties with my family, but I also worked audio with my dad at a talent show every other summer, and I had my first performance as a musician at a concert in the town cafe.
My background with Asian Americans is important as well, I think. I didn’t just end up working at a museum that happened to be Asian American. I did Asian and Asian American Studies for both my BA and MA degrees, and it was always important to me to do work that benefited the people I know, and people that I have benefited from. I tried not to exploit, but my research in school did involve people, so this is a community I’ve always felt connected to. That’s part of what makes me feel connected to you and to potential artists we may have at Keepsake.
Hailey hosting a Music + Mic Night at the Museum of Chinese in America.
September 2019.
Photo by Hailey Savage.
Jay:
Is there a project you’re most proud of to date?
Hailey:
As much as Music + Mic Nights and the summer concert series at MOCA were really important to me, neither was ever my idea.
What was my idea at the museum was a monthly series of panel discussion programs called Voices of American Adoptees from China, which ran in November 2019 for National Adoption Month. This was my project from its inception, and it was related to my MA thesis. I’m an adoptee and I’ve always studied adoption. I connected to Asian American stories because I knew so many Chinese American adoptees around my same age, and they were the only adoptees I knew. That was what drove me to do research on that community.
“Even if they do another adoptee series, it will never be done the way I did it. I don’t know if I’ll ever be prouder of a project.”
At the museum, I organized this month of programs that was devoted to telling adoptee stories from adoptees, who were relinquished in China under the One-Child Policy. This group of adoptees is quite unique, because the vast majority of them were born female and because there are hundreds of thousands of them in the United States now, but the museum had only ever done a couple of random programs involving adoptees or about adoption. I felt like the museum hadn’t honored them enough at that point, and I also knew that even from a branding perspective, this was a huge community of Chinese Americans that could be a real audience for the museum, and could include future supporters.
The rewarding aspects of the series were endless. I still receive emails and notes from people who attended those programs, and for a lot of people it was the first time adoptee voices were heard, because I made sure to include at least one adoptee speaker on every panel.
The series was super emotional, not only because of the subject matter but also leading into Thanksgiving and thinking about family all of November. And then that series ended, and I was laid off five days later. I went from a huge high with that series to being laid off, so when it happened I was in shock but I also had the confidence at that point to know what the museum was losing in me. Even if they do another adoptee series, it will never be done the way I did it. I don’t know if I’ll ever be prouder of a project.
Jay:
I don’t think I saw much of that series, but I wish I had.
Hailey:
It was November in New York, so you were likely very busy. It’s also one of the worst months weather-wise and it’s a hard time to get people out for anything that isn’t holiday related. Shockingly, though, every program in that series--none of which were free admission--sold out. The last program we had over 100 people there if I remember correctly, and the room was basically overflowing. The crowds brought a certain power to the programs just like the speakers did; they were all emotional and some of the events felt therapeutic.
What about your proudest project?
Jay:
I am in the process of releasing songs that will become my first LP. Each song has been like my baby. With every release, I feel like a part of myself is being released into the world. I think when it finally comes out, I imagine that I’ll feel really proud of it, but I think what makes me excited about this project is that these songs have been made in a way that feels true to each song and to myself.
“I think now I’m pushing myself thematically but also I don’t feel like I belong in a box, and I’m allowing myself to do whatever I want to do and make whatever I want to make.”
I started writing songs when I was a kid, but I was very much alone in my room, sharing those songs with only myself at the time. It wasn’t until around 2015 after college that I started sharing songs, but I think the process of sharing was also explorative. I was trying to find myself and what I wanted to say, and what my sound was.
My last EP, “The Art We Make,” I loved the experience of making that. But it was really my first experience working with a producer and putting out a studio record that was “legit.” That project also ended up being a little pigeonholed into this “chamber folk” box. Coming out of that experience, I realized that I didn’t want to be confined to a genre box or fit into a certain mold.
I finally feel like this past year, I have pushed myself as a songwriter. Songs like “Real Love” I don’t think I would have written five years ago. I have a new song called “Snow Prints” that I’m working on right now, and it’s kind of an homage to Asian American women leaders. I think now I’m pushing myself thematically but also I don’t feel like I belong in a box, and I’m allowing myself to do whatever I want to do and make whatever I want to make.
Hailey:
I think that’s such a good answer! First of all, it’s amazing to know that the project you’re most proud of is coming, that you haven’t finished it yet. Also, you’ve thought about the authenticity that you’re experiencing now that you didn’t necessarily get before, and that’s a sign that you’ve grown and are looking for that in your work now.
Jay:
I also think that sentiment comes from my slight hatred for Spotify. I want to be wary of making music to fit a playlist. Because Spotify is such a driving force in the industry, there’s so much pressure on independent artists to land an editorial playlist in order to feel successful. Sometimes we subconsciously try to write stuff that we know might do better on that platform. I just hate that that is the model right now, and that feeling has allowed me to avoid at all costs doing anything like that for this album.
Jay Miners. March 2021. Photo by Jeff Deng.
It’s clear that Keepsake House is as much about building community as it is about being an event formula. What are some of the most important communities you are or have been a part of? Will any of them cross over into the Keepsake House community you hope to build?
Hailey:
The obvious one is the artists that I made a community with through MOCA. They and you are super important to Keepsake House, because I legitimately want all of them back. I would be so thrilled to have every single one in a Keepsake show, and there isn’t a single performer from Music + Mic Nights who was difficult to work with or couldn’t do a Keepsake show for whatever reason. It was a great community, and I also loved that I was able to advocate for artists to return month after month. Although I was open to new acts, I wanted performers to feel like they had a residency, at a venue that was invested in them for the long haul. I wanted that to be a space for the artist as much as it was for the audience, as well as a space where artists could meet and potentially collaborate. We’re trying to do that at Keepsake too.
“I wanted performers to feel like they had a residency, at a venue that was invested in them for the long haul.”
Right now, I feel like I am becoming part of a local filmmaking community through my partner, Justin, who works in that industry. I would love to involve them in Keepsake, especially in filming and production for the in-person shows. It would be great to be able to hire them and bring more creatives onto the team in that way.
My hometown is also a really important community to me. It’s a super small town on the beach north of Quebec City, and everyone knows each other. People will stop by your house in the middle of the day for a coffee or to borrow your canoe. I feel really supported there and actually had my first music performance there. I’m really glad we get to do virtual shows, because my hometown friends will be able to attend some of those shows even though they live so far away.
In that way, I think every community I’m part of will have some interaction with Keepsake!
The songs from Hailey’s teenage years :
Take What I Can Get (Matthew Mayfield)
Polaroids (Shawn Colvin)
Hand in My Pocket (Alanis Morissette)
You Can’t Stop Me (Laura Benanti in “Nashville”) - the first song Hailey ever performed in her hometown
Jay:
Same. My obvious one as well is my artist community, particularly other songwriters. These are the type of people like me who play shows once a month, the ones who are constantly saying yes to every performance opportunity we can get. Our main artist audience for Keepsake House is independent artists. We want to create a place for them to share their work in an intimate, real, and not 45-minutes-are-up-get-your-ass-off-the-stage kind of way.
And I’m not sure that we have this community yet, but I hope through Keepsake we can create a community of avid live music listeners. I think there’s a special kind of person that will be our repeat audience at Keepsake shows. They are the type of people that really care about the artist and the music. These aren’t the people who passively listen to Spotify. They go on Youtube to watch roundtable concerts for hours, or they join a forum to talk about how this song impacted them. That’s our crowd, and I hope we’re able to attract those people to come to every show or talk about the show with us afterward. And I think that’s the type of fans we are!
The songs that first inspired Jay to write :
St. Stephen’s Cross (Vienna Teng)
Both Sides Now (Joni Mitchell)
City (Sara Bareilles)
The Story (Brandi Carlile)
Cannonball (Damien Rice)
I’ll Find A Way (Rachael Yamagata)
Stop This Train (John Mayer)
Hailey:
I of course connect to that. That’s the type of fan I am. I’ve always been a buyer of music and I still buy music, physical and vinyl when possible, but I also buy digital and don’t really stream. And a Keepsake fan doesn’t have to be that person, listening to Spotify isn’t a bad thing, but people who are willing to go above and beyond to support the artists they love are the type of people who would watch every Keepsake show. And they also will I hope come back for us and for our mission as much as for the individual artists.
I’m very thankful to have a friend like Jiajia, who is our biggest fan. I think she is exactly that person. She will be at every show and will cancel plans to be at every show. I appreciate that so much, and if you are that type of person, we want to meet you! We want to be your friend and grab dinner after the show with you.
Jay:
Yeah. And separate from that, I think my Asian American community is really important to me. My family falls into that, and my partner, and a lot of artists and friends I know.
Hailey:
And your neighborhood, too!
Jay:
“With everything that has been going on lately, which has always been there but is spiking recently, it’s more important than ever to continue sharing our stories. I’m glad that Keepsake House will be a platform for Asian Americans.”
Yeah! I live in Flushing, very much an Asian American community. I think with everything that has been going on lately, which has always been there but is spiking recently, it’s more important than ever to continue sharing our stories. I’m glad that Keepsake House will be a platform for Asian Americans. The show we did last, Hindsight, featured all Asian American singer/songwriters, and this upcoming comedy show will feature Asian American comedians. Those artists are just coming from our shared network, but I hope that even as we grow, we will always have a place for Asian American artists.
Hailey:
Definitely. And I want Keepsake House to feel like a safe space where an artist can always return. If you are an independent artist, and especially an Asian American artist, we got you. I want Keepsake House to have people’s backs.
This is our favorite question lately: What was the worst live show or hosting experience you’ve ever had? Tell us that story!
Jay:
I did a gig around 2016, because my cousin who attended Stony Brook University was hosting an event with her club at school. They wanted performances throughout the event and asked me to play. Going into it, I knew it would be one of those gigs where I just played in the background and no one paid me much attention, so I had low expectations. But I remember there was someone who was also performing, a cute girl with a ukelele who sang “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz, and everyone sang along. So I thought, maybe this could be cool! Everyone seems really engaged.
So I was going to do one song but changed it to “Sunlight in Your Eyes,” because it has some fan interaction. I got up and started to sing that song, and either there was a shift in the room or people were over it, but when I asked the audience to sing with me, no one sang. It was so awkward.
And that does happen. Sometimes audience interaction just doesn’t work, but I think because I was so excited and changed my song, it made it feel even worse when it failed.
But I feel like my worst gig is still yet to come, because there hasn’t been one yet that really sticks out to me.
Jay Miners & Hailey Savage. March 2021. Photo by Jeff Deng.
Hailey:
I wonder that too. I haven’t performed many times, and most of my hosting experiences have gone pretty well, so I feel like the worst could be yet to come.
But the story I always like to tell is about this event that I assisted with at MOCA. It was a press conference for the reveal of a USPS stamp that commemorated the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad, which was predominantly built by un- or under-paid Chinese workers. The event was private for journalists and community VIPs only, but there were probably ten to fifteen different news stations there to film it, and a group of military veterans were there. The president wanted someone to sing the national anthem, but I guess there was a mix-up about who would be singing it, and no one from the guests or the postal service was willing to sing.
So at the last minute, the museum president, who was extremely stressed throughout this whole set-up, finds me setting down chairs in the midst of the very packed crowd. She was looking at every single museum staff member that was in the room, and eventually locked eyes with me. At this point, I had performed at MOCA before, so she must have remembered that I sing. So she somehow made her way through this crowd and pulled me aside. She told me we needed to sing the anthem and said, “You can sing! You do it!” And in my panic and pure fear, I just said, “I can’t sing the US National Anthem. I’m Canadian!”
The president let out this huge sigh and then turned away from me, so I really saved myself. But by not stepping up, I put my coworkers at risk. So the president scanned the room again, and I watched her do the same thing she did to me to one of my coworkers, our multimedia producer. She locked eyes with him, pulled him aside, and begged him to sing. He immediately looked petrified, as he wasn’t a singer or performer, but he managed to do it. He got up on stage and sang the anthem in front of all these important community members and cameras, and I honestly thought it was one of the bravest things I’ve ever witnessed. I also felt extremely guilty, so once he got off stage, I patted him on the back and said, “I owe you a drink.”
Fast forward nearly two years later, and we live together. We’re still dating.
So as embarrassing and shameful as that experience was for each of us, it led to something great.
The song that reminds Hailey of her partner, Justin:
Mr. Sunshine (Lori McKenna)
Hailey:
You are a songwriter and live performer at heart, but did you always foresee your musical endeavors and the Jay Miners persona as a business? Is that a side of this career that you enjoy? What made you want to pursue another side business, knowing it could take away from your time writing and performing?
Jay:
I didn’t know that being a musician was like running your own business. There are a lot of aspects to being an independent songwriter today that I really hate. Obviously, the craft of songwriting and performing live is what I love doing, but I don’t think I anticipated the promotion part to be as involved as it is. Maintaining a social media presence, caring so much about Spotify streams, finding avenues like blogs or playlists or radio to reach your audience, all those things take a lot of time. I spend almost as much time on that as I do writing songs.
“I never want to use one of my songs as the marketing material itself.”
But I do think doing those things has helped me learn more about myself as an artist. Business forces me to think about my “brand,” and for me what has been helpful is separating the two, the music I make versus how I portray myself as an artist. Writing music is something I’m always going to do, whether or not I make money from it or have success. The promotion part is completely separate. The colors I use, my social media voice, or what I say in an interview is always authentically me, of course, but those things and the response from that does not and should not have a role in the kind of songs I write. Having that line has been really important to me. I never want to use one of my songs as the marketing material itself.
I think that Keepsake House is going to make art, but it is more of a platform for art making, so I feel less resistant to do those business tasks for Keepsake because that’s what it is. Keepsake is a business. Whereas with music, while it is a business, I struggle with that because it feels like it shouldn’t be a business. I have high hopes for Keepsake and for us, so I think that makes it worth pursuing, even though some aspects may take time away from my writing and performing.
So, Hailey, you’re at a crossroads in your career right now. You’re doing artist management, you’re doing Keepsake House. What drove you to the music industry and what do you envision your career becoming?
Hailey:
Dauntingly, I am trying to use my time unemployed starting two potential businesses, neither of which will make money for a while. There are pros and cons to that. I have the time to put in right now, and I want to invest in things I personally care about, even if those things are side hustles for a few years.
“I’m really good at being a fan of things. And while that is not technically a skill, I think it should be.”
I’m kind of a renaissance person. I’m a generalist, so there is a lot I like to do and I have a lot of different interests with a wide skill-set that doesn’t fit a single industry. A piece of my soul is an academic, and another piece is an activist or non-profit person, but the deepest part of me is a storyteller. I’ve always been writing, from fan fiction in high school to short stories in college and songs in my twenties.
I also think I am a fan at heart. I’m really good at being a fan of things. And while that is not technically a skill, I think it should be. Something the world lacks right now is the direct support and recognition of individual people as support. We’re starting to see creatives build entire careers through things like Patreon, which asks for direct support from fans, and I am that type of loyal fan. I’ve been really hard on myself for being so easily devoted to people, and there is a balance to doing so safely and with self-care, but I want a career where I can make a living off of being someone’s advocate while also telling stories.
Keepsake gives me both of those things in a way, a creative and business outlet to tell stories. And I’m drawn to artist management because I’m such a fan, and I love to advocate and protect and manage. Music is also super personal to me and is such a big part of my nuclear family. My parents and I listen to the same music and go to the same concerts. Bringing music into my career somehow has always been something I’ve dreamed of doing, but I know that I’m not a great live performer of music. I also don’t love performing music live the way I love hosting or public speaking. Plus, management would involve some of my best skills. I’m organized, I’m a big picture thinker, I can plan events and book venues and negotiate contracts, all of that.
I hope I can make a full-time career out of this at some stage. In the meantime I’ll be baking and locked in my apartment, like everyone else.
Hailey Savage. March 2021. Photo by Jeff Deng.
Jay:
That’s amazing, Hailey.
So, Keepsake House shows currently air live on Zoom but we have plans to bring them to in-person venues in New York as soon as it is safe to do so. Is there any particular venue (indoors or outdoor), or perhaps even a different city, where you would love to host a Keepsake show one day?
Hailey:
Both of us have talked about bringing Keepsake shows outside in the city as soon as this summer, hopefully. We might host a show in a public park or on a rooftop.
I actually don’t have particular venue ideas for New York, but I would love to bring Keepsake outside of the city as well. Nashville is the ideal place. Our whole concept is essentially a writers’ round, which is something that was born in Nashville and still happens everyday there, so it would be very well understood. And of course we would find amazing talent so easily there.
I would love to host a show in my hometown, for the community. I also spend time in Vermont, and I could see us hosting a show there, maybe somewhere in the woods or on the lake.
Jay:
Nashville would be awesome. Beyond other major cities, I don’t have a particular location in mind. I do have particular spaces I would love to host in, though: rooftops, living rooms, a campfire out in the woods (maybe that’s in Vermont!), someone’s backyard, all places that feel intimate and less like our artists are on a stage. It should feel like we’re all together, enjoying each other’s company.
Hailey:
I always imagine us sitting in a circle on the floor. There’s something about that I really love.
From an artist’s perspective, what do you think Keepsake House offers or what is unique about our shows that an artist might not get somewhere else?
Jay:
“Keepsake gives you an opportunity to really put on a show, connect with people who might enjoy what you’re doing, and create a relationship with those fans. We’re all about being real and forming a community.”
For independent artists, particularly in New York, your show max is probably 45 minutes. You have that allotted time to sing your songs and hopefully get attention from people who happen to be at the venue that night. Most of the people who come are probably your friends and family. I think Keepsake has an opportunity to provide a lengthier set, where you can not only share your art and music, but also your thoughts and who you are as a person. It gives you an opportunity to really put on a show, connect with people who might enjoy what you’re doing, and create a relationship with those fans. We’re all about being real and forming a community.
Sometimes in this fast-paced music world where you feel like you have to shout to get anywhere, I think Keepsake House is about slowing down and taking in the moments. I think that’s something special that we offer.
What about from an audience or hosting perspective, what do you think Keepsake offers there?
Hailey:
From an audience perspective, I think it’s for that devoted fan who wants the most intimate experience and wants to know about the music itself. They want to learn how to cover every one of your songs, and they also see artists as people. Artists and creatives are people, they’re not products, and I think Keepsake takes that really seriously.
“We care about these artists and select them as fans first. We should be the most excited person in the room, because we represent that devoted fan.”
And in terms of the host, theoretically we’ll host every show. I don’t know if we will change hosts for different shows, although we could for the right person or reason. What’s unique about our hosting is that we have relationships with the artists coming in to every show. We care about these artists and select them as fans first. We should be the most excited person in the room, because we represent that devoted fan. And because of that, we also can create a space in which the artists feel safe and supported. That encourages more intimate discussion and creates those very vulnerable but magical memories.
Jay:
Why did we choose comedy/musical comedy as our first show theme?
Hailey:
The choice is partly out of convenience, because we know a lot of comedians and musical comedians who are amazing and we wanted to get them into Keepsake House as soon as possible. I also think it’s a fun and exciting way to kick off Keepsake House, and it’s more high-energy than a singer/songwriter show, so it provides that laughter and lightheartedness we are all craving right now. It’s a good way to reckon with the times that we are in.
Keepsake’s first show, “Unmute Yourself,” airing live on Zoom Sunday, March 28.
Poster by Jeff Deng.
Jay:
Name three artists you’ve been listening to this month.
Hailey:
I’m a huge Maggie Rogers fan, and I love her music as well as her as a person.
Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors is a band from Nashville that my family and I adore, and that we’ve seen play live a bunch of times. I’m always listening to them.
And recently, the other artist that comes to mind is corner club, the duo that played in the Hindsight show. I’ve genuinely been listening to their new EP “little love lullabies” a ton this month, and it’s lulled me to sleep in a good way. It has calmed me down if I’m stressed out and I love their sound. I’m also impressed with the work they’ve done, because they do the production themselves. They do stuff in the production of their music that I don’t understand, and there’s a really fun mystery in that for me.
Hailey’s most listened-to songs of her 20s :
Avalanche (Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors)
This Town Is Killing Me (Caitlyn Smith)
Slow Burn (Kacey Musgraves)
Fallingwater (Maggie Rogers)
Jay:
I saw Lake Street Dive do a cover of Carole King’s “So Far Away” recently, and it made me miss Carole King. So recently, I’ve just been listening to her album “Tapestry” on repeat.
There’s also this artist Bedouine, who I really love. Her song “Solitary Daughter” is one of my favorite songs ever, and her album is really good.
And I’m literally always listening to Elizabeth & the Catapult, because she is one of my favorite singer/songwriters ever. I wish I could play the piano and write lyrics like her. And she has a new album coming out soon that I’m really excited for.
Hailey:
Oh, I almost forgot to say that I’m also loving Jensen McRae. Her song “Immune” is one of my favorite songs right now, and really captures the time that we’re living in from the perspective of an introvert like me.
What can fans expect from Keepsake House in the next year? How many shows, and when/where? What else are we doing between shows to keep people engaged?
Jay:
We’re doing a lot!
Hailey:
We’re trying.
Jay:
I think for 2021 we are planning seasonal shows. The March kick-off show will be the spring show, and then hopefully we can have one in-person this summer, and then another before the holidays. Hopefully when the world opens back up again, we can do shows more frequently, but that’s our first year goal.
In between shows, we’re releasing blog interviews like this one featuring our favorite artists where you can get in-depth conversation from the artists featured in Keepsake shows. If you walked away from a Keepsake show really loving the music you heard, we also will have Spotify playlists that include the recordings of songs played at our shows.
Hailey:
Yeah, we have the interview blog series that is kicking off here, Behind Closed Doors. We also have shorter blog posts about newly released music called Keepsake of the Week. The other blog series that we’re excited about is Amplifying Asian Americans (AAA), which will highlight small businesses and independent freelancers who work outside the entertainment industry but are doing something that we’re impressed by. Those posts will give other Asian American-led small businesses a space to talk about the art that they make.
At Keepsake House, we talk a lot about the magic in live shows and the communities they help create, almost like every live performance is itself a keepsake that you cherish from a whole house of life experiences. I want to hear your most memorable or fulfilling live performance experience, the one you would grab first in a fire.
Jay:
As an audience member, the World Cafe Live show in 2013 with Vienna Teng, Alex Wong, and Jordan Hamlin is the show that I always remember.
For me as a performer, I have two answers. The one we did at MOCA, Asian American Women in Music, was one of them, because it really cemented what I love about live performing. But also the Hindsight show we did recently. Even though it was online, I think a lot of things made it feel like it was my favorite show. It included some of my favorite artists, and it was the first time since the beginning of the pandemic where I felt like I played an actual show, and I think that feeling in of itself made it special. It was also the start of Keepsake House and what it could be, so all of those things made it into a show I’ll always remember.
“Hindsight” live on Zoom, the first unofficial Keepsake House show that Jay organized independently in January 2021.
Top left to bottom right: Sarah Kang, Hailey Savage, Jay Miners, corner club, and Kira Hooks.
The songs that Jay is currently loving in 2021 :
Two Slow Dancers (Mitski)
Solitary Daughter (Bedouine)
together, alone (Elizabeth & the Catapult)
So Far Away (Carole King)
Picture in a Frame (Tom Waits)
Me, Forever (Alex Wong)
Seventeen (Sharon Van Etten)
Songbird (Fleetwood Mac)
Hailey:
That reminds me that one of the reasons I trusted you so much in forming this business is because of the way the Asian American Women in Music show happened. The backstory of that show is that I asked you to perform as part of the music exhibition’s concert series at the museum. I invited a lot of artists to do it, because we ended up having nearly one of these concerts every week of summer. We wanted to offer artists a space to do essentially whatever they wanted. They could have up to two hours of time and could curate the show themselves. A lot of them did album release shows, we also had a drag show, but what was so amazing about you was that you were the only artist who was invited independently but wanted to include other performers. You wanted to share your time with others, involve other performers, and turn the show into more of a community experience.
That was really generous, but it also showed how important it is to you to support your fellow artists. And it was my favorite show of the series to watch because it was the most intimate and interesting. A lot of audience members loved that about it as well.
But to answer the question, my favorite live performance as an audience member was a Glen Hansard concert in Leipzig, Germany. I was solo backpacking through Europe for about six months in 2016, and by the time I got to Germany, I had probably less than $200 left in my bank account and a month before my flight home. I was very poor. But I really wanted to go to Leipzig because it is the vegan food mecca of Germany. I just went there to eat.
I got to the hostel late at night and was exhausted. This guy started talking to me and asked if I was in town for the concert. I had no idea there was anyone notable in town, so I said no. Then he told me it was Glen Hansard, and that was when I flipped my shit. I love Glen Hansard and had never seen him live at that point. I love him, The Swell Season, “Once,” everything he’s ever done basically. But I hadn’t kept up with where artists were touring while I was a struggling backpacker, so I would never have known that he was in town that night.
Anyway, I looked up tickets and the show was completely sold out. The guy from the hostel left for the show, and I stayed there alone feeling suddenly energized and thinking this is all too serendipitous for me not to make it to this concert somehow. Surely there would be ticket scalpers at the venue or something! So I ended up running across the whole town to get to the concert hall, and of course there were no ticket scalpers to be found. Eventually I found the ticket booth and got in the line in hopes that someone had surrendered their ticket. I must have looked really desperate, because this woman tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Here, take my ticket.”
Thanks to this amazing woman, I ended up with a free ticket to a seat in the first row of the balcony at this beautiful theatre. The show lasted over four hours, because Glen Hansard is a boss. I guess he’s known to play into the night. His performance was amazing, but it was also really emotional because the last hour of the show was a tribute to Leonard Cohen, who had just passed away earlier that same month. I was devastated when Cohen died, so that tribute--which included Javier Mas, Cohen’s guitarist, who was playing in Glen’s band that night--was cathartic for me and the rest of the audience. The whole band walked through the crowd, came up to the balcony, hugged everyone, it was just amazing. And I couldn’t stop thinking about it for weeks after.
Featured in the 2016 Glen Hansard concert in Leipzig, Germany:
Say It To Me Now (Glen Hansard)
Mediterrania sintonia (Javier Mas)
Passing Through (Leonard Cohen)
Hailey:
My favorite host/performer experience was the Music + Mic Night from September 2019. At that point, I had been trying to get my dad Teddy to New York for years. He is my favorite person and we often write songs together, so I specifically wanted him to be able to see a Mic Night show. And we had been working on this song together for a while called “Goin’ Crazy,” which was also the first song I’d ever heard Teddy sing (I’m usually the one who sings).
I wasn’t totally sure that my parents would be able to make it until the morning of that show, just because the drive is pretty long and the show started at 7:30pm or something. But they made it! Teddy walked into the museum as I was setting up, maybe thirty minutes before sound check. I had to buy him dinner in the midst of prepping for the show.
At this point, the Mic Night artists all knew me and had become friends of mine, and the audience was filled with regulars who knew me as a host. So I surprised everybody with a performance with my dad in the middle of the show. We played just one song, but it was so special to sing to a room full of people who care about you, and who you already know support you. That’s so fulfilling, and it was the first time since being at home that Teddy and I performed together. Also, my best friend and roommate Jiajia was there, my boyfriend was there. That was the first night Justin met Teddy! It was my birthday the next day. So many things came together for that show, and I was very emotional throughout it.
Jay:
I remember that! I was standing next to Sarah Kang, and when you were singing with your dad, we both looked at each other and were so emotional.
Hailey:
Yeah! So those are my keepsake shows. Excited to have many more to come.
Hailey and her dad, Ted, performing in Music + Mic Night at the Museum of Chinese in America. September 2019.
Photo by Hailey Savage.
