Karli Webster

After a year of hard work, local musician and “The Voice” alumna Karli Webster released her debut EP “Bittersweet” on Friday.

“Bittersweet” contains five songs written throughout Webster’s life that were reworked with the help of producer Dennis Herring to better capture the maturity of the singer’s current sound and style.

“Releasing this album is like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders, because I didn’t expect the process of creating and releasing it to take a whole year,” Webster said. “I played the album live back in January, and, since then, I’ve been so antsy to release it, because the reception was so warm. I’ve had these songs in my back pocket for years, and I’m glad to finally let the world see what I’ve been cooking up.”


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The process began with a three-week Kickstarter campaign, which was supported by 200 people and raised $16,525, over her original $15,000 goal. From there, Webster’s team began searching for a producer for the album, which she said was a three-month-long game of matchmaker.

As a fan of Herring’s work and the bands he worked with, Webster considered working with the producer as an impossible pipe dream. To her surprise, Herring agreed to meet with Webster and liked her material enough to agree to work with her. She was also glad that Herring understood and fully supports her goal of using music to champion women’s empowerment.

“Dennis typically produces alternative music not pop, and as a pop music writer who doesn’t necessarily listen to a lot of straightforward pop music, I knew I wanted his influence on my sound,” she said. “He produces a lot of avant garde albums full of really unexpected sounds. I want my music to be unexpected and also to make other people feel like his music makes me feel.”

The team initially selected 15 songs to work with and over more than five months whittled that list down to the five that made it to the EP. Webster’s favorite track is “Bittersweet,” because she says it captures her satirical writing style and “stands out like a sore thumb” compared to the other songs on the album.

“I’m very sarcastic, and this song is a pure satirical contemplation of what it means for me to be a woman in the music industry and in America,” she said. “It’s about my own strength, and I love the idea of allowing myself to be perceived as weak when I’m not at all.”

Webster said she is pleasantly surprised that people have already begun listening to the album on Spotify and have bought the album, and though she will not know how many people have listened to “Bittersweet” until the end of the month, fans have already sent her numerous messages. “Anyone” has emerged as the fan-favorite track.


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Webster said “Anyone” is a song about her story, and she is glad it has resonated with listeners because of its deeply personal nature. Webster said she has had trouble opening up to people in the past but wanted her music to carry an emotional weight.

“All of the songs on this EP are very open and vulnerable, and it was like me putting my heart on a silver platter for the world to do whatever they wanted with it,” Webster said. “That was one of the hardest parts of this for me but also the most rewarding part. That kind of growth has helped me reach an acceptance of who I am and my new music will be reflective of that.”

Producing the album taught Webster to trust her gut and stand up for her herself while being more trusting and open to others’ ideas.

“I’ve never been good with trusting other people, but this experience has forced me to listen to other people and allow them to have influence on my work,” she said.

Social media — another new frontier for Webster — has been her main promotional avenue for the album. Though she does not feel comfortable with the “self-rewarding” aspect of social media and turning herself into a brand, she recognizes its importance.

“With social media, I feel like I’m constantly having to sell a product and that product is me,” Webster said. “I’m not a shy person, but I’m not a person who tried to put myself out there all the time. Publishing my face all the time is not my favorite, but I know that it’s an important tool to help get my music out there … for me, it’s just about adapting. I have been able to connect with people who send me messages over social media, and I’m all about the connections that music fosters.”

In context of musical growth, Webster believes that due to the experience and knowledge she gained from working with Herring, she is now writing her best work. Going forward, the singer said she cannot wait to return to the studio to produce a full-length album.

“Bittersweet” is Webster’s introduction to the world of professional music, and though she does not feel like she played it safe on the EP, she wants to explore other genres and “get weirder” in future songs.

Webster would also like to go on tour around California and give her work a wider reach than the Santa Clarita community.

“Santa Clarita has been so supportive of me, and I’m grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had in this town, but I’m ready to move out a bit and explore more,” Webster said.

“Bittersweet” is streaming on Spotify and is available for purchase on iTunes or at https://www.karliwebstermusic.com. - Matt Fernandez

The 20-year-old musician instantly caught the attention of coaches Adam Levine and Miley Cyrus during her rendition of “You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon. Cyrus stood and danced to the performance while the audience clapped along.
Karli Webster Of Santa Clarita Survives First Round Of ‘The Voice’ Blind Auditions
Coaches Adam Levine and Miley Cyrus watch Karli Webster perform during the Blind Auditions. Courtesy of The Voice, NBC.
When Webster finished her song, a stand-off between Cyrus and Levine ensued.
“In a way you want to revive the 60’s and 70’s and make it super current,” Cyrus said on the show. “To be able to represent women who want to work hard is really what I want to do. And I look forward to having you make a mark in ‘herstory.’”
Levine countered, “The spirit of Carly Simon was in your performance… You have my favorite voice of anyone in this competition, and to lose the opportunity to work with you would be a huge, huge loss for me.”
Ultimately, Webster chose Cyrus to be her coach.
“The past 48 hours have been beautifully overwhelming, to say the least,” Webster said in a Facebook post. “You guys have helped make some of this lil chick’s dreams come true. My heart is so so full and I am so dang grateful for the love I’ve received. CANNOT thank you all enough for being so sweet to me.”
Related: Meet Savannah Burrows, Rising Santa Clarita Teen Country Star (VIDEO)

Since the age of three, music was a major part of Karli Webster’s life. Her father had put her through piano lessons, and it paid off when Webster went on to win eight state-level competitions.
She grew up listening to the music of the ‘70s, even being named after the legendary singer-songwriter Carly Simon.
Karli Webster Of Santa Clarita Survives First Round Of ‘The Voice’ Blind Auditions
Karli Webster hugs family and friends backstage after her Blind Audition. Courtesy of Karli Webster on Facebook.
After graduating from high school, Webster decided to pursue music full-time and applied to the prestigious Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. The program is known for its highly competitive and thorough application process, which includes submitting a video reel, being tested on music theory and, in some cases, a live audition.
Webster was awarded a full scholarship to the school, where she currently attends.
Now, Webster has more than school on her mind as she continues on the The Voice, which the Nielsen Company reports drew about 10.57 million viewers for it’s latest season premiere.
The Emmy-award winning show is a reality singing competition that searches for strong vocalists across the country. Contestants are broken into teams led by well known industry veteran coaches.
This season’s coaches include Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Miley Cyrus and Jennifer Hudson.
You can follow Karli Webster’s journey as the show progresses Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC.
Watch Karli Webster’s Blind Audition performance on The Voice here. - Andrew menjivar