TONY & THE KIKI
Q What made you pen “Keep Shinin’ On” and when did you write the initial lyrics?
We really wanted to write an anthem for our community, for people who were feeling like they’re being forced to dim their light . And we wanted it to be less of a heavy approach and more of a party! Let’s keep shinin’ on, and forget the rest. We wrote the initial lyrics on a zoom session when we were just batting around ideas and seeing what might be interesting to riff on, and it really was a quick write once we found our way in.
Q The song carries so much energy and rebellious spirit—did you approach this from day one with a desire to encapsulate this?
Absolutely! We wanted it to scream from the rooftop. A true anthem.
Q How did your personal life experiences inform your lyrics’ themes of identity and resistance?
Loving yourself in this world is resistance. We aim to loud and bold and queer always – in our work and in our lives. That in and of itself is resistance.
Q The “Keep Shinin'” lyrics are a mantra—what does this phrase mean to you every day?
For us, it’s really about being authentic. Whether that is stomping the city streets iced coffee in hand or getting ready to dance the night away with the girls or something less fab like maybe going to job you hate or dealing with a troubling relationship… we need to remind ourselves of who we are. Constantly.
Q Were you thinking of any specific group of people when you wrote this song?
It’s for the girlies gays and they living in 2025. Dealing with what we’re all dealing with and needing a little sparkly reminder that they are “that bitch” That’s really who we were thinking of. But truthfully, it’s for anyone who needs a jolt of divine diva energy.
Q The song defies fear and shame, what made you search out your own voice ultimately?
The world is starved for authenticity and we decided early on that we’d do what turned us on creatively and what sparked joy and wonder- to embrace our artistic ancestors in a way that honors them because at the end of the day we’re just in a love affair with rock ‘n’ roll. We’re big old music nerds. Through owning that we found our own voice, and I mean that lyrically and musically. Outside of music we’re not afraid to be who we are, whether that’s a fierce queen from Queens, or a queer keys player raised on a dairy farm. Embracing our full selves gave us, in a way, artistic license to put that into our tunes.
Q How do you handle those moments when you start to think your light is dwindling?
It can be so difficult in those moments to remember that we are stardust. We are made from something so much greater and more powerful than our immediate emotional state. On top of that, having a chosen family you can lean on when you’re feeling down or feeling impatient is the greatest thing. Patience and faith.
Q That line where it says others counted you out and then you rose up again—so powerful—is this from your own experience?
I think we all have that story somewhere in our history: the person who didn’t believe in you, or quit on you because they didn’t think you could do it, the list goes on. We have had some of that in our pasts. But we don’t linger on our disappointments, we know that as a community we are so much more powerful than any individual voice of hate.
It’s like in the Wizard of Oz when Glinda laughs at the Wicked Witch’s nasty threat and says “lol you have no power here- begone!” It’s so cvnty. It’s giving that.
Q What is the background of “no weapon formed against you shall prosper”?
Well it’s a platitude that’s been used in prayer and spell work for centuries because people need to be reminded of it over and over and over – we need to know our power in order to not give it over. It’s the band summoning that ancient force that lives within all of us. It’s an affirmation of bravery and protection.
Q The track can be both a collective and a personal anthem—is this something you were after?
Community is always in the forefront of our minds, and while we only speak from our own personal experiences, we wanted something audibly tangible that anyone anywhere in the world could grab onto and say “hey you know what? I got this.”
Q How would you like this person to feel while listening to this song for the very first time?
Embraced. Empowered. Invigorated.
Q How do you respond to those fans who are having a problem with self-acceptance?
Take your time. You’re not on any schedule, and you’re not required to be anything other than what you are. That, by the way, can change. Nothing is rigid, all life is a spectrum, so enjoy the journey of finding where you are along it.
Q Do you see “Keep Shinin’ On” being a part of a broader message or movement that you want to communicate through your music?
Listen, there is no way that we can be who we are without being a part of a greater community
Q In what ways may music assist individuals to tune out distractions and reconnect with themselves?
Bump it up in your headphones, put on a sexy pair of sunnies, and STRUT. Get outta your head and into your body- into what makes you feel yummy.
Q Are there any particular fan responses to this song that specifically stuck with you since its release?
There have been a couple of really sweet comments on TikTok that made us tear up a little. And some fans in Brazil have tagged us in videos of them singing the “ayo ayo!” chant, and that has been really exciting to see. When the people embrace what we’re trying to do it makes it all worthwhile.
Q How would it be to know your words are somebody’s favorite to listen to when they’re going out into the world?
You know, we realized early on in our artistic collaboration that we are enchanters… to enchant, to chant, to sing, it’s all the same thing . It’s a spell. Thinking that the lyrics we wrote could be someone’s personal spell of protection in this world is everything. It’s why we do this.
Q How do you keep your own creativity shining while things in the world appear to darken?
I think there are a ton of answers to this question, but for us often we think in a really immediate micro way, thinking day to day and focusing on our creativity- not really giving the BS too much air time. But on the other hand sometimes we look it dead in the face and spit and scream. It is easy to feel like darkness will dim your light, but for sometimes we like to think about it as a void to shine into.
