K.Flay on Her Sudden Hearing Loss and the Power of Less [Exclusive]

In 2016, when songwriter and performer K.Flay released her hit single, “Blood in the Cut,” it marked a major moment in her career. The rhythmic breakup track and the album it was released on, Every Where Is Some Where, each earned Grammy nominations a couple of years later in 2018, including one for Best Rock Song. The future seemed bright.

The 39-year-old artist (born Kristine Flaherty) has since released three more LPs, bringing her total to five records to date, but not everything she’s experienced in the 2020s has been rainbows and sunshine.

For Flaherty, who released her latest album, MONO, in 2023, life has been much different over the past several years as she’s dealt with a serious issue in one of her ears that’s caused her to lose a large portion of her hearing, threatening her career and livelihood.

She kindly opened up to VICE about what she’s learned since her life-altering diagnosis.

VICE: What is the name of your hearing loss affliction and how did it start?

K.Flay: It’s called sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Two and a half years ago, I woke up without any hearing in my right ear, just a lot of weird white noise. I was sick with vertigo, too. The doctors believe a virus made its way into my cochlea and destroyed everything in its path—including my hearing and my balance on that side.

VICE: How has this change in your life affected the way you make or even think about music?

K.Flay: In many ways, it helped me reconnect with the healing power of music. Making MONO was an absolutely crucial part of my own grief and my path forward. It’s how I made sense of what happened and found purpose.

VICE: How does your hearing situation impact touring?

K.Flay: It’s pretty disorienting and noisy in my brain when I’m in loud places (my deaf ear produces “phantom limb” tinnitus). So, touring is more tiring than it was before. It’s a different brand of exhaustion. After the show, my body is like OK, PUT ME TO BED. So, I have to be more patient with myself, and I also need to find quiet places where I can recharge. But I will say, one of the only times that I’m truly unaware of my hearing loss is when I’m performing. I get so locked into the present that I forget I even have a body, in a way, and I don’t notice the deafness. It’s amazing.

VICE: Is the hearing loss getting worse—might it creep into your other ear?

K.Flay: It better not! But no, SSNHL is like a lightning bolt. It strikes and then it goes away.

VICE: Has going through all this affected how you think about your life, even outside of your job as an artist—I know you recently hiked Mount Kilimanjaro, for example?

K.Flay: Totally. It’s been a reminder of the precariousness of the body, and I’m more considerate with how I treat myself as a consequence. Like, this thing is fragile and precious. The experience has also attuned me to the power of less. Less noise, Less input. We live in a very maximalist culture, and I’m not sure how healthy or productive that is for any of us.

VICE: This year, you celebrated five years of sobriety—what made you want to give up drinking, and how has the decision impacted who you are?

K.Flay: I was using alcohol as a way to cope with stress, as a form of escape. But the thing is, it wasn’t even working—it just made me feel like shit a lot of the time. More anxious, more self-conscious, more ashamed. So, when COVID hit, I was like, I’m gonna quit now. It’s been so positive for my self-esteem, my confidence, my relationships, my career. Sobriety is like a superpower. You can stay up all night partying, remember everything, drive home, and wake up feeling great. And I never have to make calculations about how much or when to drink. That’s really liberating, too. It frees up mental space for other things.

VICE: You’re a very cerebral, thoughtful person. Where does this come from, and do you feel a sense of pride over your intellectual depth?

K.Flay: I think it comes from a home environment that prioritized curiosity and pushed me to think critically. All three of my parents really believed in my capacity to learn, which was so empowering, because once you learn something, you can act meaningfully with that knowledge. I definitely identify as a learner, and I take pride in that.

VICE: What’s new for you in the world of music-making?

K.Flay: Nothing I can share yet!

VICE: What do you love most about where you are today, this minute?

K.Flay: Right now, I love that I gave everything I had on tour, and did it with an incredible band and crew. I also love the baby carrots I’m eating!