A Year of Rest and Releases: Kam Franklin

Interview takes place on December 22, 2025 at Wonky Power in Houston, TX.

Peeking inside Wonky Power on a beautiful December night, we see Kam Franklin gearing up for one of her last gigs of 2025. We see her, solo onstage, with her guitar and pedals doing final checks. There’s so much hidden work that happens leading up to a show and soundcheck is one of the last steps to complete the puzzle.

Kam Franklin at soundcheck for the 21st Annual Trills The Season at Wonky Power. Photo by Jonathan Burgos.

After soundcheck, Franklin admits in the green room that she’s “excited to perform, but also excited about the end of the year.” From fundraising and recording her solo record, touring as the lead singer of The Suffers, while continuing to perform solo, Franklin has taken the first week off of the new year to take a much needed break. She claims that she finds success in her overall happiness and spirit when she has slept, eaten, and rested.

The balancing act of an artist’s life is to uphold the rest, while having a disciplined work ethic. Franklin showcases this by continuously learning and practicing, admitting that she has been up since 8:30 in the morning practicing a small part of her set for her show. “I feel like that's the music industry as a whole. You do so much for the tiniest return or result,” but the outcome is always worth it; getting an excited reaction from the sound engineer right before the show! 

Franklin picked up her first guitar at thirteen years old, only to quit shortly after due to having difficulties learning the instrument. At the time she believed that she “must not be meant to play guitar,” until an opportunity to audition for a Broadway show appeared. “Once you see how much you can make in one year on Broadway, shit you’ll learn anything.” She practiced for three days, her hands were bleeding at the audition, and got a callback. But when Covid stopped the process, she realized that “there wasn’t too much else to be held back by other than [her] own bullshit.” She continued practicing her new obsession until she was able to create her own voice through the music she was creating. When she is afraid or scared to try something new, she reminds herself that “if you stay consistent and you just keep trying, you’ll get more out of it.”

Offstage candid of Kam Franklin. Photo by Jonathan Burgos.

For Franklin, her voice is her first instrument. Having a solo act means that she can write about her personal perspective as a black woman; sharing things like religious trauma and sexual abuse. “This is for me first. And then the people that get to be a part of it - cool.” Her band, The Suffers, are some of those folks who get to be a part of this. From bandmates playing on the new record to supporting in some capacity, she is creating a world for her own music. “I’m grateful for their trust and support and their willingness to let me just fucking go for it.” Self-identifying as a child from Paul Wall, Franklin states that she’s “a people’s artist at the end of the day.” She even goes as far as acknowledging that her upcoming album “was funded by the people. I am here because of their belief in me.”

With the support and trust of the community, Franklin knows the importance of sharing her transparency, knowledge, and experiences. To have open communication means that there are safe and professional spaces available for musicians and artists in Houston. As we sit in the green room, Franklin reflects on seeing Wonky Power grow “from year one to where we are now.” She has seen the vision evolve from the ground up, claiming that Wonky Power is a good example of a venue that she can communicate with if something is “not cool.” Franklin highlights other venues like the Continental Club, Big Top Lounge, Secret Group, and Dan Electro’s. On the topic of the renovation that has happened at Dan Electro’s in the past years, Franklin believes that “it is such a special, special place. Dan Electro’s reminds me of the vibe of the old Fitzgerald’s.” While she’s seen the shifts in the music scene, one thing that she believes is the most consistent is the talent that comes out of Houston!

The career she has now is due to the fact that she doesn't funnel herself to one particular path. Franklin’s professional career has been a mix of DIY (do-it-yourself) and moments of popular success. She understands the time, methods and processes, and physical labor of how to successfully release a record and continue working. “I’m good at being consistent and I’m good at showing up.” And while she recognizes the importance of community, she also values the time for rest. Often asking herself, “is this the band’s last show?” when debating on putting herself first by resting the night before a show or going out to see a band perform. (Most of the time it’s not their last show!)

T-shirts, tote bags, and koozies at the merch table. Photo by Regine Gwyneth Templonuevo.

Franklin has been extremely excited about her new record! She is currently waiting for tiny things that are out of her control, like “her barcode and finalizing addresses from the kickstarter.” For the sake of transparency, she shares that “the recording of the album was funded by [her],” and the community helped raise the other half of the expenses. On the public facing side she raised $22,000, but from people who canceled pledges, scammers, and the government shutdown causing financial delays, it brought the total down to around $16,000. Even with these financial obstacles, she has made it to the finish line! The artwork is done, pressings are done, “but man, it’s hard to get to done” she confesses. Franklin hopes for the record to be released in spring of 2026, at the latest summer of 2026. “CDs might be here before the vinyls, but she is coming!”

With only a month into the year, Franklin is already reaping the rewards of her consistent dedication to her craft. From the highly anticipated release of her solo record to recently winning the Best Regional Roots Music Album Grammy for her contribution to the vocals on A Tribute to the King of Zydeco, it’s safe to say that 2026 is Franklin’s year!

Take your friends and family to the next “Kam Franklin & Friends” show at Dan Electro’s on February 13, 2026. Or take a lover to go see Franklin on stage at Secret Group on February 14th! Make sure you don’t miss anything else she’s up to by keeping up with her on Instagram (@bamitskam) and on Twitter (X) (@kamfranklin).

Story by Regine Gwyneth Templonuevo