Next of Kin

***KUTX Artist of the Month is powered by PNC Bank***

Next of Kin celebrate the release of their debut EP with two nights at The Continental Club on May 9 & 10

by Taylor Wallace-Riegel

Next of Kin is your next new kick. The trio, made up of Lili Hickman, Madison Baker, and Caelin bring a breath of fresh country energy to the Austin music scene they’ve been part of individually for years. All three came from musical backgrounds and knew early on that music, particularly singing, was part of their destiny. Each member has been writing their own music from an early age. While Hickman, the firstborn of Austin music stalwart Sarah Hickman, was practically born into the Austin music scene, Baker followed a more traditional trajectory of running away to Austin from your small town, and Caelin was brought to Austin through the suggestion of a fan of hers, legendary singer-songwriter Jimmy LaFave.

While establishing themselves in the Austin music scene individually, the three fell in love with each other’s music, and each pair within the trio became fast friends. In 2024, Next of Kin released their debut single “Jekyll & Hyde,” to high praise and frequent airplay, portraying the same magic that brought together the Highwomen and Dolly, Linda, and Emmylou. From there, the path was set for the next year and a half leading up to their EP out on May 9th.

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Let’s start at the very beginning. Tell us your individual background stories before becoming part of the Austin music scene in your own right.

Lili: I was born and raised in Austin Texas into the music scene in the 90’s. My mom brought me into her world, and I never wanted to leave. Watching my mom play shows and being surrounded by the old Austin community, I started performing at a young age. It wasn’t until I joined my band Flora & Fawna that I found my own voice as a songwriter, and really started seeing my music impact the people around me. Now being a part of Next of Kin, I feel like this is what I’ve spent my entire life preparing for. 

Madison: I grew up in a very rural, small Texas town called Canton, about an hour east of Dallas. Imagine your stereotypical small town in Texas and that was my hometown. I started singing in front of people when I was pretty young – interestingly enough I was super active in the church youth choir because that was one of the only times I could regularly sing in public (lol). I knew from a very young age that I wanted a life in music in some capacity, even though I had essentially no examples of anyone successfully doing that where I’m from. I also did not grow up in an artsy/musical family, although my mom and other immediate family members have always been fiercely supportive of me and my career. Still, my pursuit of being a professional musician felt very uncharted and unlikely in a lot of ways, but it was something I just couldn’t shake loose from. When I graduated high school, I was accepted to the University of Texas at Austin and that’s what brought me to the city. I was running away from a lot of unresolved trauma and pain when I moved to Austin and, like many 18 year olds, was desperately searching for who I was. I was looking for an opportunity to redefine myself in college and ultimately chose to actively NOT sing or pursue a career in music from 2014 to roughly 2018. I really tried to bury that part of myself and wouldn’t talk about my musical background with any new connection I made – deep down I knew I wanted to pursue music but I was too insecure to take the leap and felt like I had missed my chance. I would occasionally go to local Austin shows and I would feel so much resentment because THAT’S what I wanted to be doing. Upon graduating from UT in 2018, I wrote my first song. I had written poetry and prose my entire life but never an original song. I didn’t really know how to play any instruments – I just figured out a chord progression by ear and wrote to it. This marked the beginning of my involvement in the Austin Music Scene. I started my solo project in 2018 with the intention to just write songs about my big mess of feelings. I released my first single ‘Champagne Shine’ on streaming platforms the following summer in 2019, followed by my first EP in 2021. 

Caelin: I came out of the womb performing. I knew from a very early age that performing and expressing myself creatively in order to connect with people is why I was put on this earth. At 13 I started my first rock band and I haven’t looked back since. Music has been my dream, my passion, and the only thing in my life that has ever made sense. In high school I had my ‘prima madonna’ moment and left my band to ‘go solo’. That is when I really first started writing songs. I remember I once had a mentor tell me my songwriting would never be as good as my voice, that I should just let other people write songs for me. The only thing that made me want  to write more. I found myself in Austin in 2015 by a miracle and with the help of a man named Jimmy LaFave but really didn’t break into the Austin music scene until 2018. I spent most of my years in Austin trying to develop my sound working with great artists and producers like Mobley and Walker Lukens but it wasn’t until my last EP that I felt like I found the sound I’d been searching for. 

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Now, what about your individual resumes and stories of ingratiating yourselves into the Austin music scene.

Madison: As I somewhat touched on above, my introduction to the Austin music scene began by going to friends of friends shows and then I started playing my own shows in 2019. My first ever live performance in Austin was at the legendary Hole In The Wall on that tiny yet magical front room stage and the rest was history. Since then I have become super involved in the scene and have witnessed how special it is first-hand. It truly is one of the most inspiring, supportive, compelling communities I have had the pleasure of being a part of. I feel really fortunate to have cut my teeth as a musician and performer in Austin.

Lili: Austin’s music scene is my family. My bloodline is rooted in the history here, and I feel incredibly grateful to have been raised within it. 

Caelin: When I was 18, somehow—miraculously—Austin music legend Jimmy LaFave got his hands on an EP I’d put out during my senior year of high school. I was in Nashville touring Belmont University when I got a call from him, practically begging me to come to Austin instead. He was the first person in music—someone I deeply admired—who looked me in the eye and said, “You have something special. You’d be a damn fool not to chase it.” He promised that if I came, he’d introduce me to the greats and that I’d always have a family here. And boy, did he keep his promise. Without Jimmy’s belief in me, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I spent my first few years in Austin studying computer science at St. Ed’s, trying to figure out who I was outside of my hometown and the people I’d grown up with. Amid all the change and self-discovery, music naturally fell to the back burner.

Then Jimmy passed—and something in me shifted. Life is short. Why not go all-in on the one thing I’ve always known I was meant to do? With the help of some incredible collaborators, I started making music again. I played my first full-band show at Stubb’s, and since then, I’ve only fallen deeper in love—with the music, the people, and the undeniable magic of this town.

When did you start writing music for yourselves? Who/what inspired you to take that first vulnerable step of penning your words to paper?

Madison: I wrote my first song in 2018 at 21 years old. I had so much insecurity surrounding my abilities as a songwriter because I’m not a super confident instrumentalist. I mostly play instruments by ear, and really only use them to inform my songwriting process. Even today, after writing a decent amount of songs, I still have moments of debilitating imposter syndrome when it comes to being a songwriter and a musician. Dismantling my old beliefs around these things and getting out of my own way is still a constant work in progress. My childhood best friend Brianna, who is also a wildly talented musician, played a massive part in inspiring me to just write a song and see what happens. I also must give proper credit to my former partner, Taylin, who I wrote many of my first songs with. 

Lili: I think the first recording of me writing a song, I’m maybe 3 years old singing about aliens/ frogs falling in love haha. I think as children we copy what we see, and my mom is one of the most prolific writers to this day that I know. Watching her use that kind of creativity as an outlet, I sometimes wonder if music still would’ve called to me without that inspiration. Regardless of the what ifs, writing music ultimately has become deepest sense of self love I’ve ever experienced. 

What’s y’all’s story together? Were any of y’all friends first or fans first?

Madison: It’s honestly been a mix of both for me with Lili & Caelin. I would probably say I was a fan first. With Lili, I remember hearing “Slow Burn” by their band Flora & Fawna on KUTX and being like, “Who the f*ck is that?” My indie alt-pop solo project existed in the same world as Flora & Fawna and I remember looking to them as inspiration for the kind of energy I wanted at my shows and the songs were just flat out good. Lili is just such a creative force to be reckoned with and you cannot help but gravitate toward their energy. After meeting them I instantly knew I had to get to know them and be around them more but I could have never imagined we would know one another as intimately as we do now. I feel like I’ve known Lili my whole life. With Caelin, I saw her perform a solo set with just her and her guitar and was immediately struck by her distinct voice and the catchiness of her songs. She was so funny, relatable, and confident. When I heard “Texas Snow” and “Unloving Me” I cried because the writing just really resonated with me. We got together for coffee in 2021 in a whim and it felt like I had been friends with her for my whole life. It was very instantaneous. It wasn’t until Lili asked me and Caelin to be featured on Jekyll & Hyde that we three collectively started a friendship. It’s kinda crazy how everything has unfolded since then. 

Lili: I was a fan. I think naturally when you hear something is good, you’re inclined to scope it out and see what the hype is about. All I can say is I think naturally we can be very jealous as musicians, but specifically with Madison I was at every show suddenly singing along to every word. Caelin and Madison were two peers I saw so much potential in, and I was drawn to get to know them because of their unmistakable talent. Next thing I know I had a song I had been randomly working on for a solo project that still hasn’t seen the light of day, and without ever singing or playing together I just randomly asked them if they’d sing on it. That song was Jekyll & Hyde, and the second I heard the first comp back I was blown away by the sound. The rest is kind of history. 

Caelin: I remember going to a Flora and Fawna show in 2019 and being absolutely floored. Lili’s stage presence was incredible and seeing their light on stage was deeply inspiring. The music was so catchy and I became an instant fan. Madison and I shared a bill in January of 2020 – right before the world ended for a bit – and I remember thinking ‘they have one of the best voices I’ve heard in this town’. Their songs were honest and their presence was powerful. Madison and I became instant friends back in 2021 – we’d talk about how fucking hard this industry is but despite the trials and tribulations we weren’t ready to quit. Pursuing a solo career was a lonely, lonely road. I really felt like I was on the path to burn out right about the time we all met up to record Jekyll and Hyde in 2023. We say all the time how we’ve saved each other in so many different ways. I can’t believe how close we’ve become in the last year and half. They really do feel like my family and I’ve never felt more seen and supported more than I do with them. WE ARE SO LUCKY. 

You’ve been around long enough to have seen some waves in the Austin music scene. What progression have you seen, and what still needs work? What’s being left completely unrepresented that folks should know about?

Madison: After a little over a decade of living in Austin and roughly seven years of being in the music scene, I can definitely say that this is a really tough city to make a living in as a musician and not be living paycheck to paycheck. The cost of living is high and continues to increase, whereas the wages are still extremely behind and no where near where they should be. Venues are struggling to keep the lights on, and even when they try to pay musicians fairly, it still barely cuts it and usually depends on how successful the show is. Every musician I know, including myself, works at LEAST one other job to make ends meet and pursue their music goals. The most marginalized groups within the Austin music scene are suffering the most and are being forced to relocate because they just can’t afford to live here anymore. It feels like Austin is divided into two big groups – one is interested in preserving what made Austin noteworthy and memorable to begin with and is actually invested in supporting and uplifting the creative communities it houses, and the other is more interested in transitioning Austin out of the aforementioned and into the “new Silicon Valley” or a place for LA social media influencers that couldn’t get traction in California to relocate to and post TikToks of their top 10 favorite “dive bars” that are actually not not dive bars at all lmao. I’m trying to not go into a full blown rant but I’m sure you get the point I’m trying to make. If you want to actually support a local musician, buy tickets to their show and bring some friends. Buy their merch. Buy physical copies of their music if they have it. Share their work within your networks. A little goes a long way.

Lili: Having grown up here, as this city grows I really hope they put even more funding towards keeping its creative force alive AND well. Austin used to be an affordable place for musicians to live, and that’s why so many incredible artists have thrived here. I think, although the talent remains, seeing so much burn out due to the economy is saddening to say the least. I think the City of Austin really needs to continue to work on its support towards the arts, especially under this new administration. In order to “Keep Austin Weird,” it has to be a place we can still afford to live in. This includes uplifting and supporting the Trans, queer and diverse artists that have a home here in Texas, and maintaining a safe environment for them. 

Caelin: As someone who has spent a good amount of time in music cities (LA, NY, Nashville) something about the scene in Austin is really beautiful. The people here are just as talented – if not more – yet there is more support and love than I’ve seen in any other place. The community is beautiful. I’ve been in Austin ten years and even in that time I have seen so many incredible venues close and so many talented people leave because it’s gotten so damn expensive for anyone to live here pursuing art full time. Folks who move to Austin because of the ‘live music’ and ‘quirky nature’ and then turn their nose to paying $20 to see music are part of the problem <3 Support art! Support trans and queer artists who are risking SO MUCH living in this state to make beautiful art for your enjoyment. 

Who is on your Austin music must see/add to your playlist list?

As a queer woman myself, I’m always interested in to know where others “saw themselves” for the first time, and whether it was in your own life or through media. 

Madison: I never really had a moment growing up where I “saw myself” depicted in media or even just in another human being. Because of the nature of where I grew up, I did not know or interact with that many queer people (with a few exceptions, one of which being my lesbian aunt who I owe so much to, love you Auntie M.) I always had crushes on the artsy, kinda “bad boy” aesthetic male tv characters and pop figures but I think that was actually just gender envy. Lmfao. I do distinctly remember hearing Tracy Chapman’s voice for the first time when I was young and then seeing her and being so confused but also enamored. I didn’t begin to outwardly acknowledge my own queerness until I was in my late teens/early twenties, and even then, it took another couple years until I was like – wait a second, I’m actually a butch lesbian and I think I’m nonbinary/trans masc. Meeting and building relationships with other queer/trans folks ultimately gave me the confidence to explore all of that within myself. 

Lili: I don’t think I ever really saw myself in a sense, I had crushes on cartoon characters like shego from Kim possible (the original goth baddie) but for me I think it took me a long time to recognize my own queerness in terms of gender. Until the end of highschool I had never even heard of someone being non-binary. I had questioned my gender for so long, for a while I thought maybe I was a man, but realized I don’t feel connected to that either. Once I met other people just out and about in life who made me realize it was okay to continue being confused, and to not be tied down to a specific label, everything clicked into place for me I think as much as it ever can. 

Caelin: I feel like we all kinda grew up in a generation where queer people still were not depicted as much in media as they are now, so for me it was less seeing myself depicted in media and more spending time with openly queer people. I grew up c*thol*c so there was A LOT of internalized homophobia there. It wasn’t until my early twenties I started unpacking a lot of it and had a moment where I was like oh wait I don’t need to be one way or another. I just can be me and love who I want to love without being attached to a label. That’s kind of how I feel about gender and sexuality. The freedom to just be whoever I want to be whenever I want. 

It thrills me that y’all are stamping “queer country” on the front of the envelope. Orville Peck has been asked about writing “queer country music” in a million interviews. He always says [paraphrasing], “every classic theme of country music is pretty gay if you think about it.” I’m curious about your thoughts on that and on being proudly queer in the country music sphere right now.

Caelin: Hell yeah, Orville. My hot take? I don’t think anyone on this earth is truly straight. For me, being queer isn’t about labels or titles—it’s about finding love, and more importantly, feeling comfortable being yourself, no matter what the world thinks. There’s a real freedom in queerness, because it goes against everything we’ve been conditioned to believe for centuries. And the truth is, queerness has always existed in country music. There were artists before us who hinted at it, lived it quietly—and I’m just grateful we get to carry that torch and make it louder. One of the most meaningful things about this band so far has been the messages from people saying, “Thank you for making me feel seen.” Country is a genre they love deeply, but don’t always feel connected to—and we get to change that.

It’s powerful to write country-inspired songs about our real lives, and to know that, in doing so, we’re helping others see themselves in this music, maybe for the first time—and in a bright, beautiful light.

Madison: Yeah I have to fully agree with Orville Peck on that, there is an inherent queerness to classic country and it’s themes that is impossible to ignore. I think ultimately I just feel like it’s important for us to take up space as our authentic selves in this genre because for so long it has been fronted by predominantly cis-het men and women. Which is fine, I guess, and there are so many OG country artists that I very much admire regardless of how they identify. BUT there are so many queer folks in the south at large that crave representation within the genre and right now especially it feels like they are finally getting some visibility on a larger scale. So it feels really cool to just exist as who we are and make country inspired songs that tell stories of our lived experiences as queer people and give a big middle finger to anyone that believes we don’t belong there. Country music gets a bad reputation as being homophobic/transphobic/sexist/etc because a lot of its listeners are in the south and the south is unfortunately known for holding those beliefs  – especially Texas. But Texas and other southern states are home to SO MANY QUEER PEOPLE and we have ALWAYS been here. We are not new. And we aren’t going anywhere.

Lili: we definitely are proud to just be ourselves, because out there you have people that are so openly able to do that in a safe way, who might be struggling. We definitely have gotten some hate on the internet, a lot of people asking “why does your gender or sexuality matter” when it comes down to the music. At the end of the day, is how we identify the most important thing? No, not at all, but the thing is that people make it a problem, make it an issue, and so it’s easier to just be up front and take pride in the parts of us that helped us write a lot of this music. Also the machismo of country music, I would agree, is inherently kinda gay. Like, if you’re trying so hard to make something not gay, that’s pretty gay. 

Okay, this is your time to champion your combined talents. While there is so much synchronicity among the three of you as musicians, the harmonies y’all produce is the height of the Next of Kin magic. So! Did any combination of y’all have an honest moment where you were like, “okay, these voices need to be together?”

Madison: It was really Jekyll & Hyde that brought us together and inspired the idea of collaboration between the three of us. We had never sung together until we tracked the vocals that day – we didn’t even rehearse lol. It really feels like the origin of Next of Kin was an unplanned twist of fate, if you subscribe to that kind of thing. Right place, right time, right amount of willingness and openness to try something new.

Lili: honestly, Jekyll and Hyde was supposed to be a solo song for me, but once I had their voices on it, I was like this is going to trample anything else I put out next to it. Not even trying to be mean towards myself, but it was just so special I knew that I wanted to do it again, and for a long time. 

Caelin: What they said. I have videos from that day and you can tell how fucking stoked we were. It was a really incredible moment. 

Give us a peek into your writing process. “Mean Streak” for instance is an even passing off among the three of you vocally. Do y’all write everything together, are y’all pulling out songs individually you’ve previously written that you didn’t know what to do with at the time, are you inspired by this trio to write music specifically for it, etc.?

Madison: I would say that we do a combination of everything you just listed. What I really love about this group is that we individually have our own creative processes that work for us and our own unique, evolving relationships to songwriting but we also have built and maintain a foundation of trust with one another that invites a safe space for healthy collaboration. Ultimately, all ideas are welcome whether they’re individual or collective ~ but in order for a song to make it into a live set or go on a project, we all three have to feel as though it’s representative of Next of Kin.

Lili: We only started this band less than a year ago, so we all had music that definitely fits the project separately, and then have come together to really start writing for what’s to come in terms of releases. I wrote “mean streak” dealing with the aftermath of my break up, and brought it to the band as a possibility. It’s cool to be able to write together, but also be able to welcome music as it comes naturally and adopt it into the group. For example Caelin had the idea for Homemaker, and then we sat down and wrote the rest of the song the three of us, while Madison has a song from their solo project we’re now converting into a country styling. The magic is that we work so well together, but even when we’re not around each other the work never stops. 

Caelin: I think there has been a healthy mix of writing individually and pitching each other song, coming in with an idea and finishing it together and then writing something from scratch. I feel like I’ve become a better writer in the last year bc I’ve learned so much from them. I want to write more than I ever have because I believe in this project more than I have anything in my life! 

What’s the latest add to you record collection ya gotta tell everyone about?

Madison: It’s not necessarily super recent, but I was very deeply hyperfixated on Alligator Bites Never Heal by Doechii. Such a standout project, I couldn’t get enough of it. She is so inspiring to me.

Caelin: Trail of Flowers – Sierra Ferrell and Calico – Ryan Beatty.

Lili: I’m on a huge Waxahatchee kick right now, as well as Amber Simone. 

Stay tuned all month long for more from our April Artist of the Month!