Words cast spells. Choose what you listen to.
My name is Kristýna Svobodová, but as Kora, I create music for conscious listeners.
Music has been my native language for as long as I can remember—I was singing before I could even speak. My mother used to sit in the living room while I fell asleep, handwriting fairytale lyrics into a little notebook so she could teach them to me in the morning. At age six, I started vocal lessons, later studying keyboard and eventually earning a spot at the prestigious Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory in Prague to study musical theatre: singing, dancing, and acting.
My absolute turning point arrived in 2009 when I first heard Depeche Mode’s Playing the Angel. Listening to the track “The Pain That I’m Used To,” I didn’t speak a word of English yet, but the moment those electronic synths hit, something awakened in me. I just knew that making music was what I was born to do.
From Theatre Stages to Symphonic Metal
During my theatre years, I starred as the lead in a musical adaptation of Going Postal, performed in Cyrano in České Budějovice, and appeared as the Corpse Bride in Prague. Performing live taught me that I didn’t just want to stand behind a microphone—I wanted to dance, draw inspiration from acts like Babymetal and 4Minute, and command the stage with full visual energy.
Seeking heavier soundscapes, I commuted from my studies in Prague to Kroměříž to front my first original band, Spirit(s)Days, before moving on to symphonic metal with MollGoth. Singing became my personal therapy, but over time, it revealed a deeper truth to me: music is profoundly powerful, and it shapes our mental state.
Finding Light & The "Healthy Music" Mission
During a dark period in my life spent struggling with anorexia and self-harm, I realized the music I was consuming and singing constantly reflected that same pain and despair. Music had a direct impact on whether I felt miserable, happy, or broken. When I worked my way into a healthier mental space, I consciously changed what I listened to—and everything shifted.
I loved the roaring sound of metal guitars, but I refused to stay trapped in bleak themes. I decided to bring light and positivity back into the music world by writing “healthy lyrics”—songs that give listeners the high voltage of rock and K-pop while inspiring them to heal, think critically, and de-escalate emotional noise.
The Present: Legends, Eurovision, & "Creepy K-Pop"
Today, my stage experience spans everything from dueting alongside Czech pop legends Standa Hložek and producer Karel Vágner on major stages, to building my own vision with an incredible international team:
- Josef Krůšek (Drums, Sound Engineering): A multi-instrumentalist I met in MollGoth who manages sample playback and plays two instruments live on stage.
- Gavin Banks (Guitars, Lighting Tech): A US-based tour manager and lighting tech from Kentucky whom I met in a Nashville matcha shop, helping translate my vocalized guitar ideas into heavy live riffs.
- Filip Vítů (Guitars): A jazz guitarist from my hometown who recently moved to Prague to support our live touring setup.
- Šimon Martínek (Producer): The production mind who helped craft our unique “creepy K-pop” sound fusion.
- Michal Jiráň (Mix & Mastering): A skilled audio engineer and producerfrom Production lovers who shapes the final polished sonic balance and powerful low-end clarity for our tracks.
- Alasdair Bouch (Pronunciation Coach): A British singer-songwriter and language coach who works with us on accent, diction, and natural English lyricism.
- Kristýna Votavová (Booking): A theatre production student at DAMU who handles booking and live performance logistics for the project.
The Next Chapter
Today, Kora Meet my Music has built an international community across Turkey, France, Germany, and Czechia. With a new track in the works designed for international stages and big dreams ahead, our mission remains simple: to inspire listeners to think about the messages they consume and encourage musicians everywhere to bring light back onto the stage.