We had a chat with emerging Canadian artist Kylo about her musical journey, her latest EP Retrospect and more
Toronto-based electro-pop sensation Kylo is known for her spellbinding and forward-thinking sound. She seamlessly blends infectious melodies with experimental elements to create a musical landscape that stands out as a unique and captivating experience— resonating with listeners around the world. Her mesmerising vocals, accompanied by layered echoes, add an extra layer of allure to her already enchanting tracks, solidifying her status as a standout artist in the dynamic world of electro-pop.
Five years ago, we discovered one of her earlier releases ‘Your Eyes’ on the dynmk music platform, and since then we’ve been tracking her artistic evolution and progression. She dropped two stunning singles, ‘Rerun’, and ‘Closer’ earlier in the year, and she recently graced us with her new EP, Retrospect. The project is laced with exquisite melodies and exudes a nostalgic charm that effortlessly captivates listeners. Because the project is so full of depth and richness, it was only right for us to have a chat with her before the new year. This conversation allowed us to explore her musical journey, the creative aspects and story behind Retrospect.
Read below:
Hey Kylo, how are you doing?
Hiii! I’m doing just peachy, hope you are doing well.
Nice! Doing well, thank you! What’s the story behind your artist name?
I get asked this a lot, and it’s actually the most boring story haha. My friend and I were like, let’s just write a bunch of names that start with the letter K (letter my name starts with), until we find something that sounds cool…that’s it. No Stars Wars relation at all just for the record!!
That’s pretty cool! How long have you been singing and writing music for?
I’ve been singing since I was about 5 years old and songwriting since I was about 12!
Who are some of your major musical influences?
I have tons, and a pretty broad range so it’s always hard for me to answer this but if I had to name a few I would say: Grimes, Blood Orange, Blink-182, Janis Joplin, Purity Ring, Tove Lo, First Aid Kit, Mo.
If you could collaborate with one of those artists, who would it be and why?
Can I say all of them? A collaboration with any would be amazing. But I definitely think a Blood Orange collab could be really fun to do for where I am at right now creatively.
You’ve just released your new EP Retrospect, what are some of the creative processes you went through for this project?
I wrote most of this EP during the covid lockdowns, where I had a lot of time to reflect and sort of look back at my life and experiences and write about all these different moments in time. I would have producers send me beats and then I would write to them, or I would start by writing chords with my guitar and create melodies from there. I sort of did everything a bit all over the place, then narrowed it down to the best tracks and polished them from there.
What did you learn about yourself while creating this EP?
Going through different memories in my life while writing the EP definitely brought me back and had me go through who I was, and how I’ve grown as a person. It was sort of therapeutic in a way.
How would you describe the EP’s sound in your own words?
I guess I would say, nostalgic, synth, indie, alt, floaty, bedroom pop.
What’s your personal favourite song on the EP?
This is so hard, but when it came out I re-listened to everything again to try to figure out my favourite song. I really have a love for all of them but if I had to choose I would say “Rerun”.
Amazing track! By the way, how did the EP release show go?
The EP release show a few months back went great. It was a very intimate night, sharing meanings for each of the songs and giving a sneak peak of the EP before the release. I’m so thankful for everyone who was a part of it!
Do you have any more gigs lined up in the new year?
I’m playing The Drake Underground on Dec 13 and then as of that I don’t have anything lined up at the moment. I will be starting to work on my next project over the winter, but I will for sure still keep playing shows in the meantime as well, so keep posted!
Nice, hope it goes well! What are some challenges you’ve faced as an independent artist?
There’s a lot of ups and downs being an independent artist, but a few are probably funding/travel limitations, having the reach/connections that labels have, and being able to expand to a wider fanbase through that.
What are you most grateful for in your music career?
I’m most grateful for everyone who continues to support me throughout the years – whether that be coming out to live shows, streaming my songs, leaving supportive comments on my music videos, and everything in between. It keeps me going 🙂
What’s next for Kylo?
As for the future, I will be working on a full length album this winter and continuing to play shows as well! Also, maybe a possible collaboration or single dropping in between the next project release too.
Stream Retrospect below:
