A Chat with Kyla Tilley (31.08.22)
Known for her intimate and emotionally turbulent performances, Canadian singer-songwriter Kyla Tilley ensnares your senses and holds you in the palm of her hand with her music. We speak with Tilley about her album Bloom and Grow, musical inspiration, celebrity crushes and future plans.
OSR: What drew you to music?
Tilley: I’ve loved listening to music ever since I was a really little kid. My dad played piano and both of my parents sang. They had a huge mostly classical record collection that I listened to a lot when I was quite young. When I was eleven they put a classical guitar in my hands and sent me to music lessons and I just took to it. Never wanted to do anything else.
OSR: What or who inspires you to make music?
Tilley: Everything. I live in a pretty musical province of Canada, so I’m constantly exposed to other musicians and their music which is always inspiring. Walks in the woods and by the ocean, books, movies, video games, the news, random things people say. I’m always on the hunt for inspiration and so it finds me. I have a dedicated space to work in and I keep regular hours for creativity, so that all contributes.
OSR: What does music mean to you?
Tilley: Almost everything. It’s pretty much what my life has always revolved around. When I’m not making music I’m usually listening to music. It is very difficult to imagine life without it.
OSR: Tell us about your new album Bloom and Grow. Is there a backstory or specific theme?
Tilley: All the songs on the album deal in some way with the very human need to make something of ourselves, to leave something behind, and the ups and downs that happen along the path to accomplishing one’s life’s work. It also deals with themes of doubt, self-acceptance, and giving yourself permission to do the things you want to do in life. The title track ‘Bloom & Grow’ really was the seed the whole album grew from. I wrote it when I lived in Montreal, in the first months of the pandemic. Writing the song helped me realise that I needed to make a major change in my life in order to bloom and grow and it led to moving back to my home province of Newfoundland & Labrador.
OSR: Did you face any challenges when recording the album?
Tilley: It was quite a long process with quite a few bumps. There were some technical bumps such as the house we were staying in at the beginning was next to a radio station, so I was picking up their signals in my recordings. We moved during that period which was disruptive, but better in the long term.
But the real challenge came when we got word that there was nothing more the doctors could do for my dad’s health. I put the whole project on hold for several months before and after my father passed away, and I dedicated the album to him. I think he would have enjoyed these songs immensely.
OSR: What do you hope people take from Bloom and Grow and your music in general?
Tilley: The importance of being yourself and loving yourself. This is a strong theme in Bloom and Grow, but it is a theme that runs through my music in general. If everyone was free to just be themselves and not worry about perceived flaws, or other people judging them, or their own safety, the world would be a much better place.
OSR: If you could change anything about Bloom and Grow, what would it be?
Tilley: I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m so happy with every part of this album. Any bits that aren’t polished just add to its humanness.
OSR: Who was/is your celebrity crush?
Tilley: Heath Ledger ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ I was devastated when he died. He seemed destined for great things.
OSR: What is your favourite song at the moment?
Tilley: I’ve been listening to the Yakuza video game soundtracks a lot lately. I can’t get enough of the song ‘Receive You’ which appears in every game in multiple and sometimes extraordinarily different versions. It’s a real testament to how much you can do musically with one simple idea.
OSR: What is the most exciting thing about making music?
Tilley: Performing it! I love playing live. Seeing people relate to the songs, or get emotional, sing along, and laugh at the funny parts. It’s such a rush.
OSR: Do you have future plans for Kyla Tilley?
Tilley: The next few months I’m dedicating to telling the stories of each song on the album through a series of blog and social media posts and videos. I’m adding a monthly Youtube live stream on the first Friday of every month starting in September. I’m expanding my hours on my Twitch show. I do a number of different types of streams there. There’s a Monday Morning Sing Song where I just try to get everyone’s week off to a good start with some tunes. Throughout the rest of the week I write, record, practice, and otherwise chat away about songs and songwriting. I plan to eventually start releasing little EPs of some of the songs I’ve written and recorded on the show, most likely as Bandcamp exclusives. I do also plan to tour again once we get a bit more control over the Covid situation. So lots of things coming up.
Many thanks to Kyla Tilley for speaking with us. For more from Kyla Tilley check out her official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
