In anticipation of K4YLEE's fourth single release, we at NScene at the absolute pleasure of sitting down with the powerful voice herself as we open up the vault to reminisce on the past, think about the future, and discuss the creation of quite possibly your new favorite sad girl anthem-- Faded Memory.
First off, how are you?
I'm good. I'm so excited to be talking with you.
I am so excited to have the opportunity to be chatting with you as well! Diving right in, I would like to start off with one of my favorite questions to ask as of lately. If you had a Joker origin story for your artist brand, what would it be and why?
I would say my joker origin story would be the first time I'll ever perform live, because I haven't formed live yet. But I feel like once I'm on that stage, and I'm like, receiving all that attention, and like, everyone's paying attention to me, a switch is gonna click off into my brain, like, I'm gonna conquer the world. Like, obviously, I haven't been on the stage yet. But I know that from there on, it's like, I'm unstoppable. Like, I'm plotting and scheming from that point on.
Absolutely love that. So, you've actually never performed live before. What are you most excited about performing live for the first time?
I'm excited about performing in front of people that I know because I'm sure my first performance will be like, in the city I live in right now. So I'm excited to kind of show everybody you know, what I'm made of, and what I can do, and like, I'm excited for my friends to see me perform for the first time, and like, I'm just excited to finally be able to perform the songs that I have and get on stage and feel what it's like to actually perform live.
For sure. So, um, what made you decide to actually chase music? Like what was that click moment, where you wanted to just go forward from music instead of, for example, a nine to five?
Well, I've always loved music since I was a kid. And when I was a kid, I used to have a YouTube channel where I would post covers and everything. And I was really sensitive to other people's opinions. So I would get bad comments when I was like, 12. And I'll be like, I'm awful. So from like, whenever I was like a young teenager, I just like quit music entirely. And then, this past year, I went into my first year of college, and I was like, What am I doing here? Like, where did all my passions go? I just love music, and without music, I would be bored all the time. And I wouldn't know what to do with myself. So I mean, I feel like if you want to do something for the rest of your life, you might as well love to do it. I like to work hard, and if I'm gonna work hard at something, it may as well be my passion.
Well, that is amazing. I also love how you started off with YouTube. That is pretty rad especially like I watched YouTube growing up more than I watched TV probably, so like if you ask me my favorite TV shows I could list a few from Disney or Nickelodeon, but YouTube? I could name so many YouTubers off the back of my head. I was always watching YouTube.
There were so many like eras to YouTube too. Like, there's been the vlogger era. And then like, the cover song era, and just the meme era of YouTube, and it's like, this whole world.
There was that one era where vlogs and covers kind of merged and I just nicknamed that era the Patty Walters era.
Oh my god. Oh my god. That's so funny. And then in the British era, when everyone watched British [YouTubers.] Like a British invasion happened, that was just amazing.
YouTube is definitely a host to a lot of different voices and talents. Which YouTuber would you say most inspired you to create covers?
Well, recently Miley Cyrus has done a lot of covers in comparison to like her actual music. And just seeing that like you can put your own spin on like a song that's been released like 20 years ago and make it your own. That was super inspiring because once I realized I wanted to pursue music like the past year, I started reposting on my YouTube channel like new covers and like new stuff from the past year, and I really got a lot of inspiration from Miley Cyrus and what she was doing with like, her sound and, you know, mixing it with artists from the past and their songs too. I thought it was really cool.
Definitely, I feel Miley Cyrus is definitely in her prime. She's in her prime right now. Rock and roll is where she's meant to be.
I think so too.
So being originally from Texas, does the Texan atmosphere influence your writing at all? Or are you more inspired by your current whereabouts?
I feel like a lot of what I write about is influenced by my childhood or like, you know, what I went through as a kid or like how it's coming up in my life now. And I feel like in that way living in Texas, like, brings back a lot of memories of you know, what I used to do and remind me of living there. But I feel like Houston, I lived in Houston Texas, and it was such a melting pot of different cultures and different sounds and different like are in music and I miss it a lot. And I feel like me as an artist, I want to be kind of like a melting pot of different sounds and different aesthetics and different vibes. So I feel like that really inspires me.
Especially on how the trend lately is to like where genres have no boundaries. Everything is just melted and mixed into one another.
I saw Cassadee Pope. She used to do like punk rock and then she was like in country [music], and I saw she just released her new album and she's calling her genres "y'allternative." And it's like country and alternative and I feel that's genius. Like, that's marketable.
That makes so much sense because I have thought of her as pop-rock country or country pop-punk. Like, how is country and pop-punk thing? It's been blowing my mind lately. Moving along to your upcoming release, "Faded Memory," what was the writing process like for such a hard heavy bop with a punch?
I wrote "Faded Memory" right after I got out of a breakup. And it was like, super fresh on my mind. So at the time, it was kind of like, I had these open wounds. And I was just like, kind of digging into them even more, and like, it was kind of painful to write about. But, you know, this song took like, weeks to come to fruition. So that whole time that I was in the studio recording, and like, you know, getting like, demos back, it was like, really rewarding and really cool to see my heartbreak turn into something that's like, really powerful. And even like, when I listened to it now, it's ironic because like, I'm in a really happy relationship now. But even when I listened to it, now, I get like, brought back to that time in my life, but at the same time, it's like, it's empowering to, like, hear it be, like a form of like art that'll like last forever. And I'll get to always like, think back on that time, like, wow, I was super sad. But that turned into something really cool.
Definitely. So when you are writing, do you have a particular ritual that you usually follow, or are you more spontaneous in your approach?
Different songs come to me in different ways. Like sometimes I'll have to sit down with my piano, and I'll play some chords. And I'm like, Ooh, I like the sound of that. And I'll build off of that. And like, I'll just try and get everything out how I'm feeling and like build it to a melody that I like. Or sometimes I'll just have like a lyric pop into mind, or like, a theme pop into mind that could be turned into a really cool song. And like, I'll come back to it later. But it's, it's usually like, a work in progress for like weeks like I'll write some of it, and then I'll come back to it. Then I'll write some more of it. And then I'll come back to it and like, let it simmer, and kind of see if I like it.
Cool, cool. Sort of back onto the topic of covers. Which artists would you hope to cover "Faded Memory" and why?
Oh, I would say I'd love to hear how Miley Cyrus would sound singing "Faded Memor." Because the beat is so like Hannah Montana vibes. But like, I would love to hear her with like her raspy voice and like, how she sings now. I would love to hear her like, cover it. I would also love to hear someone like Avril Lavigne. I think it's super punk-pop. So anyone in that genre, especially.
So, MySpace style, which eight artists/bands that inspire you, either as an artist or as an individual, would you select to be in your Top 8 and why?
That's a good question. I like to take inspiration from, like, every era of music, and I really love, classic rock, so I feel Joan Jett would have to be on there. I feel like KISS would have to be on there. They really inspire me. I feel like Aerosmith would have to be on there. I also love, switching eras, I feel like Billy Idol. He's dope. And like, of course, Miley Cyrus. She's super inspirational to me. I love Halsey. I would love to be best friends with Halsey. They seem like such a cool person and they have such a cool vibe. Um, I really like Mod Sun. He seems super down to earth. I would love to be friends with Mod Sun. I also love Avril Lavigne. She's super inspiring. And probably Travis Barker because I feel like he's been through a lot. You know, I just want to see if he's okay.
What is one thing you hope fans pick up from listening to your music?
I hope that they can see themselves in the lyrics. And I hope that my writing comes off relative to, you know, experiences that everyone's been through. And I hope that people can, you know, see me as someone who's relatable because I go through the same experiences as everyone else, and everyone else goes through the same experiences, as everyone else does. And, you know, I just want to express it into music.
As a newer artist yourself, what is the best piece of advice that you've ever received?
Hmm. I would say I've gotten the chance to make friends with Julian Comeau from loveless and he mixes and masters my songs. So we talk pretty regularly and he once told me that whenever you're in the studio, make it like, he told me never leave the studio with anything else on your mind. Like, get everything you want out on the song, and don't leave with any regrets. And I think that that's really good advice. Because like, it can be scary, like going in and like feeling like you want to change something or feeling like you have an idea and just not saying it but I feel like you know, if you have an idea in your mind, it's probably like a good idea to share it and it probably is on your mind for a reason.
Totally, I love that honestly. On the opposite side of the spectrum, what's some advice that you would give to the younger generation, especially, to young women and non-men who want to chase music as a career?
Well, when I first started, I did everything myself, and like I DIYed everything. I went on YouTube and I looked up, like how to start, you know, making music professionally and how to build an image or like what to do if you want to start pursuing music as a career. So I spent a lot of time just researching and like, creating K4YLEE as a person, and like, as an artist. I put a lot of time and effort into building who I was, as an artist, and you know, I didn't let anyone tell me how to do it. I just wanted to do it myself. And you can't be scared of anyone else's opinion. And you can't be scared of like, "Oh, what is that girl from high school gonna think about my Instagram?" If I post this video of me singing or like that, you just have to believe that what you're doing is important. And like, what you're doing is going to resonate with somebody else.
If you could tell your past self something, what would you say? Like, let's go back to your past YouTube self. What would you say to encourage her?
Put down that eyeliner. No, I'm kidding. I would say don't listen to the hate comments, and just turn off the comments entirely. And just like, focus on what makes you happy. And if you're happy, and if you work at what makes you happy, you're going to continually be happy. But if you just do something because other people want you to do it, or if you don't do something, because you're afraid of what people are going to think then you're not gonna feel content. So I would say just go for it.
So "Faded Memory" is, is technically your fourth single, right? Yes, but it's also the start of so much more. What are you most excited to happen in the near future, creatively speaking?
Well, I'm looking at my vision board right next to me, and I see like, I have merch at the top of it. And I made a vision board like four months ago, hoping that, you know, it would inspire me to accomplish stuff. And I'm excited to say that I'm having merch coming out soon. So I think once "Faded Memory" is out, my merch is gonna be out. So that's super exciting. And I definitely am looking forward to performing live. And that's in the works. And I'm super excited about it. And I'm looking forward to collaborating with other musicians. I want to collaborate more in the future.
To finish things out, is there anything you would like to add or say?
I would say that, um, I'm just looking to have a fun time and like, you can listen to my music. And hopefully, you can feel that like, I'm just trying to be as authentic as possible. And, you know, if you want to hit me up on Instagram and say, "Hey", I love meeting new people. And like, I love talking to new people. And like, I have group chats with people who like similar music and like, I just want to make friends and have a fun time and make music and that's what I'm most excited about going forward.
K4YLEE is for sure a force not to be missed. While "Faded Memory" will not be available for streaming until tomorrow, November 19, you can catch an exclusive listen to "Faded Memory" through NScene Magazine at 7 PM EST. For now, you can stay up to date by following K4YLEE on social media and checking out her current YouTube content!
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