After years of working behind the scenes as an assistant engineer, label intern, songwriter, and session vocalist for local Bay Area producers and artists, LA-based newcomer Kyns is now ready to embark on her own career as she delivers her stunning debut single 'Lost'.
Channelling the rich and euphoric aesthetic of acts like Bon Iver and Phoebe Bridgers, 'Lost' is a tremendously warm and heartfelt introduction to her sound. Written and dedicated to her grandma whom she lost during lockdown, her debut offering is a bold and soaring tribute about love and loss.
So with the new single blowing us away from start to finish, we decided to sit down with her to find out more about her background and what has inspired her most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
My mom started me in piano lessons at the age of 4, but I can’t say that I fell in love with it. I was young and did it for her, or so I thought. When she gave me the opportunity to quit lessons at 13, I took it without hesitation, and it wasn’t til years later that I realised how much I actually enjoyed playing. But when I came back to it, I knew I really loved it.
What has been the most prominent inspiration behind your music so far?
Honestly, probably my battle with depression. Now that I’m in a better headspace, I feel like I’m finally able to communicate all those years of hurt through song, and it’s really cathartic. Every song I write is me working through something, trying to make sense of it, and hopefully move past it. My next single “The End” is exactly that. Me working through years of damage to find the root of it all, and sometimes the wound is deeper than you thought.
What kind of music did you love as a teenager?
My old iPod shuffle would skip from My Chemical Romance, to Billie Holiday, to Bright Eyes, Eminem, then to the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack. I was consuming any and every genre at the time, as long as it fed my teenage angst.
What do you find is the best environment to find inspiration for your music?
Driving, definitely driving. Best case scenario, a long road trip, or just driving aimlessly down the coastline. I do my best writing when I can just stream-of-consciousness sing into my voice recordings app on my phone, and not edit any thoughts til hours later.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
I’ve been really enjoying jumping back into some of my favourite albums of the 2000s, like St Vincent’s Marry Me and Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago, as well as everything Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst have done both together and separately. Big isolation vibes from Justin Vernon’s For Emma cabin album, perfect for 2020!
How many of your songs have you written about people you wish you’d rather forget?
Haha great question. But I can’t say that I want to forget anyone, because if I did, I might make the same mistake again.
What has been the funniest moment in your career so far?
Probably the moment I chose to finally chase my dreams in LA after a lifetime of being too scared to make the move, and my lease to my new apartment started the same week as lockdown back in March. I still get a good laugh out of that impeccable timing.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Without a doubt, Bon Iver. Because then I could sit backstage and watch a full show in awe.
If you weren’t a musician, what other path do you think you might have taken?
I studied various paths in music in case the artistry doesn’t work out, i.e. audio engineering, songwriting, music business, but if I couldn’t be involved in any facet of music, I’d probably continue the Psychology degree I dropped out of in college, focusing on early childhood development. I still want to be involved in that field actually, maybe start a music summer camp someday, but for now I’m focusing on my next releases and seeing where they might lead me!
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
Best advice I’ve received in regards to my art is to not put so much financial pressure on it. I’ve always put the pressure of being 100% financially supported by my art, and the reality for many is that that won’t happen for quite a long time. It’s fine to push for that, ruthlessly run at that dream, but don’t let it become pride and ego that gets in your way of thriving. The road is long. Make sure you have enough gas to get there.
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Kyns' debut single 'Lost' is available to stream and download now. Have a listen to it in the player below.