A Conversation with Kyla Tilley

What initially sparked your interest in pursuing a career in the arts for those who may not be familiar with your background?

I loved playing music from the first second my dad stuck a classical guitar in my hands and sent me to lessons. I had my first paying gig at 16 and I knew it was the only thing I wanted to do with my life.

Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your latest single?

I was sitting in a hotel room watching dash cam footage of someone driving through the Canadian province of Quebec. It made me think of all the long drives I have taken on Canadian highways, and the hypnosis that occurs after several hundred kilometres of trees and rocks broken by the occasional white cross on the side of the road, or declaration of love spray painted on an overpass. I wanted to write a song that captured those images and that hypnotic feeling. I wrote the song in front of an audience on Twitch and it became a bit of a fan favourite. It was listed on my song request list as ‘Untitled Song About Driving’ for so long that that became the official title.

What themes or emotions are explored in this song?

The lyrics are basically a list of all the things you see and hear as you drive along the highway, which range from the mundane (the sound of your car) the profound (memorials to loved ones lost, professions of love) the bizarre (roadside attractions, people selling stuff they made) and nature (trees, rocks, moose.) There is maybe a sense of being distanced from the things you’re witnessing out the car window, but also a sense of being a part of the microcosm that is a Canadian highway.

How does this single fit into the larger narrative of your music career or your upcoming projects?

This is a bit of an outlier. There is one riff. One verse melody. It’s very repetitive, and that is very unlike me. The lyrics are very visual though, which is more in keeping with my usual writing style. I often try to conjure a very tangible sense of place in my songs and I believe I’ve done that here.

Could you describe the creative process behind this single, from concept to production?

I wrote it in front of my viewers on Twitch. I started by listing out all the things I could think of seeing. I had thought there would be something like a chorus and a bridge, but as I wrote, I found this song didn’t want those things. I later recorded the song on Twitch as well and had a lot of viewer feedback as I added more and more layers. My thought process was that if the song is very unchanging, we’ll create interest by adding more and more sounds as the song goes on.

What can listeners expect to experience or feel when they listen to this track?

I think it’s quite dreamy. A listener could maybe treat it as one of those guided meditations where you close your eyes and imagine you’re on a beach, but in this case you would be imagining you’re driving a car.

Are there any interesting stories or anecdotes from the recording or writing of this song that you’d like to share?

I was very surprised that this song was as popular with my viewers as it was because it’s so repetitive, and I’m maybe a little more known for taking some hard left turns in the middle of my songs. One of my viewers requested a 12 minute cut! That hasn’t happened yet, but it might be on the horizon.

As an artist, can you identify three key traits that define you?

Equal love of melody and dissonance.
I will write a song about anything, using whatever words I want to.
So much finger picking!

What can we anticipate in terms of your upcoming projects?

I have several projects lined up for 2024. Expect some very proggy stuff with lots of guest musicians, but also expect some really stripped down guitar and vocal folk music.

Where can our readers find additional information about you and your work?

My website is: https://kylatilley.com
My handle on every social media platform I’m on is: @kylatilley