Cliche Magazine April/May 2018 | Page 49

Not uncommon for many artists, Kayla first
got into music as a child. “I started out in girl
groups when I was twelve. That gave me a lot
of practice in the studio and on stage,” she said.
Although these various groups weren’t lasting,
K ayla says this early exposure gave her the drive
to keep going in music, but with just her and her
alone. Eventually Kayla would nail a deal with
Interscope Records at just seventeen, first being
noticed by music executive and producer Vincent
Herbert.
From then on, it was a rollercoaster of different
experiences. Kayla would begin a tour with
former boy group Mindless Behavior, and
singer/actor Jacob Latimore. Kayla says that
time period allowed her to continue building on
her performance skills, and having her family
around definitely helped. “It was my first tour
and definitely most memorable. I traveled with
my aunt and cousin, so we made a lot of fun
memories that we still talk about now.” As a solo
artist she continued to hit the ground running,
releasing “Bombs Away,” in 2012. The song
is an uptempo and whirring R&B-dance track
produced by Lil Eddie (Romeo Santos), and
David Quiñones (Beyonce, Brandy, Enrique
Iglesias). The next year, “I Got That,” featuring
rap Meek Mill saw Kayla with just the same
amount of confidence and determination to
showcase her vocals within the landscape of the
music style at the time. own artistry. “My musical influences are Brandy
and Aaliyah. I feel like my tone resembles them
and I grew up listening to them all the time.
I love Aaliyah’s style and essence and I love
Brandy’s vocals.” When it comes to song ideas,
Kayla says it ranges depending on the who, the
what and the where. “Usually if I think of an
idea when I’m not in the studio I’ll just record
the idea in my phone. At the studio it varies on
who I’m working with. Sometimes we can just
listen to the track for an hour before we come up
with an idea; other times it can take 10 minutes.”
On artists she hopes to work alongside one day,
“I would love to work with Drake, 6lack, and
Sabrina Claudio.” of collaborations and projects are something
Kayla is open and getting used to. She has been
taking up film lately, stepping into the horror
realm with Payment Received, adding that again,
great surroundings make for a great experience.
“Being able to work with such an amazing cast
was an incredible experience and I can’t wait for
everyone to see it. “ Adding music and acting
to her resume is something she’s been excited
about, but not without continued diligence. “I’m
still learning how to balance both music and
acting, remembering to stay organized so I don’t
miss any deadlines.” Kayla admits “It can be
overwhelming, but I have to remind myself that
this is what I’ve always wanted.”
Going solo for Kayla may have had its
challenges, but after her first solo experience,
she went from a major label to working While her foray into the independant world
continued, Kayla appeared on the family reality
show Meet the Smiths, and continued to develop Her intent and overall sound, she says, is
exploring the urban-pop with rhythmic appeal,
“You can groove to them,” Kayla says. Since
appearing on K. Michelle’s “The People I
Used to Know” tour in 2017, and has clear
cut views being onstage. “My favorite thing
about performing is watching the crowd react
and seeing them sing my songs back to me.
The most challenging is winning over a crowd
that doesn’t know you.” The latter is always a
goal for any artist, and once the battle is won,
it’s a memorable experience, and continued
motivation for creating solid releases. With
2018 underway, Kayla keeps focused, planning
on an EP with producer London on da Track
(Drake, Rich Homie Quan, Young Thug) later
this year. What else can we expect? “Definitely
going to be putting out more music videos and
collaborations.” she says.
© Tyren Redd
"My favorite thing about performing is watching the crowd react and
seeing them sing my songs back to me. The most challenging is
winning over a crowd that doesn’t know you "
independently. The decision she says, was a smart
one as it allowed her to be direct with her music.
Regarding no attachment to a large entity, Kayla
gives smart advice. “Right now is a great time to
be an independent artist. Social media allows you
to have direct access to your fans and audience so
if I wanted to release a song tomorrow, I could,
instead of waiting on a label,” she said. Since she
left Interscope, Kayla has a current distribution
deal with Empire, and releases music under
Smith Entertainment.
Keeping grounded with those that inspire you
and those you come across is something anyone,
in any field, may use as a source of motivation
and passion. For Kayla, her influences remind her
of her time growing up and where she sees her
her sound and musical identity with “Honest”
collaborating with Birdman, an retrospective
look on a irreparable relationship. Then she
continued with “Do You Remember,” a more
subdued track, but lyrically acknowledging
various perspectives on the aftermaths of a
breakup.
“On and Off” is a trippy confession of two
people seeing the good and bad in each other.
Working with Terrell happened by a formal
introduction, but the track and it all coming
together was pretty swift. She says “Originally
it was just him on the song, but he wanted a
female perspective. The first time I met him
was in the studio and I wrote my verse to On
& Off and recorded it that night.” The business
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If anything, Kayla says she really wants to be
familiar and relatable in both her music and
style. She continues, “If someone’s feeling
heartbroken or feeling on top of the world I
want them to put my songs on to make them feel
good. I want to be their “go-to” playlist!” BY
RAGINA LASHLEY
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