LUCKY STREAK
A CONVERSATION WITH KYLIE V
“Most of my songs come to me as a couple lines or a concept magically appearing in my mind, and then it becomes my job to build the rest of the world around it,” Kylie V explains. If you are from Vancouver or surrounding areas, you have most likely heard the name Kylie V, as they are becoming immensely popular in the local music scene. Born Kylie Van Slyke, their poetically devastating lyrics, cathartic and raw emotions, comforting yet melancholic sound, infectiously catchy choruses, and mesmerizing voice make them one of Canada’s most exciting young musical artists. Recently, I had the chance to talk to Kylie V via email about their upcoming sophomore album, Crash Test Plane.
There is a big evolution instrumentally and lyrically with Crash Test Plane compared to Big Blue. “I spent three very formative years just writing and starting to figure out life, graduated high school, released a minorly critically acclaimed album, lost my childhood cat, had my first serious relationship, and experienced and recovered from more devastatingly big emotions than I previously thought possible,” states Kylie V. “These songs are way more brutally honest for me. Working with a close friend, Josh Eastman, also helped me a lot with my confidence and comfort level in the studio… It was definitely easier for me to commit to some really vulnerable lyrics and feelings on this record, as well as expanding my sound and exploring different genres. Josh is truly the mastermind that made my visions a reality on this project and I am so grateful for him.”
The title track was originally almost scrapped. “I started writing it when I was 16, around the time I was making my first album, and played it a few times live before retiring it until my sound tech friend Noah asked about it,” says Kylie V. “The rewritten version just immediately felt like a title track, and I think it sums up the overarching sentiment of the record well.”
PRE-ORDER CRASH TEST PLANE
Reflecting on the creative process behind some of the tracks, Kylie V highlights, ““Wish I Was In Bed is about social anxiety and exhaustion… The sound was influenced by Soccer Mommy and Liz Phair. “Lucky Streak” was written while I was both healing from a breakup and flying across the country to open for quinine; kind of the, ‘I’m better off without you cliché.’ I was all over the place with the inspiration for this one, but I definitely had Charly Bliss on my mind at the end with that huge, bright, joyously overwhelming chorus and outro. “Runaway” I actually wrote in the early days of falling for the person that all the breakup songs on this album are about. That song was inspired by Del Water Gap’s self-titled album, specifically the song “Alone Together” and the drum tracking in that song was also inspired by “Fire” by Waxahatchee from the Song Exploder episode about that track. “Okanagan Peach” was the last song I wrote for the record, intended to be the opener, and it talks somewhat about that breakup and somewhat about the trials and tribulations of the years 17-20 and the sonic inspiration was more on the boygenius and Adrianne Lenker end of indie folk.”
Kylie V wrote “Song in Open D” when they were 16 and is very proud of all the guitar parts on the track. “I think I play all but one and the pedal steel on this track, and it took forever for me to write and learn the more intricate layers and the tapping parts, but it was so worth it.”
Peach Pit is a huge inspiration and influence on Kylie V’s music career. They were one of the first local bands that Kylie V met, have become good friends with the band, and even opened for them a couple times at the Kingfisher Bluez Christmas concerts in Vancouver. “The Peach Pit guys are just absolute angels,” comments Kylie V. “Getting to know the real human behind a project you idolize is obviously ridiculously surreal… They are such genuinely sweet, down-to-earth, and humble people.”
Kylie V cites Chris Vanderkooy’s guitar solo in “Private Presley” as one of the reasons why they decided to teach themselves guitar and were able to work with Vanderkooy on their debut album, Big Blue. “Chris actually had me over for a guitar lesson at his house when I was 15,” notes Kylie V. “He taught me the pentatonic and major scales, a few Peach Pit solos, and then we just played covers together for probably two hours. I remember him playing me a perfect rendition of “Mushaboom” by Feist… He helped me write the “On My Mind” solo, and then the next year, I asked him to come play slide guitar on my album. It was a very chill session, and I was still incredibly nervous for no reason, but he added the perfect final touch to that track, and having him on my first album meant the absolute world to me and still does.”
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: KYLIE V – “YEAR OF THE RABBIT”
Kylie V has struggled with anxiety for as long as they can remember. Playing live shows and creating music, something which they love and are very passionate about, has, in some ways, helped reduce their anxiety. “I thought I was cured of stage fright in my teens, and then something started to shift in the past couple of years,” comments Kylie V. “Having an outlet to put my deepest, darkest feelings into that can provide me with a tangible reward and emotional fulfilment is a huge gift and privilege, and I am endlessly grateful. However, being a young adult in the music industry, especially an openly queer one, is wildly difficult. It’s becoming more obvious every day how rare it is to make this career financially viable in the slightest, and then if and when you do, there’s a whole new set of issues to deal with; my heart goes out to Chappell Roan. This is all I’ve ever wanted to do with my life, and I’ve made it my biggest commitment. I’ll keep doing it along with my day job until I die if I have to. Speaking of my day job, ever since I moved out of my parents’ house into the city, I get recognized pretty much daily, which is amazing but also deeply scary as well… Growing up has definitely shifted my perspective and brought a whole new set of anxieties to deal with.”
Kylie V believes queer and non-binary representation in music is incredibly important and has helped them figure themselves out. “I am grateful to have grown up at a time where it has never been easier to learn about LGBTQIA+ topics, and I can think of so many queer and non-binary artists off the top of my head, let alone ones who have directly inspired me,” says Kylie V. They add, “It has always been, unfortunately, a 50/50 chance press outlets would use my proper pronouns, and if they didn’t, it felt just as horrible asking them to fix it as it did being misgendered. After many years of thinking somewhat obsessively about it, I’ve realized I personally don’t care anymore. I still use they/them pronouns primarily, but I am totally fine with she or he, for that matter. I’ve grown significantly more comfortable in my femininity in the past few years, and consider myself genderfluid and/or a non-binary woman. My advice to anyone struggling with their gender identity is to take your sweet time, try to think less about all the labels and definitions and more about how you perceive yourself and want to be perceived.”
Crash Test Plane drops November 15. “Growing up, falling in and out of love, losing loved ones, all those things are both absolutely terrifying and agonizing and simultaneously, you will become more of your best self by getting out of the other side of that pain,” states Kylie V. “The intended meaning behind Crash Test Plane is sort of that: we have survived all of the worst, most soul-crushing emotional devastation of our lives thus far. And as much as we don’t want it to, these things will happen again, and it almost feels even more hopeless and all-encompassing each time. But we survive it, it will literally all be okay. Be kind. Be honest with yourself and others. It will be fine.”
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Photo Credits: Cole Schmidt
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: KYLIE V – “CRASH TEST PLANE”
