Starting Over with Kayla Silverman
Mustard had the pleasure of speaking again with singer-songwriter Kayla Silverman who embarks on "The Starting Over Tour" today!
Mustard had the pleasure of speaking again with singer-songwriter Kayla Silverman who embarks on "The Starting Over Tour" today! Additionally we discussed Weyes Blood, being gluten free, chocolate, and so much more!
1. Mustard is grateful to have you join them again at On The Shelf. How are you doing today?
I am doing well! I’m answering these questions on the train to NYC!
2. When we spoke last you described Weyes Blood "Titantic Rising" as the perfect album. How do you feel about Blood's "And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow?"
As I have mentioned in my previous interview, Weyes Blood is one of my favorite artists of all time. I would always joke that Titanic Rising like the Bible for my own music in which I can draw inspiration from. I loved And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow, and it was even better live!! I saw her twice in one weekend, first in NYC and then in Boston in March and it was glorious. She sounded amazing live and it was so amazing to be in the same room as people that also know all of her songs by heart. Although I loved many of the songs as singles, the album as a whole was not as impactful to me as in Titanic Rising. I don’t see myself frequently listening to the entire album like I did with Titanic Rising.
3. You log onto Instagram. Weyes Blood has slid into your DMs. They are interested in collaborating with you on a track. What type of song would you make together?
First I would thank her for her service, then I think I would pass out of joy and shock. Once I come to, I would either pitch two ideas. The first would be an epic orchestral and etherial piece of music in which there is strings, crazy synths and so many vocal harmonies it will make your head spin. The second idea would be a simple yet beautiful acoustic ballad that she also does so well. Her acoustic songs like “Bad Magic” “Holocene feat. Zella Day” and “Picture Me Better” are so beyond beautiful. I would be honored to sing with her in that way.
4. You mentioned how Berklee has a large international population and through music you all speak the same language. Would you say that there is translation involved? Or once you start rehearsing everything falls into place?
I would say that most musicians all speak the same language and one we are in the same room, good music can speak for itself. I am lucky enough to play with some incredible musicians in my ban, especially Aaron Bierman, Kelven Polite, Nathan Morrissey, Niko Malinowski, Sam Wyman and Ben Azola. Band chemistry also really does matter. There is nothing better than having a band where the band members click both on and off stage.
5. According to your Instagram biography you are our favorite unreliable narrator. Could you share some examples of how you have been unreliable?
I joke that this year is the year I became literate. I started reading self help books in January and after a few months got so bored of it that I turned to fiction. I started falling in love with fiction and read 23 books in 5 months. I realized that my favorite characters were the unreliable narrators. One of my favorite books, “The Days of Abandonment” by Elena Ferrante is about a woman whose husband leaves her for a younger woman. As we see her grieving process, reality and imagination starts to blend together until we cannot know which is which. SZA is musical artist that employs the unreliable narrator tactics in her lyrics. Even before I was literate I recognized how complex and layered these tools make her lyrics. The narrator in my lyrics, especially my new music, is a mess, delusional and frankly unreliable. It makes my lyrics more fun to write and honestly more human, which is what I have always gone for.
6. Additionally, on Spotify, you are both tired and hot. How do you like to unwind? Is the thermostat set too high?
That is a great question, I realized that when I had the stress levels of someone being hunted. Thanks to books, my digital calendar and binging Love Island, I can say that I am much less tired and hopefully more hot. My favorite thing to do to decrease stress is to light weights and to do cardio. I find I have the best gyms sessions when I am pissed or upset about something. After an hour of pushing around weights, I feel SO much better:)
7. Both you and Mustard's unpaid human intern eat allergy-friendly foods. Mustard wonders what are some of your favorite allergy-friendly meals to eat? Why are some humans afraid to try these foods?
I am a proud gluten free girlie. And for a while I couldn’t eat the holy trinity of brunch, eggs, dairy and gluten. Yikes. I used to get a lot of slack from past partners and friends that gluten free foods are not good, and sometimes they are right. BUT in the past few years gluten free breaks, cakes and snacks have gotten so good that most of the time you cannot tell the difference. My favorite foods are actually foods that are naturally gluten free food such as pad thai, pho, tacos and even macaroons (always naturally gluten free)!
8. Not only has Weyes Blood slid into your DMs so has your favorite allergy-friendly brand. They are interested in you recording and creating a catchy jingle for their brand for advertisements. Do you accept the offer? Of course! Specifically, if the brand Seven Sundays, the cereal brand!!! So good.
9. One playlist your music can be found on is "POV: Ur the hot ex (fire emoji) Kisses to my Exes (lips emoji.) Would you say this playlist accurately represents your music? I love seeing the silly playlists that feature my songs. Before
“your favorite unreliable narrator” was on my bio, it was “your pettiest ex”. So I think that it would be appropriate.
10. During our last conversation you were about to release "Of Me" which was a clear shift in your music. Are you still getting that strange feeling that fate has been sealed? I actually think that my music is pivoting once again. I would say that it is getting into a more pop direction with inspiration from The 1975, Zella Day and Troy Sivan.
11. You followed up this release with "Bitter Chocolate." Mustard wonders what made this chocolate bitter? Do you consider yourself more of a milk, dark, or white chocolate type of human?
I am definitely am a dark chocolate person. The reason behind Bitter Chocolate is the lyric that says “outside my door, you left a box of bitter chocolates”. This song is about a couple that knows that their love affair will blow up in flames but man it will be fun doing down. So while it is a romantic gesture to send your lover chocolate, the fact that it is bitter chocolate signifies a more somber meaning.
12. You had the opportunity to visit your muse "The Girl With the Pearl Earring." Could you share more about what it was like to see this painting in person? How has the book you read during COVID influenced you creatively?
That painting was like a gateway drug into art history and painters. Reading that book made me feel like I personally knew the artist and the subject, making the piece feel like home in a way. It also became the inspiration for my merchandise and was featured in my lyric video “Look Away” Seeing it was a dream come true. I went to Amsterdam and travelled two hours out of the city to see it in all its glory. I actually saved my best outfit for her in order to impress her.
13. How did it feel to be described as JV Agency's artist to watch?
It was such an honor! I love JV Agency and all the artists they feature so it was super cool to see my name featured along with the other artist.
14. Mustard has observed that you have been traveling recently. How has traveling around the world with family helped you both individually and as an artist? Where do you recommend humans visit if they have the chance to travel?
This year I am lucky enough to spend a lot of this year traveling with my mom and dad. I am very excited to announce that I will be hiking mount. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania leaving the day after tour!! I also went to China with my parents to visit my sister who is doing a masters program in Beijing. Since the pandemic, it was the most time that I have spent consecutively with my family. I’m relieved that my parents and I got a lot closer and bonded over a bunch of shared experiences. Being away from my instruments and my recording devices was really hard because I love being creative. But, it was also really freeing because I was able to reflect, journal and write in different ways than I have before. I think the place I would most recommend to travel to is Greece. My childhood best friend and I recently went to Greece and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I grew up a huge history nerd so it was awesome because we would be just walking around Athens and then would stumble upon ancient ruins, it was crazy. We also met a bunch of people at the hostels that we stayed at and are now some of our closest friends.
15. Mustard is curious if you like .5s?
I LOVE .5s, especially when I am traveling. What is so sad is that my phone is actually broken, so for some reason I can’t do .5s anymore.
16. You recently announced your upcoming single "Starting Over." What can fans expect from this single?
Starting Over is an anthem for change, self betterment and getting out of your comfort zone. I wrote this song when I was chasing after the wrong things and the wrong people. It is funny because I wrote this song about a boy who told me that he sometimes goes with his friends to a specific park to get high. After hearing that, I changed my running route to pass by that park in hopes that he would be there with his friends. I realized that I was physically running after someone and that this was not sustainable. This song became a benchmark in my life to never ever let someone have that effect on me.
17. Some humans are nervous or anxious to start new things. How has starting over helped you remain inspired and determined? What advice would you give to those who may be afraid to do something new?
This song is actually the perfect running song because we sample a runner’s footsteps, so it is made to be run to. Starting Over reminds me of the reasons why I started over in my own life and inspires to keep bettering myself. Getting out of your comfort zone is so scary, but the most important thing is that you won’t be good at something the first time you do it and there will always be a learning curve. I would view that learning curve as a positive thing because there is nothing better than seeing yourself grow and improve.
18. Can readers pre-save this single?
Of course! The link is in my bio, but if you want it faster here it is!
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/kaylasilverman/starting-over-3
19. What is on the horizon for Kayla Silverman in 2024?
2024 is going to be a very very exciting time!! I am kicking off the new year with a single and a tour. I also will be playing with a string quartet in some of my future shows. I also have a bunch of new music and new projects that I am BEYOND excited to share!
20. Can readers still listen to your music on all streaming platforms?
Yes! Any streaming platform