Congrats on your latest release ‘Draw me into you’. The song has a very entrancing sound. What was the process of producing it like?
Tylah: “The process for creating this song started pretty experimentally. I had two guitar loops and drums that I started with. I played around with them a bit by chopping them up, tuning them down and reversing. After I created the track, I listened to it on repeat for several days. The more I listened to the track the more it felt feminine so I wanted to write something about femininity and it turned into a story between two people from the perspective of a feminine woman.”
In terms of genre(s) and atmosphere(s), how would you describe your music?
Tylah: “I would describe my music as a blend of everything I grew up listening to. I come from a diverse background. My mother is from Trinidad and Tobago and my father is from the United States. I spent most of my life on the islands so I was exposed to everything from African, east Indian, local Calypso, Soca and Western music, all of which I’m inspired by, that’s why I consider my music to be alternative. It’s almost an alternative to, as well as a blend of everything that I know. Overall, I think the atmosphere is grounded because of the bass and drums but still airy because of the synths, pads and vocals and I like how that feels.”
What has your experience with songwriting been like?
Tylah: “I started experimenting with writing quite young. I would say around 10 years old. It became a way of expressing and understanding myself. I specifically remember trying to emulate old Calypsonians’ style of writing. As I got older, artists like John Mayer, Sade, and Adele had a profound impact on me including more underground artists like James Blake, Lianne La Havas, Moses Sumney and Hiatus Kaiyote. I’ve had a wide range of influences but somewhere in between, I found a way to express myself. They’re all great storytellers and have inspired me greatly. I think writing should be an ever-evolving journey so I’m sure there’ll be more in the future.”
You have mentioned that ‘Draw me into you’ delves into the magnetic pull between a feminine spirit and masculine counterpart. Tell us more about how this meaning is important to you.
Tylah: “There’s this stage in a relationship, this is my perspective as a woman, but it’s when you realize that you’re starting to get a sense for the person and that you’d trust this person to take you in the right direction on the path you’ll walk together. This is why I said, “Take my hand my love, let me follow you”. There’s this oneness. You feel so in sync “Draw me into you….we can become one too”. It’s also a symbiotic relationship. It’s a path where you’ll plant and water each other’s seeds and share in the fruits “Give me love and watch me bloom. I’ll give you mine and we’ll make a garden too”. It’s saying together you can create something beautiful. This is the result of the work you both put in. It was a simple and slightly nuanced way of describing a beautiful exchange.”
What is your favourite part of being a musician?
Tylah: “My favourite part of being a musician is seeing my ideas come to life. I love the process of creating songs. It’s extremely personal and introspective. From writing the words, to the melodies to the full production. It’s the part that really makes me tick. I also love the process of putting my head together with other musicians and making something we’re all proud of. The cherry on top is seeing people enjoy it because as much as we make music for ourselves, we make it for the people listening to it.”
If you had to choose only three songs to listen to for the rest of your life, which three would you choose?
Tylah: “This is one of the hardest questions to answer. My answer is always changing. If I only have 3 songs to listen to, I’d want to listen to feel-good music or something easy on the ears. I’ve chosen based on what I’ve been listening to lately. Sailing by Christopher Cross, Majesty by Chronixx, and one of my favorite classical piano pieces Gymnopedie No.1 by Erik Satie.”
What goals do you have for yourself as a musician?
Tylah: “I want to continue producing more songs and hopefully work with other artists. This was my first self-produced song and it felt good to make so I’d like to continue to make music that feels good. I want to make music I’m inspired by that also resonates with others and improve my craft the more I do it. I want to build a catalog I feel had a positive impact in some way or another.”
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