Kyra Love’s “I Hope” just came out today and we cannot get enough! It’s a melodic, R&B track with heavenly harmonies. Her sound is reminiscent of Umi and Solange. With an EP called Otherworldly and a handful of singles under her belt, Kyra Love has a promising career ahead of her.
We, at For The Culture Zine, were able to talk to the Chicago native to ask her a few questions about “I Hope” and her creative process.
Q&A With Kyra Love
Q: Walk us through the making of your latest single, “I Hope”. What was the inspiration behind the lyrics? What challenges did you face while creating “I Hope” and how did you overcome them?
KYRA: The way I’ve been navigating through life as of late is what inspired the lyrics. The first part of the song was actually some stuff that I wrote down in my manifestation journal a while ago which I use sometimes to remind myself of how far I’ve come. Expressing gratitude is important when trying to grow and achieve higher heights. I’m also in my head a lot of the time and I don’t feel like I express my vulnerabilities enough when trying to connect with people so writing it in song form was just easiest for me since I know music is therapy for some. That being said, I think that was also the challenging part. As you can see, I’m not really super active on social media because I’m private about my life in that way so being that open was really different but I know there are others out there that feel the same as I do so it helped me push through.
Q: In terms of the production of “I Hope”, what inspired you to include the sound of rain falling? It’s a great addition.
KYRA: Actually a friend of mine suggested that. I have some really great friends that I send music to as I’m working on it as sort of a “check” with fresh ears to make sure everything sounds good and that just happened to come up in conversation with one of them so thank you to her. In my personal opinion, I think it also sets the tone of the song before it even begins which is great.
Q: You have a beautiful voice! The harmonies throughout “I Hope” are heavenly. Vocally, who are your biggest influences?
KYRA: Aw man. I’m blushing, haha. Thank you. I love this question so much because I could go on for eons discussing my influences but to narrow this down, as cliché as this might sound Michael Jackson inspired the way I stack my harmonies. Have you ever listened to his acapellas or demos of songs he’s recorded? They’re so beautiful it’s almost scary and I want to capture the essence of that in my own way. I also really like The Internet and draw heavy inspiration from their earlier projects – dope sound and each member is so talented. Especially Syd. I think our voices are similar in terms of strength. Her voice is very light and airy but still smooth and I hear that in my own voice sometimes when I’m recording. She reminds me that you don’t have to be a powerhouse singer to make great, timeless records.
Q: Earlier this year, you released your debut EP, Otherworldly. What was it like creating a body of work during a pandemic and what did you learn from the experience?
KYRA: Otherworldly. My baby. Honestly, I was at such a creative point in my life when that came to fruition. Months prior, I was telling my friends “mmm I don’t think I’ll be releasing an EP anytime soon because I don’t want to rush it” and boom, the urge just came and I banked on it. So creating it wasn’t hard at all because I knew the sort of sound I was going for with it which was something ethereal and celestial-like. I also recorded the entire thing in the comfort of my own bedroom which taught me that you don’t need some huge studio or team to get things moving. If you want it, go get it. Regardless of the circumstances outside of your control.
Q: Describe the music you create in 5 words or less.
KYRA: Harmonious, entrancing, digestible, and distinctive.
Q: Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
KYRA: It honestly depends on the song at that time. Sometimes it’s my life and whatever I’ve been through or am going through at that present time and sometimes it’s just me daydreaming about being somewhere else on another planet and what life would be like there. I don’t put a lot of pressure on myself with the writing. I like to get my point across so that it’s still coming from my own thoughts but also lets people make their own assumptions as to what I may be talking about. It becomes more personal to different people that way.
Q: What motivated you to want to learn how to play the guitar? Do you play any other instruments or is there another instrument you’re interested in learning?
KYRA: Would you laugh at me if I told you it happened so suddenly? I am SO impulsive. I’d been talking about learning it just casually in conversation for a few months now but I was honestly just talking out of the side of my neck then one day that just ended up becoming me actually buying one. I love it so much though. It’s so fun to learn something new and I think as an artist, although I view my voice as an instrument, it’s really important to be versatile and learn other means of creating as well. Your work becomes more fulfilling that way and less like work.
Q: Since the pandemic began, online music promotion has become crucial for an artist’s growth. How important is that for you, and are there any strategies you are willing to share with our readers?
KYRA: Yeah I definitely noticed how important it has become these days. It’s very important for me specifically since I don’t have a team backing me or industry friends/family in my corner, but that also makes it the hardest thing for me. People think because you’re talented the world is automatically going to see you and you’re just bound to be “somebody” but there’s more to it than that and it isn’t the same formula for everybody. There are times where I have to really sit and plan things out in terms of posting, what days to post what, what type of videos to make – everything just ends up becoming a business move which is great when you already have a knack for that kind of thing but I don’t so I’m still working on it. I’ve had some help along the way though which is a blessing in itself and I like to think that that is just part of the journey anyway so I have no complaints. I would say for anybody who’s struggling with it, find somebody you trust who really believes in you and who is willing to put forth the effort to help you rise and grow. And definitely try to build relationships with people that are in this industry who do have a presence, who don’t mind boosting you on their own platform. It’s all about networking, really which won’t happen overnight.
Q: How’s it been balancing college and music?
KYRA: It’s a blessing and a curse. I’ve worked so hard in both avenues so I could never give up on either one of them no matter how great things may seem in one career path but that also puts a lot of pressure on me to be able to balance both and not slack off in either one. One thing’s for sure though, I’m getting this degree!
Q: As an independent artist, what are ways in which people can support you?
KYRA: Well besides the whole streaming thing, buying my merch if you are able since I put so much work into designing it and the graphics for it. And really, just sharing my music online and with others. Word of mouth works, believe it or not and would help a lot.
