The California native and Singer/Songwriter KAYLN basks in the glory of iridescent Pop music with her latest lively single, "Leave Your Love On." Songwriting has always come easy to KAYLN, wowing her parents with her vocal abilities at a young age. More recently, KAYLN found her sound by touring the country and singing various cover songs with local cover bands.
Through her latest single, "Leave Your Love On," KAYLN offers a similar upbeat and Poppy tone as artists like Kelly Clarkson, P!nk, Katy Perry, and Taylor Swift. KAYLN also released a conceptual music video for the lively single surrounding the inner-battle with mental illness and dealing with adversity head-on.
The single "Leave Your Love On" begins with upbeat instrumentals and Poppy electronic production. As KAYLN's bright and melodic vocals appear, she starts singing a romantic story of requited love and waiting patiently to be in someone's presence again.
The surrounding production pushes through with a deep bassline capturing the ultimate grooves, gripping sub-bass offering highly modern elements, and rhythmic synth arrangement, allowing listeners to dance away. A scorching hot electric guitar solo makes its way in around the bridge and blasts through the entire outro with force and power, equally as strong as KAYLN's passion. KAYLN's catchy melodies and ear-pleasing vocals deepen listeners into her shimmering sound while coming through with romantic lyricism to take our breath away.
We're floating on cloud nine with KAYLN's intoxicating single, "Leave Your Love On," as she powers through with her entire heart for listeners to bask in the glory and refreshing feel of reciprocated love.
We love the energy and passion you've brought to the table with your single, "Leave Your Love On." What made you want to release a single surrounding your love for someone special? Is this a typical theme within your music?
Thank you so much! I feel like love is a common theme for many songs. I wouldn't say it’s particularly typical for my music but it’s probably one of the most universal subjects that anyone can relate to. And since this is my debut single, I wanted to make sure I was releasing something that would resonate with everyone.
Was it easy for you to write about such an uplifting theme with your single "Leave Your Love On"? How did you manage to write lyrics that depict your situation while also allowing listeners to relate?
I had written, “Leave Your Love On” with my dear friend, and roommate at the time, Sydney Maxine back in October of 2019 when I was living in Nashville, TN. It was one of those writers that just poured out of us. I was dealing with a long-distance relationship which fueled a lot of the inspiration. As far as the lyrics go, I think a lot of people can relate to having trust issues and doubts. We all have trauma in one way or another but sometimes we don’t realize that, and then we wonder why we’re not living the life we want to live or why we can’t find a great relationship. So the song really speaks to anyone dealing with something that’s holding them back. And this person doesn’t have to be a love interest. It could be a friend, a family member, whoever. It’s just about asking them to be patient with you and do not give up!
Regarding the bright and Poppy instrumentals/production within "Leave Your Love On," how did you go about blending electronic Pop elements with organic instrumentation? Did you have any help during your creative process?
I knew what direction I wanted the production to go in but I definitely needed help bringing my ideas to life. So I called up Mr. Brandon Meagher, who is an insanely talented producer in Nashville. Since I moved back to LA in February of this year, the entire process of creating this track was done virtually. But he took my ideas and influences and helped to craft this song to fit me perfectly. I’ve always been inspired by artists like Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, etc. and I wanted this release to be comparable to their sound while also showcasing my interpretation of pop music.
We noticed that you also released a music video for "Leave Your Love On." How did you come up with the video's one-shot approach? What concepts do you deliver within the video?
Once I decided what song I wanted to release I knew I had to accompany it with a music video and 2020 brought plenty of inspiration! Listening to the song by itself, you get the sense of “what a nice, fun, uplifting pop tune!” But I wanted to go a little deeper than that and showcase more of my artistry. So I’d say the main concept of the video is mental health, and how one struggles with that when they’re completely alone. And how that affects one’s ability to open themselves up to love and opportunities. I knew I wanted to do something unique so I decided on a one-shot video since they are so engaging and amusing. I had the help of director and cinematographer Littil Swayamp (who is just brilliant) for this video and together we achieved something I’m very proud of! The video opens with me asleep in bed. Tissues surround me to portray that I cried myself to sleep. During the verse and pre-chorus, you see me dealing with my struggles. Longing for love as I draw a heart on the mirror with lipstick and punching a teddy bear to signify childhood trauma. You also start to see shadows and silhouettes peering in through the windows and attempting to grab me in the hallway. In the chorus, my mood changes, and I do this quirky dance that comes out of nowhere. This is to emulate mood swings and to showcase the happy person I wish I could be all the time. Throughout the video, you also see me drink from numerous wine bottles. But you can’t quite read what they say. As the video progresses, you see that there are at least two intruders inside the house, messing with me and attempting to capture me, but I have no idea they’re there. Until a cheeky scene shot from in front of the couch shows the intruders abducting me and dragging me outside. The camera then zooms in on the fireplace mantel where the wine bottles have been neatly lined up. They read things like “Positivity”, “Strength”, “Courage”, “Confidence”. This reveals what I was taking sips of, all the things I wish to have and be. The camera then pans outside where you see myself with my captures and together we perform the dance. On their shirts are the labels “Anxiety” and “Depression” and it’s revealed that my disorders were in fact the intruders all along. I then invite them over to a table where we laugh and drink wine from a bottle that says “Love”. To me, this is the most important scene in the video. It signifies embracing and befriending your demons, inviting them to the table, and allowing yourself to still love those parts of you that you struggle with. Then, for dramatic effect, the video ends with the camera panning out and reveals that there is actually no one there, and I’m left sitting at the table all alone.
What has been keeping you inspired in 2020?
I think we’ve all recently been forced to come to terms with the reality that we are all expendable. Moments are fleeting and life is short. This year has been the perfect wake up call for so many people, including myself. So what’s keeping me inspired is the fact that my life could be over tomorrow, and I want to make sure I’m seizing every day with intent and purpose. For me, that’s continuing to create ar