Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Cheryl Waters, host of the Midday Show on KEXP, is "On My Mind" by Kylie V, from the 2021 self-released album Big Blue.
Singer/songwriter Kylie Van Slyke — who records as Kylie V — has been active in the Vancouver music scene since the age of 14. Their 2018 debut EP, Lotus Eater, was recorded on their iPhone. Now at age 17, their debut full-length, Big Blue, is a more sophisticated affair. Van Slyke recruited Sound Fountain (aka engineer, producer, musician, and artist Harley Small) to help co-produce the LP, with Small also helping out on instrumentation, along with twins Benito and Cristian Hobson-Dimas of Sleepy Gonzales on drums and bass, respectively.
Kylie V tells The Permanent Rain Press that today's Song of the Day is about “trying to find a balance between giving your time and energy to someone else and prioritizing yourself.”
"My songwriting style is constantly evolving, but I try really hard to be as honest with myself as possible in my lyrics because I really admire that in other people's writing," they explained to Cups N Cakes. "I write a lot about my feelings, but I tend to layer sensitive things under metaphors, personal symbolism/associations in my brain, or things that aren't exactly obvious. A lot of people comment on the imagery in my lyrics and that's where a lot of it comes from. Being neurodivergent is also a defining trait for my writing, as it makes me approach my feelings and things that are significant to me differently than I would if I wasn't autistic. I associate things in my brain really strongly which makes for some fun symbolism, as previously mentioned."
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Host Emily Fox and KEXP’s editorial team talk with artists about the stories behind their songs and the experiences that inform their work. Through each conversation, we uncover the humanity behind the music, allowing us to hear it in a whole new way.
