We are thrilled to bring you an exclusive interview with the incredibly talented up-and-coming songwriter and recording artist, Kyle Richardson. Propelling into the music scene with his unique blend of soulful vocals and intricate melodies, Richardson has effortlessly captured the hearts of countless fans worldwide. Fresh off the release of his much anticipated single titled “Anything,” he’s here to give us a peek into his creative world, discuss the inspiration behind his new music, and his skyrocketing journey in the music industry. Get ready to step inside the musical landscape of Kyle Richardson, where every chord strummed and every note sung resonates with the sincere echoes of lived experiences and pure passion.
1. Kyle, thank you for joining us today. Can you share a little about yourself and your musical background?
Hey! Thanks for chatting with me! I’m a pop music recording artist based out of Vancouver, Canada. I started performing when I was still in school, I did musical theatre and a lot of different talent contests and school functions, and was the lead singer of a fun coffee shop/cover band for a few years, before eventually moving to Vancouver to pursue music in a more serious manner.
2. Can you explain what drove you into a career in music, particularly singing?
I honestly always loved singing, but it took a big push from a music teacher when I was really young for me to feel comfortable singing in front of people. In high school I had a breakout moment for myself, singing a cover of “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” by Five For Fighting in a talent show that had such a great response it made me really want to start focusing on music more seriously and helped me realize that I have something to offer. I gained so much perspective on my vocal capabilities after forming an awesome cover band with some high school friends, and we did weekly gigs and private functions. I eventually started songwriting and realized that I have something to say and that original music was the way to express it!
3. Can you tell us how your journey as a musician started in Vancouver?
Once I started taking songwriting seriously, I started reaching out to some legendary music industry people based out Vancouver, including mix engineer Mike Fraser who I had heard of through my mentor Nancy Nash. Mike’s manager connected me to producer Jeff Dawson and I ended up coming down to Vancouver to record some of my original songs. It was such an amazing experience that I needed to make Vancouver my home and try my hand at working more on my craft with such talented people.
4. How has your Canadian upbringing influenced your music?
Canada has so much talent that it’s been so inspiring growing up seeing legends like Bryan Adams, Shania Twain, Celine Dion, Michael Bublé, Justin Bieber, Avril Lavigne, etc take the world by storm! I’ve grown up such a fan of Canadian talent.
5. How has your music style evolved over the years?
Over the years I have really refined my style. I started out much more basic musically and was focused on being more of an acoustic styled singer songwriter, but over time I’ve incorporated a lot of elements of a lot of different genres into my music.
6. Where do you get your inspiration for your music?
My inspiration comes from a lot of different places… day to day life can inspire lyrical ideas, relationships, things I witness friends and family going through can inspire song ideas… Sometimes it’s as simple as creating a melody and seeing what kind of lyrical idea the melody brings out.
7. Let’s move on to your new single, “Anything”. What inspired you to write this song?
I wanted to write a song about taking time to let the people close to you know how much they mean to you, and that you’ll always be there for them. A song trust celebrates how the small moments of showing you care can really help solidify a solid connection.
8. Can you describe the creative process you went through when creating “Anything”?
The creative process I remember was incredibly fast with this song. I wrote it very quickly, all alone. Probably in like half an hour… and then sat on the demo for a very long time and eventually showed my producer Jeff the demo and he loved it and wanted to help make it into the version you hear now!
9. What is the key message or emotion you want listeners to take away from “Anything”?
I want listeners to hear this song and realize how much they care about their loved ones, and make them grateful for every moment they get to share with them.
10. What was the most challenging aspect of creating “Anything”, and how did you overcome it?
The most challenging aspect honestly was the fact that I wrote this song a very long time ago and I had taken time and made sure it still resonated with me and could still sound current and modern today with a fresh production. I tested the song with a lot of people I trust before hitting the studio to see if the song still holds up, and I got the green light all the way!
11. How is “Anything” different from your previous releases?
“Anything” is definitely my shortest single to date! It’s a bit sweeter and less in-your-face than other singles I’ve released in the past, and definitely holds a more emotional core message.
12. Would you describe your new single, “Anything”, as a shift in your musical style, or does it stay true to your original sound?
“Anything” is really a throwback to my original writing sessions, with a fresh coat of modern production. It’s very much originally an acoustic guitar-based singer-songwriter vibe but we spruced up the track to make it sound current and have a more pop feel.
13. Can you share your favorite lyric from “Anything” and why it stands out to you?
“Together we can do anything” is such a great message of hope that I think everyone can learn from. Now more than ever, people need to connect and find people they can trust on and rely on.
14. Can you talk about any artists or bands that have influenced your sound or songwriting process, particularly for “Anything”?
There are elements of a lot of different artists I think I pulled from for this song… I find Gavin DeGraw often has chorus lyrics that are a little bit like a run-on sentence (like “I Don’t Wanna Be”) and the chorus of “Anything” has elements of that, along with the guitar-based elements of someone like John Mayer, and the swooping falsetto vocal melody of something like Coldplay.
15. How do you think “Anything” reflects your current stage of life?
At this stage in life, “Anything” is relatable to me because I’m realizing I need to focus on people I care about and building genuine connections. I need to let my friends and family know just how much they mean to me, and be there for them as much as possible.
16. In what ways does “Anything” represent the musical direction you’re heading?
This single is a good representation of my musical direction because it’s a pop song with modern production and heartfelt lyrics. I want my music going forward to be uplifting, modern in its production choices, and have a strong emphasis on the vocals.
17. Were there any unexpected surprises or challenges while recording “Anything”?
This was honestly a great song to record. I have lived with this song for a while now so by the time I hit the studio with it, Jeff and I had a very clear image of what we wanted the sound to be and we were able to execute it exactly how we we wanted. The production is clean and clear and the vocal day was an amazing session.
18. Who are some other artists or producers in Vancouver or Canada as a whole that you’d like to collaborate with?
Vancouver is such a talent-rich city, there are a number of people I’d love to work with. Luca Fogale is an artist I’d love to write with, his style is so intimate and lyrically so exceptional. Brian Howes is a legendary writer/producer and I’d love the chance to get to work with him on something. Ryan Stewart has written and produced some of my favorite Canadian pop music of all time and it would be a joy to link up with him at some point. I’ve written with Daniel Powter as well who is not currently based here, but I had such a great time writing with him and I’d love the chance to get to do that again in the future!
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19. How has Covid-19 and the pandemic influenced your musical process, if at all, especially with “Anything”?
Covid definitely had an effect on my musical output. I actually had a ton of material ready to release prior to the pandemic and lockdowns, but when all that happened, I was forced to slow down a bit and was given time to really focus on the project as a whole and how I wanted to present it. Instead of just making a music video for “Anything” and calling it a day, I got all the videos done for the songs I wanted to release as singles, and even got to do a bunch of acoustic versions of the songs I had finished.
20. Is “Anything” a standalone single, or should we expect an album to follow? If so, how does the single tie into the larger work?
“Anything” is one of a few singles off of my upcoming debut album “Louder Than Words,” I previously released the first single off of the album called “Can You Hear Me” and the full album and subsequent singles coming out this fall! “Anything” is a great representation of the album as its modern, emotional, and vocally focused, and is actually the one song I wrote completely solo for this project!
21. What final words do you have for your fans both old and new ones?
I hope everyone’s been enjoying their summer and pride season! I’m trying to release music right now that is uplifting and inspiring, with fun, light summer vibes! I hope everyone loves the music and know that there is a lot more coming very shortly from me!
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