Within the vibrant landscape of the west coast music scene, Kylie V stands out as a dedicated dream-chaser. Since their musical journey began at the age of 14, they have become a mainstay among many of their city’s most legendary underground venues. Transitioning from a bonafide live music superfan, Kylie V is now pursuing their artistic passion, gracing these very grassroots locations with their haunting melodies and heartfelt performances. 

With their debut album Big Blue released in 2021, which made RANGE Magazine’s Best of 2021 list, they have already garnered more than one-million streams, signalling an unstoppable momentum. Now, in Kylie V’s newest single “Anomaly,” the lyrical landscape unfolds with heart-wrenching and gut-twisting precision, with each verse unfolding a new facet of the emotional journey. It seamlessly fuses indie, folk, and rock elements, creating a unique sonic blend that mirrors the complexity of emotions associated with the fresh and deeply sad aftermath of losing your first love. 

We caught up with Kylie V below to talk about heartbreak, live music and, what went into creating their new single “Anomaly.” 

Could you share your earliest memory of experiencing live music and how does live music influence and inspire your overall musical journey?

My family is full of musicians and music fans, so apparently my earliest live music experience was as a baby seeing Sam Roberts Band. My earliest memory I can pick out was probably when I was two, I went to a festival my mum was singing at and sang “September” by Earth Wind and Fire with her. Nowadays I go to at least a few shows a month, and I try to play at least one a month as well. I’ve been able to see so many of my favourite artists and a lot of incredible local talent in the past few years and it always inspires me to put on a better show, honestly. I don’t get stage fright much anymore but I’m quite self critical of my stage presence, and I’m working on it.

You have been attending local Vancouver indie gigs since you were 14. Do you have any fun stories about attending venues and getting your foot in the door at such a young age? 

The first time I ever played at Vancouver’s legendary DIY venue Red Gate, in 2019 for the reunion of legendary local band Apollo Ghosts, someone showed up in a full-on Gumby costume and I think about it a lot. Vancouver’s underground venues have almost all been great to me both as a teenager and an adult; it never really felt weird and people weren’t condescending or anything because these venues stay open as a labour of love. 

Photo: Cole Schmidt

You’ve been writing music since you were nine years old – how has your writing style developed and transformed over the years and what inspires your poetic lyricism today?

I definitely started out as a pop songwriter—I was one of those little kids who wanted to be a superstar, and now I’m almost 20 and I haven’t given up. My influences as a child were probably Taylor Swift and The Chicks, my mum used to sing songs off of “Fly” to me as lullabies. Nowadays, I’m inspired by so much in my songwriting process: I listen to copious amounts of all different types of music, I read and write a lot of poetry, and I have very big feelings, which I think is the main reason I write songs the way I do. 

Can you tell us about the inspiration behind “Anomaly” and what led you to write a song about a breakup in the bargaining stage of grief?

I wrote this song in about an hour while crying over it. I changed the tense of some of the lyrics a few months after when I felt more detached from the situation, but this was a bit of a diary entry song; it all came out in one go and is very brutally honest. I also read an incredible poetry book not long after the breakup that I think has permanently changed my perspective on love and writing—”Romance or The End” by Elaine Kahn. 

“Anomaly” has a cinematic, intimate indie-folk-rock feel. What artists’ sound would you say helped inspire this track? 

This one was definitely inspired by Bright Eyes, one of my earliest influences when I started making music, as well as Fenne Lily, Christian Lee Hutson, Samia, and Sufjan Stevens. Fenne Lily’s “Red Deer Day” was a big influence on this track.

As a self-taught multi-instrumentalist and professionally trained singer, could you elaborate on your creative process when composing the music for “Anomaly”?

I wrote “Anomaly” in an open tuning so the main chord progression was very simple, and since I write in open tunings a lot I tried to really have fun with the vocal melodies in the verses. There’s a whole octave jump at the beginning that’s so fun to sing. The song also has a distinct feel due to it being in 6/8 but dropping half the bar for the middle chord in the progression, if that makes sense. The majority of the song was imagined in my head and then brought to life with my good friend and producer Josh Eastman, who helps me arrange songs when they get to the studio. We spent most of this year reflecting on and working on this track so there are lots of little details—my favourite parts would have to be the vocal harmonies in the choruses and the guitar/mandolin parts. 

What advice would you give to others going through heartbreak? 

No matter how it feels right now, you are a whole and lovable person on your own and it WILL get easier with time. Unfortunately, it’s basically a universal experience, but that means it’s survivable, and good character development. Write as many songs as you can (or do whatever art feels right to you). Do not text them. Create something. You’ll be okay in a little while.

You describe yourself as an indie-rock fairy in your IG bio. If your music was a mystical potion, what kind of magical effects would your music have on those who listen to it?

This song is a potion of sadness and yearning. I think the next one is a potion for luck 😉

What’s next for Kylie V? Anything else you would like to share?

What’s next is more songs in the new year! I’ve been working on my second album for a very long time now and it’s coming soon.