Encompassing - and summarizing - the sound and soul of an artist such as Kayla Luky is a daunting task. But alas, writers need a challenge once in a while. So here is an attempt, at least, to capture Kayla....
As her repertoire flowers alongside her following, we realize that Kayla Luky's season of growth is here. It is the springtime of her life. Kayla's honest sound was born and nurtured in the rolling wilderness of western Manitoba. At the young age of thirteen, she picked up her mother's old guitar and simply taught herself how to play. Thus began what was to grow into a musical lifestyle for one of Manitoba's most exciting artists. Over the past several years, Kayla Luky has evolved both as a songwriter and a performer, and continues to impress fans in the public as well as the media.
Kayla has performed live on television in her current city of Winnipeg, and has also given live radio interviews around the province. Furthermore, she has played countless venues in Canada, including Manitoba's exclusively (in)famous Countryfest and Toronto's widely acclaimed NXNE festival. She continues to write music and perform live, energized by the amazing response to her latest album, Story Of My Life.
This recently released disk is an independent studio effort, and all original fourteen tracks were recorded live in one take. It presents to listeners a raw, heartfelt sound that only a genuine musician can produce. Kayla's range balances the overwhelming powers of immeasurable pain with utter joy, resulting in a reflective philosophy throughout the album. These lyrical musings are accompanied with Miss Luky herself layering clean guitar over various other instruments and harmonies. The finished product is a strong, accessible folk recording with just a hint of country twang.
The unique architecture of Kayla's song composition is noteworthy. After all harmonies and pieces for a song are composed (by Kayla herself, of course!), the thoughtful layering begins. The completed tune lends a whisper of our own internal conversations; the questions we ask ourselves and the answers we give. Each stunning vocal offering and chord progression interweaves with and refracts off of the other. Coupled with this, each harmonica verse is answered with a mandolin pulse. The reward for this obvious patience is a song both simple and comprehensive at once. Story Of My Life is Kayla's third full length independent release to date. Given the enthusiastic welcome it has already received, and Kayla Luky's unstoppable drive, it will definitely not be her last.
It seems that this musical tree is one that shall continue to bear fruit. It will continue to feed our collective hunger for honest, original music in the Canadian scene. It will continue to branch out in beauty and complexity. And it will continue to change and continue to amaze. Kind of like the seasons.
Dear friends, my elder bro Dima has made a page dedicated to our lo-fi studio “Happy Records” based in Kyiv, Ukraine, created for non-profit purposes. The focus of the studio work is producing indie artists we subjectively find interesting.
So please, find some time and listen to our friends’ music recorded by us at:
So, im pretty sure you played at the Grave Maker show in Dauphin, and i said i was going to add you, and then i quit life and forget about like everything, so now i've added you.
I hope you have a wonderfully enjoyable and successful rural CD release party. They will love you as much as we do (everybody should!).
And all those tour dates are great to see, and the showcase in Vancouver. I hope you get lots of exposure, make lots of new fans and get a lot of media attention.
We are sending you lots of sunshine, blessings and well wishes from the South Okanagan Valley.
Tonight, we are going to a large gathering. In support of Earth Hour, we will be leaving the lights turned off in our home. The computer will be shut off and unplugged, along with other nonessential appliances.
We will be spending time (8 – 9 pm atleast) enjoying a candlelit hour of fun and conversation. We will talk to you soon. Have a great couple of weeks.
That was wonderful! My goodness, but you look right at home on a stage. And good job on the covers, esp. Folsom Prison. You were the first female I've ever heard cover that. Johnny would have liked that, I think.
Nice way to end, with Merry Go Round... my big fave, btw. That's a hit, or should be. And as I was watching you sync everything in, I was thinking you could become the folkie version of Imogen Heap. LOL
Well myspace is probably the easiest way to contact me, I am always checking it as for tour contacts just let me know what cities you are looking for shows in and I will tell you what I know.
hey these recordings sound cool, you said you would find me and you did Let me know if you need help booking your tour cus I have lots of contacts. see you
Haha!!! Oh man, well, I'll see what I can do ;) Our schedule on the Coin of the Realm myspace is pretty much current, just to give you an idea of what gigs would be like if you ended up coming down to visit. Any time is fine really. I might even be able to land you some shows here... Zach
Hihi! How are you? I haven't commented you in a while either, and I saw that you commented me, so I thought that maybe I should comment you back. I am drinking from my Big Grip for the first time in two weeks. It is so wonderful. Today, my mom and I are going to go grocery shopping and then visit my Baba. I really need to do some school work though, so I hope I can kick myself off of this computer soon. What is new with you? I just brushed my teef.
An unexpected obligation at home stopped me from getting out Saturday evening, but you were certainly uppermost in my mind throughout Saturday as I immersed myself in your music.
Totally marvellous to listen to... I have a flock of thoughts flying about in my brain, so I hardly know where to begin. But I can actually see the wisdom in you "going it alone" in Story Of My Life because your vocals deserve total attention. Your voice is a unique instrument, it's captivating and it must be front-and-centre at all times.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy your second self-titled CD because I did, immensely. Almost seemed to me as if you were experimenting throughout that CD in search of a defining sound or style, or perfect balance, because many of the tracks are quite different from each other, at least to my ears.
And if that is the process that led to Story Of My Life, then it worked, certainly at my end, because you've hit a grand slam with me... i.e. if I were to give you a rating based on the number of tracks I would give thumbs-up to, you're 14/14. Perfecto!! You're one hell of a songwriter.
So now I'm chomping at the bit to hear your debut CD so I can hear the genesis to all of this.
btw... Guess what I wore all day Saturday. It got a few doubletakes. :)
Haha! I had never seen you in glasses before either. I did a major doubletake last Friday night. You were rather busy the whole time I was there, so I didn't want to distract you.
