KYVA Emerging Musician and Artist Story and Interview by Deme McDonald

The KYVA project, is a profound expression of the courage of self-reflection to stand firm in your truth to enact personal growth and societal change. KYVA, Sydney, Australia-based artist invites us to join him on a journey of self-discovery fearlessly encouraging all to stand firm in your truth, embrace and value our differences while inspiring all to reflect on the societal marginalisation and inequalities from culture to sexuality with a call for change.

One writes out of one thing only — one’s own experience. Everything depends on how relentlessly one forces from this experience the last drop, sweet or bitter, it can possibly give. This is the only real concern of the artist, to recreate out of the disorder of life that order which is art. James Baldwin- “Autobiographical Notes” from Notes of a Native Son, (1955)

Kyle Linahan grew up in Avalon, a small coastal town on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia, and experience which has profoundly shaped his artistry. I had the pleasure of interviewing our Native Son, Australian singer-songwriter, Kyle Linahan, with who performs using the moniker KYVA (pronounced K-eye-Vah) on the Frenchkiss Records label. KYVA’s lyrics are exploding with truths of the human condition with a unique sound that beautifully weaves alternate pop influenced by The Cure with the Funk of Prince and the rich sounds of his Caribbean ancestry which envelops the listener and is a melodic treat for the senses.

Tell us about the origin of your name KYVA and how it represents you as an artist.

The name KYVA represents my experience as a child growing up in Avalon, Australia. It is multifaceted about identity and place and the feeling of trying to create a home within music. As a person of mixed raced heritage, you are torn between two worlds and how the world perceives you physically and culturally. There are some incredible things that come from that because can see through the experience of different worlds that others would be able to see, but it also leaves you separate from the two places as well. These ideas about identity played into the project and I wanted a name that directly referenced this place where I am going with identity and the journey of the music understanding that this might be a place that is never truly reconciled and might just paint different experiences on a canvas. I split my name Kyle – KY and Avalon -AV to represent this duality.

Tell me about your background.

I am a singer songwriter based in Sydney. I grew up on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, which is a specific group of people, it’s very Anglo and pretty homogeneous and I found it was difficult growing up in an area like that because it’s not an area that champions or looks to celebrate people are different.

How did you get through that challenge?

At the time I found it difficult to make friends because I did not go to school in this area. So, I was a bit of an outsider. I feel that is one of the things that informed a lot of the art that I create now. It is a major point of interest for me for someone who creates music feeling like an alien and that sort of isolation drives many of the central themes of trying to find a home or a connection to culture and identity.

When did you begin your music career?

I signed to the Warner Music label when I was 16 years old. I started a develop deal, but I really did not know what I was doing. It was an incredible experience to be afforded at such a young age. Through that time, I had an opportunity to flex and learn skills like how to record and refine my vocal technique and style. It was an incredible learning curve and my job at that point was to finish an album while I was finishing high school.

As an artist what inspires you to create?

I feel like inspiration comes from everywhere all facets of my life. Particularly because this project KYVA, is so much about identity and your place in the world and the lens through which I see the world is extremely specific and that informs the project hugely. Coming of age and discovering myself and my sexuality and also redefining ideas of masculinity and gender roles. These are all the things where I find endless inspiration for the project.

Previously you stated that just by existing you would feel like an alien in your hometown, country, this world. How do you feel today with regards to feeling alien?

I feel like the world is getting easier. It is getting to a place where we can talk about these things more. Obviously, issues about race have been an undercurrent for a lot of people for so long. I think a lot of people were unaware or uneducated about ideas of race and systematic racism that some have been privileged by and where others have been disenfranchised. It is an interesting time to be talking about this particularly in music and I think more and more people are receptive to hearing stories from different people from different experiences. I welcome anyone who is looking to engage in those conversations.

How do you feel today with regards to feeling alien as it pertains to your sexuality and being a person of colour?

I think for me as a Queer black person in Australia things are changing because it was like you were not on the map before as if you really did not exist. However, the Black Lives Matter movement that is happening in the States and continuing to be digested all around the world and particularly for the indigenous people here in Australia is evidence of the coming change. I went to the Sydney Black Lives Matter rally on the 6th June 2020, and I was so overwhelmed by the incredible show of solidarity from all people and a lot of Australian young people seem to be in tune with that narrative as it is emerging and really coming on board and ready to embrace change which is amazing. It was nice being in this group of people which was a hugely mixed crowd of all different racial backgrounds and identities. It felt like a nice warm hug after all the horrible things in the news of late. It was nice to feel inspired by it and not heavy.

As you are creatively minded you must be bombarded by ideas that can take you to so many places. How do you reset yourself and re-energise your soul?

I have been on a journey as I am finishing up the writing for my first album, KYVA. There is never any shortage of inspiration of things to write about and say particularly during this time and where we are in the world. There is some crazy stuff going on in the world. To keep recharged it is important that I look to methods of self-care. It is easy for creatives to feel juiced; you always have a deadline and many creatives can feel like you are only as relevant as the work you are putting out. I feel that to be able to maintain that output of work you really need to look after yourself and I do that through meditation to feel rejuvenated.

Tell us about your favourite song to perform?

It has been early days for the KYVA project because at this time (during the Covid-19

pandemic) we have not been able to do live shows. Adapting and going on-line and doing shows by webcam and Zoom has been interesting and challenging. It has been nice connecting with people who would not have ordinarily been able to make it to shows because of geographical location. You can open up an audience because there is no set limit on the venue and the show can be accessed anywhere and anytime. However, I am missing that face to face energy reaction that you only get when performing in a venue with people.

Please describe that feeling of performing with a live audience.

It is one of the best feelings. It is an energy transfer with people vibing off each other in the room and its why people love live music. I get a feeling of elation. I have spoken with a few musicians about this in my time, about what is and why is it so addictive and drives you to want to keep trying the find it? There are those performances where you may be distracted, your voice isn’t quite right that day or you didn’t hit the notes, but sometimes you have that transcendent experience which is so much bigger than the sum of its parts. You come together with your band and you have a certain energy and you train and rehearse to get to a place where you can lose it all on stage. In those moments where you forget everything and it becomes something otherworldly, it is the most beautiful experience.

I have had the pleasure of hearing your new single ‘Dollar Sign’ which you wrote and performed as part of the KYVA project. Please tell us about your motivation being ‘Dollar Sign’.

I was feeling trapped and chained to a cycle of work -homework and questioning why am I chained to this capitalistic pattern. I wanted to talk about our relationship with money and the anxiety about not having enough and also enjoying the comforts it affords. Ultimately in writing ‘Dollar Sign’ it was a journey of self-discovery and the duality within me and my relationship with money which complex. Even on social media it is a tool where influencers are pushing and idea of what we should be ascribing to in our lives, but these things are empty rather than finding the essence of what truly makes you happy rather than this veneer of what happy looks like.

What valuable lessons have you learned along the way to help you to grow in this industry.

As an artist I think it is fundamental that you build a discipline and work ethic and refine your skill set. The major less that I have learned as an artist over the many years that I have been making music in different projects is to trust your voice because I feel that is what this project is for me. I feel the things that resonate most with people are when there is truth behind it, and something learned or acquired either by adversity or other means in your life experience is your truth and you should stand behind it.

KYVA is a truly inspirational artist breaking down the social construct on identity, sexuality, race, and culture while challenging all to do the same to thrive as an enlightened society.

‘Dollar Sign’ Enjoy it here: https://orcd.co/ kyva_dollarsign Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ kyvaworldwide/

Photography: Marcus Coblyn Photography: Mason Bennett