An Interview With Lyana Skye
Lyana Skye returns with a brand new single that gives a contemporary-pop vibe crossed with ambient dream style sounds and retro synths that bring everything together to make a catchy pop song that sticks with you.
"Timeless" is a cinematic and heartfelt track with psychedelic tones and swelling pads that give the feeling of flying through space and being in awe.
The song is incredibly colorful and breathes with life and youthful energy while it surrounds you with melodies, passionate performances, and moving hooks.
There is certainly a bit more than meets the eye with this track and it has the ability to really grow on you quickly as scattered sounds pull you into its atmosphere.
"Timeless" can send you off into a drift and keep you floating there for some time and when it's ended you may need to snap yourself back into reality again.
With such a wonderful and vibrant single, we wanted to have a chat with Lyana to find out exactly where this all came from.
TSWS: Okay so let's start with "Timeless". This track was very addicting with elements of contemporary pop and some vintage synths. Love the sound of this one. Where did this song come from?
Actually, the meaning of the song parallels with the writing process! I started writing Timeless years ago and have played it at different gigs over time, always allowing the song to develop and adjust into what you can now listen to on all streaming platforms. This is similar to the concept in the song: When we open our minds to the present moment and to the bigger picture, we see there are consistencies all around us. We also see everything around us is in a constant state of change! It’s so exciting! Think about how your own mindset has probably changed and grown from where you were at a year ago. We can see this in tangible elements too! Like the effects of the weather, the seasons, and the orbit patterns of the planets- or what we might simplify as day and night. So the line, “Baby, we’re timeless” connects to the infinity of our humanity and our collective consciousness. In spite of, and because of the changes and consistencies around us, it all balances into a state of timelessness that we get to be a part of.
TSWS: I can hear an evolution in sound from your previous releases like "What Can I Say". What artists actually influenced you?
While all my songs are written and composed by me, Timeless was the first song I produced completely on my own. So naturally, there are some stark contrasts on the production side. Prince fans may notice the drum beat in verse 1 is reminiscent of the drum beats in some Prince ballads. It also reminds me of the opening credits scene at the beginning of Dirty Dancing. Then the electric guitar solo you hear at the beginning and end of the song is always going to remind me a little of the Eagles, who I’ve been lucky enough to see live in my own city. When something stands out in my mind, chances are it stands out in some other people’s minds too, so inspiration can come from anywhere!
TSWS: How did this all start for you really?
I was about 11, and I was in my backyard, and I wanted to sing a song for my family in the living room. I couldn't think of a single one, so I made one up. I didn't just make the song up right then, I decided to make a new word to star in the one-word chorus- “Finkawataka.” While that song was ridiculously silly, it was the moment I realized, “Hey, I guess I'm allowed to write a song. I don't have to ask a certain committee if it's a song because it already exists! Cool!”
I would definitely say my writing has gotten a lot deeper and a lot more polished since then.
TSWS: I'd love to find out what artists really influenced you. Can you give us a few at least?
Haim is one of the coolest groups ever. They are truly poets, and their melodies will wake you up at night they’re so catchy. Lionel Richie is an incredible artist, and his music makes me want to take a drive downtown with the windows down. NoMBe’s music makes me want to swing in a hammock while studying his lyrics. He is a producer too, and he makes me want to improve my skill level and keep researching ways to produce the songs that I hear in my head, in a way that lets people into my world.
I am inspired by the Eagles, Prince, Billy Joel, Dolly Parton, James Taylor, John Denver, Aretha Franklin, Lenny Kravitz, Rod Stewart, Taylor Swift, Aerosmith, Marvin Gaye, Elton John, Carole King, Bruce Springsteen, Linda Ronstadt, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, and Etta James. There are many artists who I love and admire for various reasons. I’ve been lucky enough to see many of these artists live through a raffle system that is open to war veterans, since my father is a disabled vet. I’ve been able to appreciate and study the stage presence, charisma, and perfected-with-time traits from seeing the performances of some of the people who mean the world to me.
TSWS: What's next for you as an artist? Anything in the works even now?W
I’m writing and producing A LOT, so I cannot wait to release some new singles! I try to keep up with posting covers and short videos on Instagram and my website too. (lyanaskye.com) I'm definitely figuring out the balance between staying current and creating new things to post immediately, while doing the behind the scenes work of improving my producing and writing skills, researching the best release plans, studying what the music industry is looking like right now, finishing songs, continuing to study music theory, and learning to play new songs with sheet music to keep my sight reading skills up to speed. I like to look at the pandemic as a time that I can use to improve myself in every area that will be used in my music career. I see this time in my life as the part of the movie where the character is sitting at Griffith Park in California, about to be able to do shows and really see their dream come to life. I will soon see that my preparation is paying off. And the preparation is such a beautiful part of a dream and a goal, so I am happy where I am right now!
TSWS: Did you perform live before? Will you be focusing on that in the near future?
Before the pandemic I did lots of gigs. I love playing at local restaurants, community events, and music festivals. That is a great opportunity to see how people respond to the songs, to notice which songs really seem to catch everyone’s attention and which ones give people time to go get refills and talk to the person next to them. One of my favorite parts of doing a gig is afterwards; often there are several people who will tell me about how they wrote music when they were in college, or how they had a dream of performing music when they were younger. Their eyes light up when they talk to me, and it makes me so happy to be able to work towards my dream and know that I’m also working towards their dream. My success is their success, and that inspires me to always be getting better.
TSWS: What sort of things inspire you to write?
When something sticks in my brain and I find myself thinking about it later, or when I’m focused on one thought and something in the background makes me shift my attention and ask “whoah what is that?” I usually try to find out more about it. I study it and ask myself, “why is this significant to me? Does this only stand out to me, or is this something that will connect to other people? What lesson can I learn from this? How do I apply it?” Writing comes naturally to me so when I have an exciting concept to share, that comes out in my lyrics and my words. Everyone in the world can try this though. We each have different ways of expressing the things that create a spark for us.
TSWS: What are you doing when you're NOT working on music?
I have a whole rainbow of projects and fields that make me so excited, and I try to spend a little bit of time each day advancing each of those passions. I dedicate some of my morning each day studying French and speaking to my brother and best friend in French. I am reading some piloting books and plan on getting my private pilot’s license. I also do research each day on the music industry and watch videos that will help me become a more informed music producer. It is important that I have some time during the week to just paint while listening to a good podcast or watch a movie while writing some new lyrics. I love to cook and bake so I spend some time in the kitchen, always blasting happy music that makes everyone tap their feet while they eat.
TSWS: What kind of advice would you give to other up and coming artists trying to get heard out there?
I am still in that process so I can’t say much on that, BUT, I do have some helpful advice in general. It’s important that your goals are things you have control over. It would be useless to have a goal of reaching 100k followers on Instagram, BUT it would be extremely productive to create a consistent posting schedule, constantly be creating new content, always be engaging with followers, and researching how to make your posts reach people who are not following you. Then you are in control of what you’re doing, and you will achieve more because you won’t waste time wondering about things that are out of your control.
TSWS: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music?
Thank you for listening! Thank you for coming to my gigs! Thank you for visiting my website! Really, thank you! I want to know what projects you’re working on; how are you expressing yourself right now? Is it in a way that brings you joy? Can you hone in on this and focus on improving this skill? I am so happy that I can share my creations with you and I hope, if nothing else, it inspires you to create too.