“I’m a firm believer in affirmations,” says R&B singer/songwriter Kiya Lacey, “you just have to believe it will all work out.”
The Nashville born singer released her first EP: Fail in Love back in April 2015, a project she wrote by herself and co-produced with the Wonder Twins and Phil Moore. “My first EP was my true introduction of Kiya Lacey the artist. It gave me the opportunity to cross into the underground R&B and Hip Hop scenes in Nashville.” A year later, she released a three-song visual project called ‘Earth, Wind and Fire’ with production by the Wonder Twins and the Prodigies. She says her time working with these producers in the early stages of her career was really instrumental to her finding her voice.
She currently splits her time between Atlanta and Toronto, working with various artists and producers in both cities. She is a champion for Southern music and culture, always finding ways to support and collab with Southern producers & artists. In my interview with her, she stresses the importance of Southern artists supporting one another and growing together.
Lacey just launched her event series, NOT MY FIRST RODEO: a tribute to Southern music, art and culture earlier this year in Atlanta. Her aim with this series is to create safe spaces where Southern artists can showcase their talent. Along with her monthly parties in Atlanta, she’s curated RODEO events in Nashville and Toronto as well. She hopes to bring more attention to Southern culture with each event. Lacey will be putting a special twist on RODEO on November 6th, hosting an experiential dinner for emerging women in music during Red Bull Music Festival Atlanta 874 that you don’t want to miss!
“I believe Southern culture inspires a lot of things, and oftentimes Southern artists get overlooked.”
She never wants to limit herself or feel trapped creatively, always finding inspiration from other artists or mediums. Her latest music video to her track “GIVE IN’ was actually inspired by Yoko Ono’s performance art, “CUT PIECE”. When asked what drew her to that particular piece, she said, “I really think that it visually symbolized what I was going through when I was writing that song.” With the help of director, Christian Cody, Lacey and her team conceptualized dreamy visuals that bring the message to life.
Recently, she’s been dropping singles every month, starting with the release of ‘YEEHAW’ in August 2019. She wants to share a different part of herself with each drop, stating, “Each drop is just me opening up. I use to overthink releasing music and used to be so nervous. So, I’m using these single drops to not only connect with people but to build momentum without overthinking it.”
She continues to explore her artistry—constantly working on her craft and collaborating with various producers and artists. She has worked with producers like Monte Booker, TOKiMONSTA and Derek Minor (just to name a few), and has opened up for talented artists such as Bilal, Brandy, Xavier Omar, Big Freedia, Doja Cat, Sabrina Claudio and many more.
Photograph by Felice Trinidad
You kicked off your ‘NOT MY FIRST RODEO’ event series this year in Atlanta as a way to pay homage to Southern music, art & culture. What inspired you to start this series?
So I started NOT MY FIRST RODEO to bring more attention to Southern music & artists. I wanted to give artists an opportunity to showcase their art, artists who oftentimes get overlooked in the Atlanta and the Nashville music scenes. There will be curators that only get certain people on for shows, so I wanted to do something where I'm taking control. I get to curate the energy and the vibe, anybody's welcome. It's LGBTQ friendly, and it's a place for women specifically to feel comfortable. It’s a safe space. It’s been growing into something very beautiful. It started off as just like a one-off thing. And now it's kind of grown into its own culture and people are like, “Oh my gosh, we're excited for the Rodeo!”, and I hear people talking about it. We started doing monthly events in Atlanta, we've done a few pop-ups in Nashville and we did one in Toronto, which was really cool. Red Bull has gotten behind it so we're doing Red Bull cocktails that I've designed. And we will be hosting a private experiential dinner discussion at 874 during Red Bull Music Festival in November.
When you were invited to a Spotify Secret Genius session to write and work on music in Nashville you described it as the first time since you started music at 15 where you had back to back sessions dedicated to you for you. What was that experience like? What would you say to those just starting out, discouraged, or afraid to go after their passions?
I think it's really important to find your tribe and find people that believe in who you are. When I was young, I was told by my mom who I was supposed to be like, what type of music I should make, and my teachers wanted me to do country music, and everyone was trying to pull me in different directions. I feel like for the first time ever I'm actually being my full, authentic self. I've been working with Secret Genius for two years now. I started with them when I released ‘Down’ last year. We started Secret Genius sessions here in Atlanta at the Love Renaissance studio. When I was in those sessions, it was just crazy to me. That was an amazing environment to be in, and I was happy to have that opportunity. So when I did the session in Nashville, it was supposed to just be me and an engineer, but I decided to bring other local artists in to collab with me and different producers—some people that I've worked with, and some people that were new. I'm really big on bringing new people in and getting the local people in the actual city because a lot of people reach out from all over to work with me, but I really want to help Southern artists. I know I can't just stick to the south, but I think it's really important for us to stick together, support each other and for us all to grow together.
In a previous interview with NPR you stated, “I’m not a pop artist, so I had to find middle ground. Alternative R&B is the genre that I’m often placed in.” In your own words, how would you describe your sound? Do you even believe in genres and categories?
You know, that’s so funny that I said I'm not a pop artist, because now I feel like…like, hip hop is now popular music, you know. But I don't really believe in genres. I do believe in like, the right sounds, and I really want people to understand what I'm doing with my music. I kind of hate categories because I can do so many things, but I do still stand with alternative R&B/experimental R&B. I just want to make music and I just want to make what feels good, what sounds good. People always used to tell me that I have to just pick a sound, I have to pick one thing. I don't believe in that. I don't believe in picking one thing. I just want to connect with people.
So, you have been releasing a single every month, starting with ‘YEEHAW’ in August of this year, and most recently ‘GHOST’. What should listeners expect with each drop?
So with each drop I am releasing different moods and different versions of myself. I’m a Gemini (laughs), anyone that knows a Gemini knows we’re like two people. So I kind of feel like Kiya Lacey the artist is one person, and then Kiya Lacey the curator of NOT MY FIRST RODEO is a whole other persona. Like YEEHAW and WORK are more of a NOT MY FIRST RODEO single, GHOST was more Kiya Lacey the artist, it’s more playful and melodic, and then the next single I’m dropping, LIKE THAT, will be darker and sexier. Each drop is just me opening up. I use to overthink releasing music and used to be so nervous. So, I’m using these single drops to not only connect with people, but to build momentum without overthinking it.
Out of the many musicians and producers you’ve worked with, if you had to choose, which has been your favorite collaboration so far and why?
Ummm, I’m going to get cussed out now (laughs). Honestly, oooh that’s so hard. My favorite collaboration? This is so hard! I think the one that stands out the most—oof, this is so hard (laughs). Honestly, I really got to give it to the Wonder Twins because they were the first producers to ever reach out to me. I was 18 or 19 when they dm’d me on Twitter. We used to go to the Cumberland Park and write songs and just work on the beats together for my very first EP, which was called Fail in Love. And I was always like, one day I’m going to perform on this stage, and then a year later I had a show on that stage. So, for me to see their growth and our growth over the years, it’s been super cool. I really appreciate them reaching out to me. I didn’t know what it took to find producers; I didn’t really know that much about the Nashville underground scene. When they reached out, I was still figuring out my sound, figuring out my independence. So, I think us working together and collaborating was the start of me finding my voice.
Photograph by Felice Trinidad
Your latest music video for your single ‘GIVE IN’ was inspired by Yoko Ono’s performance art: CUT PIECE. What drew you to that work, and why did you want it to serve as the overall aesthetic?
I went to Belmont University for two years, and I had this art class where I saw that piece and that was when I started to get into performance art. I’m from the South, Nashville, Tennessee, I never heard of performance art, I never saw anything like that. It made me feel something and it turned me to other performance pieces, and I wanted to learn more about her and her work. When we were coming up with concepts for the video I wanted to do something originally with Edward Scissorhands. I knew I wanted scissors involved. We were just all brainstorming ideas, and Christian Cody, who directed the video, asked me if I had ever seen CUT PIECE, and I told him I had, and the more I thought about it it just fit with what the song was about. So we were like, yea, let's go with that idea. I really think that it visually symbolized what I was going through when I was writing that song. I honestly was just in a very dark place where I didn't understand what I wanted to do with my life. If I served a purpose; if I wanted to live. And when we did the video It brought the single and the meaning behind it to life. That song isn't like all the way R&B, it’s not all the way electronic, you know. It’s like that middle kind of sound. That visual really brought the whole idea to life.
Photograph by Felice Trinidad
What’s the greatest lesson you’ve learned on this journey?
Believe in your vision. To be able to do music full time, like this is something I dreamed about my whole life. You have to protect your energy, and be careful with who you’re surrounded by. If you’re around people who always worry or always doubt, then you are not going to succeed. I am a firm believer in affirmations, you just have to believe that it will all work out.
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Interview by Rahel Tekle