CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS 144: KYARA ON THE CHALLENGERS FILM, FEMININE EMPOWERMENT AND PERFORMING LIVE

With her newly released single Yearn, Sydney-based artist KYARA is ready to take the world by storm. Her lyrical songwriting and atmospheric production construct a dreamy world of synth-pop, creating eccentric, film-like stories and settings in which listeners can immerse themselves.

Futuremag Music sat down with KYARA to chat about the Challengers film, feminine empowerment, and performing live.

FMM: Hey KYARA, congrats on your single, Yearn! It’s such a good song, and I love that it was inspired by the film, Challengers. Tell us more about that.

KYARA: Thank you! Firstly, it's so exciting. It's my first release under KYARA. I have released music in the past, but when I was just experimenting under a different name. Now, I've found my sound, which is really cool.

Okay the story…the genesis of the song is I went on a date with this guy, and we went to watch Challengers, and I didn't even think twice about it. I was just like, ‘Oh, I want to go watch a movie.’ I remember having seen the trailer but the film itself was an experience. I don't know if you've seen it yourself?

FMM: Yes, I have! It was an interesting one for sure.

KYARA: [Laughs] Yeah, so that was a fun one. I just remember the whole theatre…we were just holding our breaths the whole movie. I just remember instantly thinking the score was so fascinating. I loved the sort of electronic dance music in the film. It really got you into the story, and it helped with telling the narrative as well. So that was the first point of inspiration. I was just really vibing with the soundtrack.

Then, I went home, I had a shower after the date and I tried to get comfy to go to bed but I just couldn't sleep. I had this idea while I was in the shower for this song - I was just hearing the instrumentals in my head so before I got any lyrics, I went back to my room and started laying down the instrumentals. Because the guy I had been out with was texting me, and we were chatting about the movie, specifically the ending, I went to look it up on TikTok because I wanted to see what other people were saying about it. From there, I started getting more videos about the movie on my FYP and then I started seeing this recurring trend of Mike Faist’s character.

That one scene where he's looking up at Zendaya and he just looks really pathetic, everyone was frothing over it and I started seeing this theme - the renaissance of yearning men in movies - come up more in a few things. For example, Bridgerton had just come out with the new season and it also got me thinking about yearning more, and that was where the song came from.

FMM: I’m all for the renaissance of yearning men, as you said. I feel like in very traditional media, women have always been portrayed as the ones pining for men while there’s this male character at the centre of every film. I love to see the tides changing with this different wave of portraying heterosexual relationships!

KYARA: Actually, I'm just going to add to that. When I went to watch the movie and I went out with this guy, I had just come back from an overseas trip. I went away for a friend's wedding, and I had just sort of started moving on from this really long, complicated situationship that had been on and off for ages, and I had been, for the longest time, feeling like I was always the chaser and pursuer in romantic situations. I'd already started healing from the situation long before the trip, but I think being away kind of helped me come back into my own a little bit, and I started to experience little fun relationships where I was being chased. And it was really empowering. It was nice. That was the central point of what I was thinking about at the time, and when I came home back to Sydney, I met this guy that I went on the date with pretty quickly, and he was also chasing me, and it was just the first time in ages that I had that feeling. So, my experiences have been really tied to the concept of yearning, and the song itself.

FMM: I love that for you! What do you want people to feel when they’re listening to Yearn?

KYARA: I want them to feel empowered, that’s for sure. I want them to feel a little bit...not just empowered in themselves, but if they're okay with it, I'd like them to feel a little bit sexually empowered as well. I think it’s just human nature to have desires. I want people to listen to it [Yearn] and feel confident and feel empowered to put themselves in situations where they are the priority, and they are the ones on the pedestal, and to seek out people who are going to treat them like they're valuable. I also want them to want to dance and go to a club and just like, have a fun time.

FMM: I want to circle back to your beginnings. I know you mentioned that you had a few song releases previously, but not under the name KYARA. What has your musical journey been like?

KYARA: I've been singing all my life. It's always been what I wanted to do since before I started primary school. I used to put on little shows for my family when they'd come over. My cousins from different cities would come visit, and the first thing they'd say is, “Marie, can you sing us something?” And I'd go hide in the shower and be like, “Okay, but you have to stand outside the bathroom, and I'll sing in here because I don't want to look at you while I do it.” So, I've always been singing. It's always been something I've loved, but you know, when you're young, everyone's always encouraging you and telling you you're really good at something. I think I only started to realise at one point, pretty early in primary school still, that I was good, or that I was okay, and I was pretty decent at it.

FMM: You are really good. Just in case you’re wondering!

KYARA: [Laughs]. Thank you! I mean, I always loved singing, but songwriting wasn't something that came into the picture until much later. I always tried to just make up little fun songs when I was a kid or when I started learning to play the guitar and piano. I actually only started to realise I was a decent songwriter probably towards the end of high school, and it was around the time that I started to produce as well.

I remember even when I was in primary school, I didn't have a MacBook or any music creation software, but we used to have, I think it was Windows Media Player on my old desktop and I used to make little remixes of songs that my sister had downloaded, and I'd just like chop them and mix them up. I loved doing that. Then my sister got her first laptop, and it was an old MacBook. I used to play on GarageBand all the time, so it was always something I liked to do. But I didn't realise for ages that I was doing something called producing in a sense. So yeah, anyway, the songwriting came towards the end of high school, and I'd started to play around on Logic. I got Logic for my birthday which was really exciting. I think I had a composition assignment for music, and I decided to do a different one so I did something on Logic and then transcribed it. I remember my teacher actually listening to it and pulling me aside later, being like, no, this is actually really good. You should pursue this, and I was like thanks. So I went from there and funnily enough, what sort of inspired the producing side of things was -- and I was never the biggest Justin Bieber fan, not that I dislike him --  Justin Bieber’s album, Journals. I remember listening to that album while I was studying for my HSC and I really loved it. I forgot which song it was but there were a few songs that I tried to recreate on whatever software I was using at the time, and it just got me really obsessed with trying to produce.

FMM: I think production is such a magical element of a song in the sense that you know, I’m the first person to say that I love hearing stripped-down versions of a song at a live show and you can really pay attention to the lyrics with that, but good production transports you to a whole new world while you’re listening to a track.

KYARA: Oh, actually, you know what -- you've just sparked something I was going to say. With what I want my listeners to feel, not just with Yearn, but with all my music -- Yearn was obviously inspired by a movie already, but especially with some of my new music that will be coming later, it's all very movie montage-like. Well, some of it is. So I want listeners to be able to listen and daydream.

FMM: You know what's so funny, when I was listening to Yearn, I had it in my notes that the song made me feel like I was on a dance floor in Money Heist on Netflix.

KYARA: Oh, I know the show!

 FMM: Yeah, I love it. But the song feels exactly like what you said, it’s fast-paced, there's a lot of tension, and it feels like you're in a movie.

 KYARA: That's exactly the feeling! And you know what, you're right. I was sort of imagining a club scene. You're dancing with someone, and the tension's rising. It's getting thick, and you're getting sweaty and that sort of thing. Yes!

FMM: I also saw a video of you reacting to Yearn getting played on Triple J Unearthed. Congratulations, that is such a big deal!

 KYARA: Oh, I cried when I read that I was gonna get played that night. I mean, I'd anticipated I might get a few community radio plays and that maybe after a few releases, I might start getting a little bit of Triple J recognition. But to get it off the bat from my first single, that day was the day that I was doing a lot of pitching as well – I’m doing all my own PR -- and I was working day in and day out. That day I had pitched the song to Jaimee, who played the song on Home and Hosed, and to get a response as soon as I got home -- I went to visit a friend of mine, and as soon as I opened my laptop, I saw that email and I freaked out. My friend saw it from across the room, the little Triple J sign and she was like, “Oh my God!”. It's so funny. Yeah, I teared up. I was just crying happy tears because it's just nice when your work is recognised. As an independent artist, you put a lot of work into things like not just the music and the writing and the recording – and obviously I produced it all, I did everything from scratch – but I'm also doing any sort of management and business stuff as well. It's all myself, and you know, you're doing it sometimes, slaving away, but then you think, is anyone actually going to hear this? Is this actually going to go anywhere? Or am I just doing this myself? Either way, I'm proud but yeah, that was a really nice moment for me. It was so surreal.

FMM: Amazing! I’m so happy that you received that recognition for Yearn, which you so deserve! I wanted to know, do your life experiences shape your music or artistry? Feel free to be as specific or as broad as you’d like!

KYARA: Oh, yeah, no. My music is very inspired by my experiences. I'll say it's all very relationship-based, some of which are friendship-inspired, and most are romantic. But again, it's sort of got that movie vibe. It’s like I’m trying to romanticise the experiences that have happened, or at least, not romanticise, but try and paint the negative things that have happened in a sweeter light. You’ll notice with my next songs, they're a bit more personal, but they're still fun and dreamy. They’re about sad experiences and a bit of disappointment, loss and that sort of stuff, but I've tried to pair them with fun instrumentals because when I look back at these things, I'm really trying not to stay in that negative mindset. I want to look back and appreciate what happened and what I got out of it. I don’t know, a bit dramatic but I like looking back at things and making a little movie.

But yeah, romantic relationships are at the forefront of a lot of my songs. They’re very personal songs and people close to me who hear them will know what it's about or who it's about. Listening to them is a nice way to reflect on what happened rather than looking back and being bitter about what didn't work. It also helps that the person that a lot of my songs are about, we're still very good friends. So I actually show him the songs and I'm like, Hey, this is about this thing, and he loves them too. So that's really nice. But yeah, they're very much about me. Sonically and musically, it's also very shaped by my experiences, because my taste has evolved a lot over the years, but when it comes to production, I always keep leaning back to that sort of synth wave, retro, nostalgic sort of sound. I've written things of a completely different genre but my strongest point is always when I'm doing this sort of music. It’s always what I default to because it's what comes most naturally.

FMM: What’s your favourite song out of all the ones you’ve written?

KYARA: Well, Yearn, I'm really proud of it because I think out of all my songs, that's the more pop commercial sounding one. When I wrote that, I was really striving for a long time to write something catchy, something that would stick in people's heads. Writing a good chorus is hard. Writing a verse and stuff is fine, but a chorus that hits right and hits all the spots -- that's hard. The fact that I came up with that so naturally, I'm so proud of that. I think it's catchy and good. But I think the songs I'm proudest of, they’ll be my next two singles. Actually, I think they're both on an even playing field. But yeah, I'm really excited to release those. The very next one I'll be releasing, I have a lot of close friends who have been waiting for a really long time for this song to come out. I've been harbouring this next one since the COVID lockdowns.

I had done a lot of writing during that time, and it was all different stuff. I was experimenting with different genres and then, like I said before, I kept on coming back to the synth wave sound, and this next one is very much a synth wave track. It’s just a good song. I think that's the first one that I wrote that I was just so proud of. I knew it was going to be a good song, and when I showed it to everyone, I was excited to hear their reactions. After that, the other single is sort of a dramatic track. They’re all a bit cinematic but this next one is…I don’t know how to explain it, it’s just a little bit extra. I'm excited to hear what people think of that one because it’s not about a romantic relationship. I think all of my others are, but that one isn't. I think I must have been watching some TV show at the time that kind of got me feeling this moody, cinematic, and almost religious vibe. I don't even know how to explain it, but you'll know when you hear the song. I'm really excited to have them out there.

FMM: I can't wait for you, and I wanted to know as well, while you were experimenting with things, did you have any musical influences, any artists or producers that you look up to?

KYARA: Oh, it's a very good question. I've never thought of an answer for that. Oh, gosh! Producers-wise, I don't get any of my sound from this person, but I think Max Martin…there are so many tracks you don't even realise are done by him but he’s just all over them. That's someone I respect a lot in the industry. I actually recently went with my sister to watch this musical called & Juliet, it was so much fun. It was a good one. Yeah, I didn't realise that was all Max Martin.

You know what, I’m just gonna say it. I love artists like Britney Spears because they are just idols and icons in their own right. That’s just the ultimate dream, obviously, with everything going right. All the love to Britney Spears. But yeah, that would be sick. Musically, I do love The Weeknd. I think some of my upcoming songs might have a little bit of a hint of that vibe. An artist I do really love in the synth-wave realm is The Midnight. I really like The Midnight. When I was growing up, I was listening to a lot of The 1975 at the time so I'll credit them for that as well. Wow! That was hard to answer. I think I get a lot of inspo from composers for music scores and stuff more than specific artists.

FMM: Do you sort of have any goals that you'd like to achieve in the future?

KYARA: Well, a big one that I've been putting off for ages – it’s just probably one of the reasons why I put off actually releasing music and it might be small, but this is just a staple for any artist – it’s performing live. I have no idea how my music is going to translate in the live space. I was talking about this with a friend earlier today. I don't know how I'm going to do it. I don't know if I'll be using just a backing track, or if I'll have a band and a backing track, I'm just figuring it out because it's very electronic and heavy.

Although I'm a producer, I'm not one of those producers who'll sit there and push buttons while I'm up there and play it live. I'm not, and I'm not a sound engineer, so I don't know much about the technical side of things, and I'm terrified to do any of that. I've incorporated my electronic sort of music with a bit of organic, acoustic instruments so that'll be a big one.

 The goal would also be to one day hit like 100K streams on a track. That would be so cool. That'd be great. I don't even know what else to say. What would be a really cool thing to happen is if one of my songs ever hit commercial radio.

FMM: Those are all great goals that I’m sure you’ll achieve.

KYARA: I'll keep it at those for now, because they're sort of semi-realistic at the moment, I hope one day. But yeah, then we'll be pushing it to be full-blown famous on the red carpet and stuff [laughs].

FMM: Speaking of live performances, I saw on your Instagram that you played the drums for a band for a while right, what was that like?

KYARA: Oh yeah, that was a really cool experience! That was my first ever experience doing any kind of proper performing since I had left high school. I used to perform all the time as the front person. When I was in school I was always singing, and in school, I used to drum and do that sort of stuff, too, but this was the first time in quite a few years that I had done anything, and it was a really beneficial experience because it was my first chance to see how things work in the live space and to see what it takes to put on a show.

While we're on the topic, I just want to give a big shout-out to my friend Ava. So the band I was drumming for, one of my best friends is part of it. Ava Sukkar from Bridge Left To Burn. I'm actually seeing her after this. They're a metalcore band that’s also independent, and Ava manages them. She's been a huge inspiration to me as well. Unfortunately, their drummer was going through some health issues and wasn't able to carry on with playing, so they needed someone to step in while they looked for someone full-time and I had met Ava only last year. We went to TAFE together and did a diploma in music business together, so we were sort of learning how to manage ourselves as artists together. She was just about to release an EP -- her band’s debut EP -- and they were going to do a little EP tour.

I was like, look, I'm not a metal drummer, and I haven't drummed in six years, but if you are desperate, I can do my best to learn the songs, and try to at least do the most foundational drumming for you. I guess, they were really desperate as they went with me, but I think I actually did pretty well, considering she's adamant that I slayed. But yeah, that was really cool, especially because my first experience playing in the live space was not even within my genre. It was completely different.

It's awesome to have Ava as the person to learn from. Watching her do what she was doing and manage herself while we were still studying and learning about it all like she didn't even take it away, and think and plan how she was going to do it. She learned something and she did it. I admired that. So yeah, she was always hassling me to just release my music, so I'll just give her a really big shout-out. I also love that band.

FMM: That is so sweet. Before we wrap up, do you have anything to add?

KYARA: Firstly, I just want to thank you for taking an interest in my song and me as an artist, and for coming up with such thoughtful questions. For anyone who is going to read this or listen to my music, I want them to take something away from it. When they listen to Yearn, I want them to feel confident, I want them to just have fun with it, and not think too deeply or you know, judge me for being a little bit promiscuous in that song. I want them to take it for themselves, and do what they will with that for themselves, and then with my future music, I hope they stick around and like the next few things I release, because it's going to get deeper and more personal, but it's also going to get a lot cooler instrumentally.

And also shout out to Challengers because I love that movie. It’s the thing that spurred me to just finally release a song. I've had so many songs stacked up for a really long time and when I watched the movie and wrote Yearn, I was like the movie's still relevant, so I need to release this song now. It pushed me to the point where I didn't even think about it, I just had to wrap it up, do it all, and release it by a certain date, and I did that. It just pushed me to kickstart the whole process and now I'm just going to just roll with it and be consistent with my releases. So yeah, a big shout out to Challengers for actually launching my career.