Name: Hayku Kyah
Occupation: Singer, songwriter
Nationality: Australian, Toronto-born
Current release: Hayku Kyah's new EP I think you should hear it from me is out via Future Shade.

If you enjoyed this Hayku Kyah interview and would like to find out more about her music, visit her official website. She is also on Instagram.  



Do you think that some of your earliest musical experiences planted a seed for your interest in your voice and singing? How and when did you start singing?

Absolutely. I remember being 10 years old and belting out Canada’s national album at a school assembly alongside my friends and my peers. Self awareness hadn’t fully formed in my little body, and I wasn’t exactly trained to use my voice as an instrument. I’ll never forget the shame I felt when someone made a point to highlight that to me.

I laugh about it now, when questions like this come up. But in hindsight, I think it forced me to get really comfortable with not being a trained singer and to find unique ways to use my voice. You can kind of follow the trail of comfortability in how I use my voice throughout my discography to date.

If you listen to “Blue Bird” (my second single), you can hear how badly I wanted to use my voice and to *sing* what was on that page.



If you listen to “Swan Dive and Earth Angel,” you can hear how much my feelings were being translated through singing.



If you listen to “Lune,” you can hear the comfortability I’ve developed.



If you're also playing other instruments, how does the expressive potential of these compare to your own voice?

I used to play the Clarinet and the Drums. The Clarinet creates such a beautiful sound. I had it as the opening instrument on Lune,” the feature track on my debut EP I Thought You Should Hear It From Me because it was a little full circle moment for me.

I definitely think the tone of my voice emulates the Clarinet, as wholly as one can without being intentional about it.

Singing is an integral part of all cultures, and traditions. Which of these do you draw from – and why?

There aren’t enough letters in the alphabet to do this question the justice it deserves.

Jamaican sound system culture is really something to take note of, though not specific to singing. And if you’ve ever stood in front of one of those sound systems, you’ll understand what I mean. It moves you differently.

In terms of singing– the late 60s are a monument along a scenic drive to get us to where we are today. Voices like Etta James and Otis Redding still find themselves on my playlists.



The texture of the vocals are just velvet smooth. They have such a unique effect of being incredibly grounding, but leaving space for your feet to just float off the ground.

What were some of the main challenges in your development as a singer/vocalist? Which practices, exercises, or experiences were most helpful in reaching your goals – were there also “harmful” ones?

Calling myself a singer was a massive hurdle. I saw a vocal coach who was absolutely incredible, and she pulled me up on it.

I’ve long compared myself to other artists and what their capabilities are, all the while saying I hate being compared to other artists. (A classic case of being most fearful of what you see in the mirror, I know.)

Shout out Alena Herel for working with me to develop both my skill set and the confidence to deliver it.

What are the things you hear in a voice when listening to a vocalist? What moves you in the voices of other singers?

Now, nobody send their goons! But in all honesty I look for something a little less polished with a lot of character. Hitting all the right notes just isn’t what draws me in.

Somebody who has a super emotive voice, the lyrics bang and I can hear their character in it too, I’m hooked.

What kind of musical settings and situations do you think are ideal for your own voice?

I’m still discovering that. When I’m recording I need the levels in my headphones to be a certain way depending on what I’m trying to deliver.

If I want to be soft-spoken, have a delicate tone in my voice– turn me up. I want my voice to sit on top of everything. And if I’m trying to push my vocals out a little further– I need the beat *loud*.

I like an intuitive environment for performing and recording. Responsive to each element in the room.

We have a speaking voice and a singing voice. Do these feel like they are natural extensions of each other, ends on a spectrum or different in kind?

We all know how high Mariah’s voice can go when she sings, but I’ve never heard her talk at that same frequency.



I don’t think our speaking and singing voices are married. But I do think if you’re looking to be a trained vocalist, there will be an element of hitting certain techniques that require that parallel.

When you take a step back and listen to artists like NAO or CocoRosie, I doubt they sound that way when they talk. Their vocal expressions when they sing are beautiful too, they have a specific texture and you can feel it.



For recording engineers, the human voice remains a tricky element to capture. What, from your perspective, makes voices sound great on record and in a live setting?

Emotion. So much of our comprehension comes from the communication outside of our words.

If I can really feel something from the delivery of a song, I’ll most likely be drawn to it.

Motherese may have been the origin of music, and singing is possibly the earliest form of musical expression, and culture in general. How connected is the human voice to your own sense of wellbeing, your creativity, and society as a whole?

Fun fact, this is the first time I’ve heard the term ‘Motherese’. I don’t think I like it. They should have chosen another word because the sentiment is beautiful.

I think it’s deeply connected to my sense of wellbeing, creativity and society as a whole. When I’m having a rough day, there’s a voice in my head that says “this too shall pass”. When I’m overthinking, there are many voices in my head, superseded by one that says “too many variables, move on”. When I’m sad, I hear a voice in my head too.

Now that you mention it, it’s probably the effect of ‘Motherese’ and our earliest learnings of regulating our emotions.

But the point is– the human voice is so deeply influential that we hear it even when we don’t.