Kayla DiVenere
Fusing pop, rock and alternative, "Date Myself" is an anthem dedicated to everyone going through the endless treacherous dating cycle of constantly being let down. An empowering song that has catchy melodies and straight forward lyrics. "Date Myself" is definitely a smash.
Kayla DiVenere also delivered a really cool music video - a must watch !
“Date myself” is out now !
Photo credit: Lili Skyler
Hi Kayla :) How are you? What's your story?
Hiii!! Thank you so much for speaking with me!! I'm super pumped, so happy to be releasing music! I'm honestly just a normal gal from Canada who fell in love with the arts at a really young age, moved to LA, and started writing any song possible about anything and everything I experience.
What did you grow up listening to?
My dad raised me on a lot of classic rock like Queen, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, The Police etc... While my music taste has broadened a lot since then, I really do thank my dad for the great foundation he gave me.
When did you know you could sing?
I always knew I could sing since I was a little kid, I just really wasn't good at it (laughs). I would say I only recently started thinking I was good at singing, which is wild.
When did you know you had to be an artist and release your original music?
I knew I had to be an artist and release music when I realized I had the opportunity to impact people the way music has impacted me over the years. Growing up and just living in general is so uncertain and scary, and music always reminded me that I wasn't not alone in anything I was feeling. We tend to always think that we are the only ones to ever experience what we are experiencing, always forgetting that conflicts and turmoil are a universal experience. Music brings me back down to earth, and I knew I needed to repay the debt.
Who was the first person to ever believe in you, professionally?
My manager was the first person to ever believe in me, when I was 13, which is crazy!!!
"Date Myself" is your new single - what's the inspiration behind this song?
"I kinda wanna date myself" blurted out my mouth while ranting to my mom about all the horrible dates I've been on. I knew from the moment I said it out loud that it could be turned into an anthem for everyone going through the endless treacherous dating cycle of constantly being let down. Writing "Date Myself" reminded me of how beautiful it is to spend time by yourself and how important it is to be comfortable owning your self love and high standards. Being able to hear it back after writing it and to scream it at the top of my lungs has comforted me more than any guy has, and I hope it can comfort people too in any way they can relate to it.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this song? Who helped you create it?
I love collaborating with like minded people in the industry, and this song wouldn't be what it is today without my collaborators! I worked on this song with Nathaniel Clay, Gregory Shilling, and Cooper Holzman. The process of writing this song was so seamless and low pressure. I just went into the studio one day only knowing I wanted to write a song called "Date Myself", and I guess that's all we needed because the chords came within our first try and everything just felt so easy.
What's your favorite lyric on "Date Myself"?
This is kind of the obvious answer, but my favorite lyric is "I kinda wanna date myself". It's so simple, yet speaks volumes.
What does this song make you feel?
The self love nature of "Date Myself" makes me feel so empowered. I also love the anthemic feel of the song too, it makes me want to get up and dance, and I'm TERRIBLE at dancing (laughs).
What made you want to release "Date Myself" as a single?
Dating in my generation is actually frightening (laughs) and 90% of my friends would tell me how relatable "Date Myself" was and literally begged me everyday to release it. I really try to keep the relatability factor in my songs to a 100 so it really propelled me to release it right away.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
As an indie artist, I'm constantly creating on a tight budget, which can sometimes spark some really cool creativity. My best friend Lili Skyler takes all my pictures and shoots all my videos for my artist project, bless her soul (laughs). We shot the "Date Myself" cover at a random 7/11 in front of the soft drink fridge with a bunch of random people staring at us. It was honestly very random, but we loved the vibe of a vintage gas station aesthetic and wanted to go from that.
What do you want people to feel when listening to this song?
I want people to feel a little less alone and empowered. I want everyone to be able to yell this at the top of their lungs with their friends.
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
The hardest part about being an artist is putting yourself out there and being so vulnerable to the world. But the best part, which makes everything worth it, is the community and togethering that music has. I always tear up when I'm at a concert and everyone in the room is on one wavelength, screaming lyrics out in unison, getting their feelings out.
Could you list a few records that influenced the music you are making today?
“Good 4 you” by Olivia Rodrigo and any 1975 record have really influenced the music I make today.
Besides music, what are you passionate about?
Besides music, I'm really passionate about fashion. I adore thrifting and finding one of a kind pieces to add to my collection and make my own. I'm actually thinking of starting a side project to sell recycled clothing!
What do your acting experiences teach you as a human being ?
My acting experiences have really taught me how scary, yet powerful, it is to be openly vulnerable. Anything in the arts and entertainment is honestly so scary. You're just constantly putting yourself out there, opening your soul to random people, but that's what is so beautiful about art, it's so humanizing.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
This answer is sooooo cheesy but it's so true. I definitely think that love over hate is a principle rule everyone should follow.
As an artist, what do you want to accomplish?
I would love to put out as many records as humanly possible, tour, and hopefully impact people in any way. Music gives me so much purpose and the idea of being able to impact even one person makes everything worth it.
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