Facing the imminent frost of winter, Chicago-bred, genre-bending artist Nylo warms us up with the last fleeting bits of summer with her newest single "I Keep On", featuring tastemakers KYLE and SG Lewis. The thrilling collaboration is a feat unlike any other and majestically defines and exhibits their true skillsets as artists and as friends. EARMILK is proud to exclusively premiere "I Keep On", with its official release slated for tomorrow, August 31st.
Upbeat, feel-good and summer-sweet, "I Keep On" is a positive outlook on relationships, a hopeful perspective in loving and trusting through the rollercoaster of emotions and actions we call 'love'. SG Lewis's signature smooth electro-house bounce makes for a perfect dance beat that matches flawlessly with KYLE's buoyant and enthusiastic rap – undeniably setting up the song for a memorable chorus. Rolling through, Nylo ropes us in pre-chorus through a beautiful falsetto, with percussions in unison. The subtle space-disco sounds eminent throughout makes for a sultry undertone and emphasizes Nylo's chorus on love and the underlying other emotions.
To gain a deeper perspective of "I Keep On", and to understand the inspirations behind her songs, EARMILK had the chance to quickly catch up with Nylo to discuss all the mentioned.
EARMILK: So you're just about to drop your latest single "I Keep On", featuring KYLE and SG Lewis – super exciting! Could you tell me a bit about the meaning of the song and the inspiration behind it?
Nylo: The song was really an ode to the love story that is Kyle’s. He and his girl, are truly that immaculate love of a childhood romance that keeps on, and keeps on. If you listen to what he’s saying in the verse, it's all real. When I heard the song for the first time, his verse was already there, and I was filled with this deep overwhelming emotion, just sitting there smiling, and imagining the kind of partnership it takes to have that. To survive adolescence, the treacherous trip into adulthood, the entire change in life experience as a person goes from dreaming about a life to living it in the biggest possible way, and doing all of this with your best friend, is really beautiful.
EARMILK: And how was the collaboration process with KYLE and SG Lewis? Since everyone is everywhere, did you guys manage to find time to meet or how did it all go?
Nylo: I’ve worked with Kyle in the studio before, and although we never finished anything then, I remember loving it. We were in a beautiful Hollywood Hills house up the notorious Sunset Plaza Dr, at the top of the hill in a studio that was enclosed by glass walls overlooking Los Angeles. The city seemed to extend outward beneath our feet and it was the kind of day when the sunset is framed by cotton candy clouds in purple and pink. Aside from the view, Kyle is the best kind of person to work with because he keeps his collaborator group really tight-knit, they are mostly good or longtime friends, and so there’s no need to invent or force a “vibe.” Thank God. Anyway, everyone’s smiling all the time, it’s fun, and unrelated, Kyle is like a jukebox who can recite any rap you can name from anytime. So that’s pretty impressive. This song was very different than that though, we were never in the same room for this. This song was an idea with Kyle’s verse long before I ever heard it, and had gone through many different variations as far as I know. When I heard it, I was in an unusually hype state, after listening to disco music all day, and just decided to go there with it. I was pretty sure, it wouldn’t really be what SG or Kyle were going for, but I was enjoying myself. To my surprise everyone loved it, and now we get to share it, and I’m excited.
EARMILK: What were some of your favourite moments in this process of creating "I Keep On"?
Nylo: My favorite moment was hearing the final mix probably. In collaborations like this, where you have not one, but two super busy and incredible artists as collaborators, both in the middle of release cycles- at any moment any person in the long chain of command from management, to label, to publisher, to agent, idk, to mom, or homie who rides shotgun in the tour bus, can shut the song down. You have to get all kinds of clearance and approval, and then when you do, there’s this amazing feeling of relief because, another song baby made it from conception to reality, and that’s a beautiful thing.
EARMILK: Tell me more about yourself – how did all of this begin? Who would you say first inspired you to enter the creative space?
Nylo: I think a shitty home life probably inspires lots of people to enter into creative spaces. As a kid you have no control over your surroundings or your home or environment at all. If you don’t like where you are, you have to deal with it, and music is one of many ways you can create a place you control. You can create any kind of sound surrounding you want, and be in it, when you don’t want to be where you are, that’s your freedom.
EARMILK: Being inspired is definitely a full-time job – what do you do to keep yourself passionate and happy about the work that you do? How do you stay inspired to create?
Nylo: That’s probably the easiest part of the job. I feel like every time I open my eyes I’m inspired by something, the depth of ugliness or the vastness of beauty is everywhere. Transmuting that into something the represents what I see is another story, and then again, having the ability to share it when it happens, is even harder.
EARMILK: It looks like 2018 has been a great year for you so far – what would you say has been the highlight of the year thus far? What are some stand out moments you've had?
Nylo: I’ve had more internal wins than observable external ones this year, but returning home from being gone on tour for a year was pretty strangely challenging. Also, I moved out pretty young, and after spending so much time away from my family, I’ve felt this big emphasis now to reconnect with them. I have, and it feels really good. Funny enough though, my favorite moment of this year was getting rid of 80% of my belongings and my apartment, and returning to floating in the in-between again. It seems like not having a home, feels more like home than anything, right now.
EARMILK: What are you looking forward to in the coming months as you continue creating music? Where do you see yourself in five years?
Nylo: I have a bunch of songs I’ve been really feeling the need to share, but have been met with different barriers preventing it. On the other side of some of those now, I’m excited to be able to share some music I’m really proud of and really grateful to have created. In a week from now I’ll be back on tour and that’s always nice this time of year because, although California doesn’t have a fall, most of the rest of the states do, and its my favorite time of the year.
EARMILK: Lastly, a random one for the win – what song is currently your guilty pleasure?
Nylo: Oh, I don’t feel guilty, but Ocean feat Khalid. If it was Pillowtalk by Zayn, I wouldn’t tell you.
Connect with Nylo: Soundcloud | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Connect with KYLE: Soundcloud | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Connect with SG Lewis: Soundcloud | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
