Last year’s Red Deer Entertainment Award’s Female Artist of the year Kayla Williams is looking to follow up her success in 2017 with her new single Parking Lot.
The song, which follows up her single One More Dose, is an ode to summer that Williams never believed would be produced, after she wrote it several years ago.
“Everyone in the band said this is your next single and then Heath (West), who recorded One More Dose, said that this is it,” she said. “It wasn’t a song I had planned on recording but it got such a good reception and everyone said it was so catchy, so I said alright.”
The process to get Parking Lot produced was completely different than One More Dose, with recording, post-production all happening within the span of a single month — compared to six months spent on her earlier single
“When we recorded it, It was taking different forms. We had few different ideas on how it would go, so it took a few days to settle into the vibe,” she said. “I really knew what I wanted and finally something clicked. I was so happy because it has some Prince vibes and Whitney Houston vibes — very 80s synth pop.
The song differs from One More Dose also in what it personally represents to Williams.
“One More Dose was really emotional and heart-felt,” she said. “It was a real song and people resonated with it. This is the complete opposite of that — no emotion. Just love for summer. Summer for me is all about live shows and being out with your friends.
“It came from a real place but it is not a heartbreak song. I like that.”
The single, however, carries on Williams’ love for pop music
“I feel like my songs could be alongside those Top 40 songs because they are catchy,” she said.
Williams is tempering her expectations for the single, but is hopeful it will catch on in the way One More Dose did last summer.
“It had some really good response and all I have been doing is sending emails to get it on playlists. I have had a lot of people message me saying they have enjoyed it.
“You want people to like it so you can carry on. You want to make it for yourself, but you want people to like it. That can be tough.”
Williams credits the people in the Red Deer music scene for helping her develop as an artist and is hoping she can begin to crack into larger markets like Calgary and Edmonton.
“Their scenes are great. There is a lot going on in both cities and the best thing about Red Deer is that you can get to both,” she said.
She added the ultimate goal right now is to cut an album and she is currently applying for grants in order to cover the extensive costs associated. She is also hoping she can begin collaborating more with female artists in order to promote the talented female musicians in Central Alberta.
