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ALL THE MUSIC AND ARTWORK ON THIS WEBSITE IS DISPLAYED UNDER A
CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
ALL THE MUSIC AND ARTWORK ON THIS WEBSITE IS DISPLAYED UNDER A
CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE
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NILA KAY
life on earth. It blew in on cosmic dust and swirled around the feet
of tiny microbes, and somehow wound up in the palms of my
hands, taking the shape of a tiny universe.”
Kay speaks a musical language that blends acoustic pop with
funky neo-soul to create her own avant-garde dialect. While her
sounds may be hard to define and her compositions difficult to
conveniently box into a single genre, her passion is straight up.
Kay is a consummate artist and the struggle and inspiration
behind her work comes directly from life experience. For that
reason, perhaps, she defies conventional categories while
concentrating on reinventing herself and letting the art narrate
the journey.
As Kay once described it, “I'm still trying to find myself in music,
and am slowly learning how to slough off more than the surface of
my ideas.” That is what genuine artists do – and that’s why we
need them in this world, to tease us back into metamorphosis as
we lean toward the dull comfort of stagnation.
For many years, Kay aspired to be a professional dancer. But a
knee injury sidelined her and left her bereft of her vital means of
expression. So she followed her spirit to the guitar and found yet
another voice to liberate her creativity. Rewriting the direction of
her life after watching her dreams get cut off at the knees gave
her fuel for writing and arranging songs. A big fan of Prince and
Hendrix, Nila has now been finding her path while dancing along
the fretboard for nearly a decade. Then came her biggest creative
effort to date – and the turning point in her musical career.
Kay gave birth to a son, and the son reciprocated by giving her a
new view of the world and a fresh, raw perspective on the
meaning of daily struggles. “The birth of my son gave me the true
inspiration to take my music to the next level,” says Kay. “Great
music is fundamentally about the expression of love for
something outside of yourself.”
Kay’s music derives from hard-won experience, intense study, and
the kind of persistent dedication that leaves blisters on top of the
blisters on the fingertips of your fretting hand. She started picking
up local gigs to indulge her passion and hone her skills. She
played guitar with the group Urban Minds at major clubs in the
Washington DC area. She played with The Players, led by highly
revered drummer and producer Jon Laine. Together they
performed numerous times at the J Dilla Tribute Show, with
special guests Raheem Devaughn and Dwele. More recently, Kay
joined The Players on XM65, with featured guests Pete Rock and
Talib Kweli.
Getting outside herself by going deeper within, Kay sometimes
flirts with jazz, sometimes jazzes up funk, and sometimes strips
down pretty pop to its quintessential bare acoustic soul. But she
always keeps the electricity arcing inward where the mood is
simultaneously raw and tender, vulnerable and bold. Hers is the
soulful collaboration of a streetwise mother and a visionary child.
of tiny microbes, and somehow wound up in the palms of my
hands, taking the shape of a tiny universe.”
Kay speaks a musical language that blends acoustic pop with
funky neo-soul to create her own avant-garde dialect. While her
sounds may be hard to define and her compositions difficult to
conveniently box into a single genre, her passion is straight up.
Kay is a consummate artist and the struggle and inspiration
behind her work comes directly from life experience. For that
reason, perhaps, she defies conventional categories while
concentrating on reinventing herself and letting the art narrate
the journey.
As Kay once described it, “I'm still trying to find myself in music,
and am slowly learning how to slough off more than the surface of
my ideas.” That is what genuine artists do – and that’s why we
need them in this world, to tease us back into metamorphosis as
we lean toward the dull comfort of stagnation.
For many years, Kay aspired to be a professional dancer. But a
knee injury sidelined her and left her bereft of her vital means of
expression. So she followed her spirit to the guitar and found yet
another voice to liberate her creativity. Rewriting the direction of
her life after watching her dreams get cut off at the knees gave
her fuel for writing and arranging songs. A big fan of Prince and
Hendrix, Nila has now been finding her path while dancing along
the fretboard for nearly a decade. Then came her biggest creative
effort to date – and the turning point in her musical career.
Kay gave birth to a son, and the son reciprocated by giving her a
new view of the world and a fresh, raw perspective on the
meaning of daily struggles. “The birth of my son gave me the true
inspiration to take my music to the next level,” says Kay. “Great
music is fundamentally about the expression of love for
something outside of yourself.”
Kay’s music derives from hard-won experience, intense study, and
the kind of persistent dedication that leaves blisters on top of the
blisters on the fingertips of your fretting hand. She started picking
up local gigs to indulge her passion and hone her skills. She
played guitar with the group Urban Minds at major clubs in the
Washington DC area. She played with The Players, led by highly
revered drummer and producer Jon Laine. Together they
performed numerous times at the J Dilla Tribute Show, with
special guests Raheem Devaughn and Dwele. More recently, Kay
joined The Players on XM65, with featured guests Pete Rock and
Talib Kweli.
Getting outside herself by going deeper within, Kay sometimes
flirts with jazz, sometimes jazzes up funk, and sometimes strips
down pretty pop to its quintessential bare acoustic soul. But she
always keeps the electricity arcing inward where the mood is
simultaneously raw and tender, vulnerable and bold. Hers is the
soulful collaboration of a streetwise mother and a visionary child.
