Interview: Kaiyah Mercedes Chats About Her New Single, ‘If We Never Speak Again’
Naarm/Melbourne-based 17-year-old singer-songwriter Kaiyah Mercedes has returned with her mesmerising single ‘If We Never Speak Again‘ – produced by Seetali Mack and mixed by Garrett Kato (Julia Stone, Ziggy Alberts). Today we caught up with Kaiyah to find out about the single, song writing methods and more!
Loving your latest single ‘If We Never Speak Again’! Can you share with us the meaning behind the title?
This song was written as a voicemail to express all my unsaid feelings about another person. I wrote the lyrics about my experiences but couldn’t think of anything for the bridge except a voicemail. This evolved into the chaotic soundscape you hear in the track’s bridge today and symbolises that feeling of helplessness and not knowing if that person will respond or even hear the message at all.
How do you feel this release showcases your growth as a writer and musician compared to your first song, ‘After Summer Ends’?
I think my lyricism has evolved a lot. I was 13 when I wrote ‘After Summer Ends’ and 16 when I wrote ‘If We Never Speak Again’ so being older and having a few extra years of life and songwriting experience has allowed me to articulate my feelings in a much more poetic way. I also feel like I am more comfortable pushing outside my boundaries and experimenting with my production vision much more.
How do you channel your personal experiences into your songwriting process?
My songwriting and personal experiences are so intertwined and I find it difficult to describe how I go about writing a song. It usually starts with a line in my head over and over again, that won’t go away until I have made a song out of it. Almost all of the songs I have written are about or inspired by real-life experiences and it’s almost a therapeutic process that provides emotional support in my often-chaotic life.
What can fans expect from your live shows?
Depending on the show you may get a very different experience. Often, it’s just me and my guitar singing the songs I have written in their purest form. I love these shows so much as they really allow me to connect with listeners on a different level, an often more personal level. Other times though, you may see me with my band, where I get to have a lot of fun with others on stage and feed off the energy that brings. These are my personal favourites as they bring a lot of joy to me and others.
What do you hope to achieve in 2024?
This year is a big one for me; I am releasing my sophomore album in early May and then later that month, I celebrate my 18th birthday. I am looking at a string of shows to celebrate the launch during 2024 and I have a focus on bringing more live gigs to new and existing fans, as a way to share the album.
