If you’re already a fan of Kylie Price, be prepared for an entirely new introduction.
With the September release of her new EP ‘Bones’, the Dunedin singer/songwriter launched back into the game with a powerful collection of tracks showcasing her skills as a performer. Cutting straight to the core of relationships, life and love, the new music from Kylie Price is honest, raw and captivating.
To get to this point though, Kylie made the decision to step away from the limelight. Following the 2014 release of her debut EP ‘Wanderer // Wonderer’, which hit #1 on the iTunes Country Charts, Kylie studied full-time to complete a Bachelor of Music at Otago University. Returning to the national stage she says she wanted her words to mean something, and to make an impact.
“I wanted to do an EP that was a completely new re-brand. I wanted to take the idea of ‘Bones’ as stripping me back to the fundamental things. It’s always good to keep people guessing and it’s a slightly more mature sound, too.”
While her blues-country-tinged vocals will be familiar, the sound on the new offering is more electronic. It verges into pop territory, with the added heart and soul of a serious singer/songwriter. Kylie’s focus has always been on telling both simple and complex stories through her music. The difference with ‘Bones’ is its open potential, unbridled honesty, the opportunity to witness a young star making her mark.
The EP’s lead single Here With Me got to #4 on the NZ Heatseekers chart.
And that’s not simply hype. Adding to the five Gold Guitar awards she picked up in 2012, she was most recently honoured to win Female Overall Artist of The Year and Best Acoustic Performance of The Year at the 2016 Texas Sounds International Country Music Awards.
Writing for ‘Bones’ during her university studies, Kylie opted to work with Maddy Parkins-Craig at her Funky Cat Studio, in Dunedin.
“I first met Maddy when she was my lecturer at uni,” Kylie explains. “We started songwriting and she pitched the idea of producing. She knows she’s working with humans, not machines and she’s very empathetic.”
Teaming up with Parkins-Craig to finalise her draft tracks they would then leave it to sit for a while, before coming back to work on it with fresh eyes.
“(The whole process) took a couple of years, but good things take time and I wanted to really know the material.”
She was willing to tackle topics others shy away from, in a bid to make the music as real and down-to-earth as possible. The EP explores various relationships and life decisions, which influenced and altered her writing between releases.
“I’ve done a lot of growing up in the last few years,” the 24-year old says. “I had to find my way in the world and make my dreams reality. I really want people to listen to my songs and think, ‘I relate to that’. I don’t really want the approach where you’re detached about things other people are going through.
“I’m from Dunedin, it’s all good. I’ve always been a Dunedin girl, that’s home.”
For now, the supportive nature of the Southern city means she’s not planning on moving any time soon.
Interested in exploring the Melbourne music scene at some future point, for now, she’s excited about what she can continue to produce in future collaborations with Parkins-Craig.
“New Zealand is really comfortable because it’s really safe here, but with safety you can also miss the opportunity to grow, so I wouldn’t rule out a move. There’s also a good vibe and hub in Auckland, but I don’t want to move until I feel a pull.
“I think Dunedin is the best town/city and they are so supportive of people who come from there. I’ve always been looked after down there.”
