Introducing Kalya

Mustard had the pleasure of speaking with London’s Kalya. Tomorrow marks the debut of her first single “Commit a Crime.”Together we discussed moving to another country at 19, being a student at BIMM, and their upcoming debut single “Commit a Crime.”

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1. Mustard is grateful to have you join them at Music Shelf. How are you doing today?

It’s my pleasure! I’m very good and super excited about my new release.

2. At 19 you moved to another country. What was this experience like? How did this experience influence or inspire you to make music?

There were ups and downs. When I moved to London, I cried on the aircraft and thought to myself, “Why do I do this to myself?” I firmly believed it was a mistake at the time. However, now I can view it differently. I have learnt a lot both inside and outside of my university, I speak English well, and I have learned how to step outside of my comfort zone. Though I had always wanted to create music, this experience helped me grow more independent, which ultimately had a significant influence on the lyrics I write.

3. You are from a small city in Poland. How does Poland differ from London? Where would you recommend humans check out if visiting Poland?

Yes, I’m from a city with about 60,000 residents; London has about 9 million. The difference is significant. In terms of differences , Poland is often colder, haha. Since I already have a list of hundreds of locations and things to see, I don’t think it’s possible to highlight only a few attractions in Poland. Every region of my country is unique and stunning. If you enjoy mountains, the south of Poland would be a good choice. If you prefer the sea, I advise travelling to Masuria for its lakes and yachts (North-East). But no matter where you travel, you will always find delicious cuisine!

4. You’re currently a student at BIMM in London. How do you balance coursework and being a musician? Has there been a lesson or quote from a professor that has really stuck with you?

I have recently completed my master’s degree but I’ve never struggled with balancing coursework with being a musician because it’s strongly connected so being at BIMM never felt like being a student but just simply being a musician. “What is authenticity?” – this question and the whole discussion after that was one of my favourite parts during my master’s degree. Try to answer this question, it’s intriguing. It could be everything and nothing at the same time.

5. What song or album had an impact on you growing up? Do you revisit this album?

 I’ve never had one specific artist or album that would impact me. I’ve been always listening to different artists, different genres of music and in various languages. As a child I used to sing polish songs at competitions and these would usually be older songs with beautiful stories that would require having artistic sensibilities. And this, I think, is what I’ve learned when growing up.

6. Who (or what) influences you?

I’m mostly influenced by beautiful sounds and words. Many artists are an inspiration to me like for example Beyoncé’s work ethic or Freddy Mercury’s creativity and songwriting skills.

7. What is your songwriting process?

It depends. When I have music I firstly write a melody to it and then I think about lyrics. When I don’t have music, I write everything in my head, and create the melody and lyrics together at the same time.

8. How have social media platforms such as TikTok helped you as an artist?

I am just starting my social media journey but I know how important it is to grow these accounts because it has a huge power to reach higher number of people.

9. How would you describe your sound?

It’s a pop music with slightly savage lyrics. If it comes to Commit a Crime, it also has a bit of electronic sound.

10. Tomorrow you will be releasing your debut single “Commit a Crime.” Could you share more about your upcoming single?

“Commit a crime” is an anthem for people who have to deal with a toxic partner who is taking up too much space in their mind. The song takes you through the path of slowly realising who your partner really is, to the part when you finally open up about it and you find the courage to say no. It is a slightly savage and story told straight forward about ending a relationship that started waking up bad emotions in you.

 11. Mustard has observed that committing a crime is frowned upon in human society. Do you have a favorite true crime novel or show?

Crime isn’t my favourite movie genre, I definitely prefer comedies, documentaries or musicals. Nevertheless, there is a movie that’s stuck in my mind and it is called “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile”. It’s a true story about American serial killer, Ted Bundy, who confessed to the murders of 30 females.

12. What advice would you give to those stuck in a toxic relationship?

Try to open your eyes, look from a different perspective and ask yourself if this relationship is what you’ve been always dreaming of. If your relationship isn’t serving you, walk away.

13. Where will readers be able to listen to your music?

You can stream it on all the streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, YouTube Music etc. by typing in search box ‘Kalya – Commit a Crime’. You can also easily access it through my instagram ‘kalyamusic’ in the link in bio.