Having caught the attention of Sean' Diddy' Combs and DJ Khaled through her appearance on Fox's breakout hit reality show 'The Four: Battle For Stardom,' Kendyle Paige is back with her ethereal vocals on "Brainless."
As the lead single of her recently released EP 'Before We Had Time, We Had Fire,' "Brainless" introduces Kendyle's determined attitude for the project, "My noise is not absurd, I am not as foolish as you may have heard..." The song is an outcry of Kendyle's pent-up emotion, a declaration of her true feelings, a warning to not take her for granted.
Kendyle Paige's tone exudes courage throughout the track, with an almost sultry flow; her exclamations of emotion are carried with confidence. The confidence she talks of discovering in the song "I'll find my own bravado"... but we think she's found it already.
The self-proclaimed bi-coastal artist spends her time working between New York and Los Angeles, having performed on legendary stages such as The Bitter End and SOB's. Kendyle has no signs of slowing down with an unmatched work ethic as she warms up for her second studio album set for release in 2022.
We love your new single Brainless. The video is extraordinary, could you tell us a bit more about the process behind the video?
Thank you so much! I appreciate the watch. My cousin Richard Valentin directed this, and I couldn't be happier with it. When we first throw ideas around for a video we always go back to what I was feeling when writing it. As an independent artist, I currently still have to work a full-time job. I work in the industry, just not the part of the industry I want to be in forever. I remember dealing with a really mean, and aggravated client. I took my lunch hour early and just sat in my car bawling. This is usually my favorite emotion to write to. I was feeling like there are two sides of me, and whenever I'm too deep into my 9-5 It's like the 'Kendyle Paige' part of me kind of dies a little. Dramatic I know, but that's exactly where my mind was. We took this idea and kind of ran with it. We told the story without spelling it out for people, and I think it's my favorite video we've made.
How important would you say your partnership with producer Brandon Lee Richardson has been in finding your formative sound?
The most important! Brandon found me when I was a baby artist. I had songs written, but no original sound yet. He took what I had and made it something I didn't know I needed. My sound is definitely unique and ever-changing but always stays true to the sound we created in our first single.
Following your appearance on Fox's "The Four: Battle For Stardom", how much of an impact did the show have on your career, would there have been anything you would have done differently?
I'm grateful for my time on that show. I think it definitely gave me a bigger audience that still sticks with me today, but that's all. I would have done everything differently. Even as someone who thought they knew everything about the TV world in music, I knew such a tiny fraction at the time. From the manipulation of the producers when trying to get you to say things in the wrong context, to the really crazy editing to make me seem like a villain, I wish I was just given more information from the jump. It's definitely something I learned from, and I'm grateful for that.
What difficulties have you faced in releasing your EP during a global pandemic? Have you had the opportunity to perform the EP live?
I think this pandemic has been super hard on everyone, and I don't plan on making a fuss about how I can't perform right now, only because I know it's safer for everyone. I released this EP knowing it was going to be a pandemic project, meaning I wanted these songs out in the world as a very tiny distraction from the mess it's in. These songs are for my listeners who I can't imagine what their day-to-day looks like, but maybe my music can make you feel a little better. I haven't had the opportunity to perform it live, but when it's safe for everyone I absolutely plan to.
What's next for you?
I'm moving back to New York to create my next project and be closer to my family. LA life has been fun, but after experiencing the pandemic here it's the last place my fiance and I want to be in an emergency. I'll be back from time to time to perform and record, but other than that my heart is in NY. My next album will be full of live instruments, and some underground artists I really want to create with. I've always loved the vibe and feel of a live show, and hope once it's out I'll be able to perform it live.