An Algonquin native of Canada, Shylah Ray Sunshine is an award-nominated influential vocalist, musician, mother, and Soul Voice Singing coach. Coming from humble roots, she dreamed of becoming a pop star and began her self-taught journey of singing, piano, and percussion at a young age. After years of honing her craft and singing at karaoke & open mics to develop her stage presence, a visit to LA resulted in a spontaneous and serendipitous band invitation. Shortly after, Shylah began her journey as a mother and gave birth to her first daughter at home at only 20 years old.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Shylah Ray about the latest music, challenges and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and how do You describe your style of music?
I am originally from Ontario, Canada and now living in California.
I would say my music is very soulful. Neo-Soul, R&B and a touch of Blues & Gospel fueled by the spirit of Hip Hop.
How did you get here? As in, what inspired or motivated you to take on this journey through music and the music biz?
Well, I physically traveled to California from Canada seeking a spiritual journey and ended up in LA, where anything seemed possible to me at 19.
I had already been singing my entire life. Los Angeles introduced me to an entire new chapter of life including joining my first band, marriage and becoming a mother all in a matter of a year. I didn’t write a song until I taught myself piano at 23 and everything fell into place from there. It was never a question, really. I feel as though it happened to/for me. Not something I could have ever asked for. And that’s the best part.
How does your latest project compare/contrast with your previous release(s)? Were you setting out to accomplish anything specific, follow a specific theme, or explore different styles of creation?
My new album is COMPLETELY different than the last. I put together more of a compilation album in 2018 of older songs that were not entirely even to the quality I was happy with. I was eager to just release something and got a bunch of songs together, named it after my most popular single “Into the Wild” and released it without any promo. And it did well.
With this next project…it’s ALL HIGH QUALITY. One producer, new songs, and ancient songs coming to life! Very R&B, even a Gospel song with the choir and everything. And what I’m proud of most is that I’ve been present for the entire production and I am funding this album myself. Since I’m an independent artist and not signed to a label yet- this means alot to me. This album is like a full-circle moment for me and to hear the songs come to life is one of my greatest joys. I plan on having some of these tracks placed in film, TV and Radio. I have a feeling it will be a success and open many doors of opportunity and growth. My goal is to become more visible outside of my genre and let my music find its way into the hearts of people everywhere.
Name the biggest challenge you faced as a creative during these unprecedented? How did you adapt? How have you kept the creative fires burning during all this?
Honestly…when the pandemic hit…I got a wave of inspiration and things started to pick up for me. I found that business was growing because people were forced to stay home and realizing how important their creativity was/is. I had fans and followers left and right inquiring about booking me either for my vocal coaching or traveling to play at private events all over the country. I think I traveled more during the pandemic than I did other times in my life!
It was truly a rewarding time. I played a bunch of shows out of town and started doing live DJ sets online, all by donation and people LOVED IT. I taught myself to DJ back in 2019 because I was tired of booking Djs for my dance parties and so it worked out in my favor. I’ve been touring, playing events, teaching music and now recording my new album. I’d say the creative fires and burning and not going out anytime soon.
What was the last song you listened to?
Yawanawa by Chances R. Good. A song for rainwater- it’s beautiful. It’s more of a prayer song. We need those.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? 8-tracks? Cassettes? CDs? MP3s? Streaming platforms?
Unfortunately I rely on Spotify for streaming but proud to say I still bump CD’s in the car… And I still have my enormous collection since I was a teenager. I love looking through it and reminiscing. Those days were precious!
Where is the best place to connect with you and follow your journey?
I am on Instagram (far too much!) and that is the best place to follow me. However, my website or Linktree has a variety of ways to stay connected and see my offerings, where I am touring & playing.
I’m also a Vocal Coach. I teach Singing/Music/Songwriting and have many upcoming workshops as well as offer private 1-1 coaching, online or in person.
I’ve worked with hundreds of incredible people and their voices- it’s humbling and a major source of gratitude in my life. It brings everything full circle for me in my journey as a singer and musician. I love watching the blossoming and the empowerment that comes from learning to use the voice. I highly recommend it.
You can find more info at www.shylahraysunshine.com
IG @SHYLAHRAY
Thank you!!!
