In this interview we chat with singer/songwriter Kyle Britton about his newest project, Riddle, as well as his influences, surviving as an indie musician in a digital age, and whether he prefers physical or digital formats for releasing music.
Inspired by the quiet musings of troublesome love and the path to understanding, the emotionally evocative music of indie-folk singer-songwriter, Kyle Britton, epitomizes storytelling in its truest fashion. Britton’s distinctive sound combines undeniable dark undertones with roving melodies and atmospheric refrains, offering a unique experience for his listeners.
“Riddle”, the first of two singles, is a song detailing the demise of a poisonous love affair and the enduring pain that follows. “Never able to accept love again, every man who she came across from then on was in for a world of pain and heartbreak”, confides Britton. As the song builds, the Belle Epoque-inspired strings render the listener to a melodic montage.
We’ve featured you before but let’s dive a little deeper into the artist and the music. What attracted you to this genre or style of music?
I think it’d be more accurate to say it chose me. Every songwriter or musician goes through many different versions of themselves as they travel their creative path. When I started writing the songs for the album I finally felt I found my voice.
How long have you been creating and sharing your music with the public?
The first time a performed an original song for an audience was when I was 14 or 15 at my high school talent show. When I was 16 I had enough material to play local coffee shops in Colorado Springs.
Who or what influences your playing and/or writing? Also, what motivates you to keep going?
My wife is a big part of what I do. She inspires me without having to say a word. I want to make her proud so I keep pushing myself to be the best musician and human I can be.
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Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
The only focus I had when I started recording this project was that I was going to leave something behind for future generations. I would love to listen to something my great grandfather would have sung or played. To find out a bit about them would also tell me a bit about myself.
What was the last song you listened to?
“Forget Me Not” ~The Civil Wars
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
It’s always nice to put on a record and have friends over. Something about the warm sound records offer. But I still feel CDs offer the best quality music file. So if I really want to listen to something, I buy the CD so I can her as much of it as possible. After spending thousands of dollars on recording these huge files where the songs sound so big in the studio, then compress them into tiny mp3s is a share and a disservice to the music. Haha. Sorry I’ll get off my soapbox.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
This is a hard question because as a songwriter, I’d love to make a dollar on each download but as a music lover, Spotify has made it so easy to listen to a high quality file of just about any track you want. And their interface is so much better than Apple Music in my opinion.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what are one or two of the biggest challenges you face when trying to attract listeners to your music?
Writing good songs has to be one of the biggest challenges. Some people might really like a tune while everyone else hates it. So trying to stay honest in the songwriting and genuine while offering music that speaks to a lot of people….that’s the challenge.
Do you gig, tour or perform? Do you ever live stream? Where can music lovers see you perform?
Yeah, we play around LA every few weeks. We have a tour set up in August to promote the album. I’ve never done any live streaming. I should look into that.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more of your music?
My website will have everything you need: http://www.kylebrittonmusic.com
Any last thoughts? Shout outs? Words of wisdom?
Thank you very much for sharing the music I’ve been working so hard on. Like you said, it’s not easy to be recognized in today’s music world with he abundance of music there is to choose from. I really appreciate your help spreading the word. Thanks!
