Meet Kailynn West of Tiny Stills

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kailynn West.

Kailynn, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
In 2011, I was working at a bakery in West LA when my coworker and I were robbed at gunpoint while closing the store. After that happened, my whole life fell apart. I lost a lot of friends, became isolated, my band broke up, I lost my relationship, and had to move to a new part of town and lived by myself for the first time in my life. I started to write really candid songs about particularly painful moments that were seared into my memory like still frames from a movie- so I called the project Tiny Stills to capture that. Even though I’ve worked through a lot of those dark feelings, at one point, these songs were my reality of what I was living through.

Originally I played all of the instruments except for drums and bass for the first record, but as time has progressed we’ve started incorporating members into the project, the most recent addition is Chris Clarke on bass.

Has it been a smooth road?
Everyone who has been a part of this project has worked a day job to try to keep it all going, and now we’re dealing with the fallout of COVID-19 like so many others. When people are dying and losing their jobs, our struggles pale in comparison, but the reality is that it’s had a very serious impact on the music economy. We’ve had to postpone our local shows including a festival (La Escalera Fest) and a full US tour originally planned for April and March. I took for granted the ability to perform and connect, and I think we’re all in a period of grieving the lives we used to know. We can’t see an end in sight. The decline of CD sales and measly streaming royalties eroded the middle class of musicians years ago but losing momentum without the ability to tour feels like a huge setback. As a musician, every day you get up and try to convince yourself the work you do is valuable. But when that work is consistently de-valued it puts your well being at odds with your passions and forces you to question whether your work is a self-destructive venture. I think many musicians are in a consistent state of crisis in a very big way these days.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Tiny Stills – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I’m proud to use music as a platform for speaking out against hatred, bigotry, sexism and advocating for mental health and wellness. My sociopolitical beliefs are often reflected in the songs I write because I am very passionate about those things. I look up to songwriters who have used music as a tool for inspiring change, whether that be through their lyrics or their activism through their actions and I aspire to wield my music in such a powerful way. I think social media can be a powerful tool for connection as long as we can be authentic. I try to use all my powers for good, and generally for me that means trying my best to write really heartfelt, authentic, meaningful songs.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love the food here, but the air also feels like it’s trying to choke me most days.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tinystills.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/tinystills
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/tinystills
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/tinystills

Image Credit:
Carol Simpson, Brian Diaz, Michelle Kelley

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