19-year-old Kayla DiVenere is venting on her latest single “Date Myself.” Pulling from her experiences in a song that is deeply relatable with a diary-like honesty, Kayla’s down-to-earth indie sound is exactly as she describes. “Honestly, I’m just a gal experiencing life, going through changes, and constantly growing up while turning everything I experience into a song!”
After starting acting at just 6 years old and finding success in shows like Love Victor, Law & Order, and Light as a Feather, Kayla has spent the last few years exploring music, taking inspiration from her dad’s teen rock band days and her own love of music and playing instruments. This at-home journey into music leads her to explore everyday struggles and concerns in her music from body image to dating. “Date Myself” began as a rant with her mom and has become a cathartic anthem about being let down by potential dates and finding comfort in focusing on yourself.
Showstopper Magazine Online: What led you to music?
Kayla: I’ve always been involved in music from as long as I can remember. I just never thought about it as a career until later. My dad was a drummer in his teen rock band and introduced me to so much classic rock at a young age. He always made it such a point to show the power of music and how beautiful it is to play an instrument and be able to express yourself. He randomly brought home a piano when I was really little and ever since then I never left the music world.
SMO: Who is your music for?
Kayla: I hope my music can be for anyone and everyone who can relate or find inspiration from it.
SMO: How would you describe your sound in three words?
Kayla: Relatable. Honest. Anthemic.
SMO: “Date Myself” is out now! What inspired the single?
Kayla: I’m so excited it’s finally out! “I kinda wanna date myself” blurted out of my mouth while ranting to my mom about all the horrible dates I’ve been on. I knew from the moment I said it out loud that it could be turned into an anthem for everyone going through the endless treacherous dating cycle of constantly being let down. Writing “Date Myself” reminded me of how beautiful it is to spend time by yourself and how important it is to be comfortable owning your self-love and high standards. Being able to hear it back after writing it and to scream it at the top of my lungs has comforted me more than any guy has, and I hope it can comfort people too in any way they can relate to it.
SMO: Would you say your songs typically follow the same process or is “Date Myself” unique?
Kayla: Most of my songs really do come from conversations with friends or random inspiration from movies, TV shows, or conflict within my life. I try to keep it as real as possible and make music that I hope people can relate to.
SMO: What does it mean to you to “date yourself”?
Kayla: I think it’s so important to spend quality time with yourself, to get to know yourself better, and understand who you really are. We are constantly growing and changing, experiencing new things, and evolving into new versions of ourselves. Being comfortable with being alone, bettering yourself as a person, and practicing self-love is honestly one of the bigger lessons I’ve learned this year. YOU are the only person you will be with forever, so building that relationship with yourself is crucial and honestly really beautiful.
SMO: What is your favorite way to spend time by yourself?
Kayla: I love treating myself to some matcha, thrifting, journaling, and having a cozy night in with an oldies movie marathon.
SMO: What are you most excited about with this release?
Kayla: I know how frustrating dating can be, especially with my generation, so I’m most excited for people to jam out to it and hopefully feel a little less alone.
SMO: What is the best part of venting through song lyrics?
Kayla: Omg, I love this question. It feels like a giant weight is lifted off of my shoulders once I vent through lyrics. Getting thoughts and emotions out of my body and turning it into something tangible is such a beautiful form of free therapy and self-expression. It quite literally feels like I’m plucking the thoughts out of my brain and making a sculpture out of them. And don’t even get me started on how amazing it feels to scream out the lyrics and blast it in the car once getting the demo back.
SMO: What can we expect from you for the rest of the year?
Kayla: I’m gonna release an acoustic version of “Date Myself” which I’m super pumped about! It definitely shows the sadder side to the song which is so different from the original version.
SMO: Is there anything else you want people to know about you or your music?
Kayla: Stay tuned!! Lots of new music is on the way at the top of next year, and I’m going to be teasing a lot of demos on TikTok too!
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