Who is she?
Kyla La Grange is a former Cambridge philosophy student whose songs are inspired by the "epic sadness" of Cat Power and Elliot Smith. The Watford-born daughter of hippy parents, she began writing songs aged just five. She began performing solo at open mic nights while still studying at university.
I'm guessing it's not super-lightweight, Rebecca Black-style Auto-Tuned mall-pop then?
No, it isn't. La Grange's songs – as shown by her brilliantly dramatic debut single, the Phil-Spector-produces-the-Mary-Chain glower of Walk Through Walls – draw on seriously deep emotions. "They are all from a place of real sadness," she says. "But ultimately I hope the songs are cathartic."
Exactly what sort of catharsis comes from feeling bloody awful?
"The best kind," says Kyla. "My songs are all about messing things up and getting sad about it. What I want to do is tap into that feeling of being really fucked up and making music that feels big. I want the songs to feel like a wave has taken you over and washed you up on the shore. I like to revel in that epic sadness, get swept up in it."
So where can we hear her?
Walk Through Walls is out now on Noir records. You can hear it, and one other track, at myspace.com/kylalagrange.
