Meet Kylee Phillips | Singer-songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kylee Phillips and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kylee, why did you pursue a creative career?
I’m trying really hard not to use a cliche but it does feel like what I was built for; Singing and writing came to me really naturally and they still feel like the best ways I can express myself and connect with people. There have certainly been times when I’ve thought that pursuing music doesn’t fit my life anymore, but any time I’ve tried to take a step back it feels like I’m wasting the one superpower I’ve got.

That being said, since I graduated college I’ve maintained a day job in music booking in addition to writing and performing. I heard a quote from Elizabeth Gilbert once that said, “I never wanted to burden my creativity with the task of providing for me in the material world,” and I’ve tended to live by that.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The term “singer-songwriter” really fits me perfectly because I am a singer and songwriter first and foremost, every choice I make is about serving the vocals and the lyrics. I’m pretty measured in my every day life but my songs tend to come out quickly and without much filtering, like a pressure release valve. I know so many of us – myself included – spend a ton of energy trying to present a palatable version of ourselves and feeling like we’re especially broken because of what we know is going on inside our heads. I hope that by sharing thoughts and feelings that are pretty raw, even unflattering at times, other folks will see that they’re so far from alone and that they’ll give themselves permission to feel whatever they need to feel.

Having a day job in the music industry has had a huge impact on my perspective and expectations for my own career. I’ve noticed that the artists I respect the most aren’t necessarily the ones who have exploded onto the scene, they’re the ones who have built careers that allow them to keep creating and performing consistently so that’s what I’m shooting for. There’s no formula that guarantees success so you just have to decide what success means to you and pursue that – whether it’s streaming numbers or the number of people at your shows or just consistently releasing new music.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m pretty low-key so I tend to favor quiet adventures, and the great thing about living where I do is that I’m surrounded by almost too many options. If we were at my place in Ypsilanti, I would take them to grab a coffee from Hyperion and take a walk around Depot Town, or we could take a trip to Literati in Ann Arbor and grab dinner at Aventura. If we’re venturing further out we could go to Plymouth, where I grew up, for tacos at Barrio and a movie at the little one screen Penn Theatre, or head to Green Dot Stables in Detroit for sliders. There’s an embarrassment of riches around here.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My partner, Chris DuPont, is totally integral to everything I do. From a practical standpoint, he’s an incredible musician himself so he’s all over my latest EP (guitar, bass, background vocals) and we generally perform as a duo. He’s also the best songwriter and performer I know so I feel like I’m constantly getting a masterclass just by watching him work and getting to collaborate with him, but the emotional support he provides might be the most valuable thing he’s brought to my musical life. Creating and releasing music is a tricky mental game and he has talked me off the ledge numerous times. There have been times when he has said, almost verbatim, “If you can’t believe in what you’re capable of right now I can believe it for you.” That’s the biggest gift and I’m doing my best to return the favor.

Website: https://www.kyleephillips.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kyleephillipsmusic/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kyleephillipsmusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/kyleephillipsmusic

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Vb0h1uB69m6FotyxyB8z7?si=OoVSg6iDTMaKE7EVko6GXw

Image Credits
Misty Lyn Bergeron Matthew Eastman Kris Herrmann Leisa Thompson