A snappy pop foundation that explodes into an earthy and colorful rock section that showcases Kayls' mid-western origins. 'On the Rocks' is a bit of a back-to-the-roots for the L.A.-based singer-songwriter. KAYL calls this new single a "celebratory breakup song where I recount my intuitive thoughts as I reflect on a relationship.”
Kayls starts off nearly rapping her way through the track's early bits with a twangy bass line in tow, her smooth yet imposing vocals doing all the legwork that the sparse instrumentals don't do early on. As the track progresses though, those midwestern roots show up and the track turns all warm and even a bit retro.
In her first years on the West Coast, Kayls experimented on her journey to new sonic discoveries with collaborators such as female producer Bambor Leany and the indie pop group BRÅVES. As the city continued to beg Kayls to look outwards, she explored within, stripping her writing process back to those sepia-toned days: acoustic and a cappella. Her lyrical storytelling glistens metallic, woven to shine with the help of collaborator Ethan Kaufman’s overdriven guitars and lush synths.
'On the Rocks' does not come in a vacuum and neither do the stylistic choices therein, as they're all part of a forthcoming EP titled 'Jasmine', in which Kayls chronicles a journey deep within the self (and without, into the world) for the strength, resilience and the serenity that we so often look for but can rarely find in our lives.
In typical Kayls fashion, she also dropped fresh merch- specifically, 'Jasmine Soaking' Salts to celebrate “On the Rocks”
“Who wants the cork of someone else’s champagne bottle landing in toheir moules-frites? That’s what a septic relationship can feel like. You're sitting at the wrong table with a cork floating in your dinner and no champagne. It's like if you put on a blindfold and spin around and around and take it off and try to run, you’re going to fall down. This song feels like a pact with myself to never override my intuition or allow myself to attach to the wrong person again.”