Kia Rose shares her new single, “Drugs and Candy”
Toronto, ON-based composer, producer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Kia Rose has unveiled her latest single, “Drugs and Candy.”
This song started with Kia’s idea of wanting to write a track called “Drugs and Candy” and then building the melody and lyrics around it. Together with her fellow musicians and collaborators Kayla Diamond and NOA, they wrote this song within just an hour. Sometimes when you find yourself on the same wavelength with your collaborators, it really comes through in the tune.
“I think it’s my job as a musician to leave anyone who listens to my music feeling better than they did before hearing it,” says Kia. “There’s been too much sadness in the world lately…so if I can make someone’s day a bit brighter by reminding them of their carefree days, and also dedicate this party anthem to the young ones who missed out, It means the world to put a smile on someone’s face for at least a few minutes.”
Listen to “Drugs and Candy” below, and learn more about Kia Rose via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hey, I’m Kia Rose! I’m a 21-year-old R&B/Pop singer with jazz roots from Toronto. I’m primarily a guitarist, but coming from a musical family, I started playing piano at the age of 4, writing songs at 9, and playing bass when I was 12. Around the same time, I started to produce my own songs and build a home studio. I released my debut album, “phases,” in 2021, which gained me traction on Spotify and recognition from media like iHeartRadio. In the last year, I became a PRS Guitars pulse artist and have been lucky enough to perform at some of Toronto’s staple venues, including El Mocambo, Rebel, and Sneaky Dee’s as a solo artist, hired player, and with my own band.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
So I got into a session with two great artists, Kayla Diamond and NOA, and brought this idea to them. I really wanted to write a track with the title “Drugs and Candy.” I thought it was really cool, but also went with my concept idea of each song on my next EP representing a different type of addiction. This track is about being addicted to feeling elated in your adolescence. We ended up writing the song within an hour because of how inspired by the concept we were.
I want this song to be a reminder of carefree days before the world took a left turn…but also dedicate this party anthem to the young ones who missed out.
Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?
As an instrumentalist, I love letting the music guide where the lyrics end up. I never start a song with lyrics because I think that if the song is good, the music does the talking. So I really write from feeling a lot of the time. I’ve always been so sensitive to how chords sound and how music can make you feel, so I let that take over.
It’s also one of my favourite things to write about things I haven’t experienced or about things I can’t fully comprehend. It’s such a great way to dive deep into a topic and be as creative as your mind allows from being an observer of those around you. If I write something personal, I always try and relate to other people because the magic in music is its ability to connect people like nothing else.
Do you have any upcoming shows or festivals you’d like to tell us about?
My band and I are finishing up our last batch of shows before my new releases! We are ending this week with a show at Supermarket on Oct 7. Will be announcing future shows on my Instagram.
What’s your goal for 2022?
Hoping to end this year off with a bang. I’ve got more singles on the way, which I’m super excited about in anticipation of my EP coming out in 2023. I’m hoping to reach as many new people as I can with my music and inspire other guitarists and songwriters. Even though I’m still learning as a musician every day, when people comment on my social media saying they aspire to play like me, It’s such a privilege to have that impact. There’s no greater joy than sharing what I’ve learned to encourage other young musicians.