Calgary Pop Artist Kayla Williams Brings Sun-Soaked Yacht-Pop to Life with New EP POPSTALGIA
Calgary-based pop artist Kayla Williams is ready to set sail into a new musical chapter with the release of her sophomore EP, POPSTALGIA, which arrived September 18, 2025, on all streaming platforms. Steeped in retro charm but shimmering with modern pop flair, the four-track collection captures the breezy warmth of late summer nights and the glittery grooves of the late ‘70s and early ’80s. The focus track, “Is It Really True?,” is a sax-laced, breakup-meets-dance-floor jam that channels the spirit of Huey Lewis and the News.
Produced by JUNO Award-winners Spencer Cheyne (Brett Kissel, Jocelyn Alice) and Justin Kudding (Brett Kissel, Devin Cooper), POPSTALGIA is the follow-up to Williams’ acclaimed debut EP, RETRODELIA, which earned her multiple nominations including Pop Artist of the Year at the 2024 Western Canadian Music Awards and Pop Recording of the Year at the 2025 YYC Music Awards. Where RETRODELIA introduced her as a fresh voice in Canadian pop, POPSTALGIA cements her place as a master of yacht-pop – blending soulful vocals, smooth retro-funk, and a wink of playful nostalgia.
From dreamy ballads to flirty beats, the EP’s four tracks explore crushes, connection, and the silver lining in heartbreak. “Come & Get It” blends dreamy retro shimmer with a fresh pop edge, and “Craving” is a Steely Dan-influenced track with an irresistible feel-good vibe about craving love – not out of loneliness, but out of a human hunger to connect. The focus single, “Is It Really True?,” takes a classic breakup tune and spins it into a danceable 6/8 groove with lush harmonies, a killer sax solo, and an irresistible fade-out ending.
“With POPSTALGIA, I wanted to create something that felt like flipping through a photo album from a summer you never actually lived, but somehow remember,” said Williams. “It’s cheeky, it’s lighthearted, and it’s drenched in that yacht-rock glow. These songs are meant to make you smile, move, and maybe imagine you’re cruising down the coast with the top down.”
Williams’ live shows with her glitter-clad band The Yacht Daddies have become a must-see on the Western Canadian music scene – part concert, part escape, and entirely good vibes. With POPSTALGIA on deck, Williams is cruising full speed into a retro-inspired future that’s as bright as it is timeless.
Kayla Williams will be hitting stages across Alberta this summer, with the POPSTALGIA tour with The Yacht Daddies kicking off September 19 in Lethbridge. For more information, please visit kaylawilliams.com.
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Kayla Williams, a high-energy yacht-pop artist from Calgary, Alberta!
POPSTALGIA is such a great title — how did you land on that name, and what does it mean to you?
I like to make words for my albums that are a blend of what I believe them to be – a combination of modern pop and throwback nostalgia – hence POPSTALGIA!
The single “Is It Really True?” flips heartbreak into something danceable — can you walk us through the story behind that track?
This song was meant to be an ode to Huey Lewis and the News. They were huge in the ‘80s, and they had this classic sound I wanted to follow. It is definitely a breakup song, and I wanted it to have a lot of feeling, which I think you can hear in the vocals, but it still makes people move! A classic sax solo was also a non-negotiable. 🙂
You worked with JUNO Award-winners Spencer Cheyne and Justin Kudding on this project — what did they bring to the table in shaping the sound?
Spencer and Justin really understood the vision I was aiming to create. They gave me lots of freedom to shape the sound the way I imagined but also challenged me to different ideas, like using lots of space and fewer instruments and they both are amazing at building arrangements that really have dynamic changes and still have the vocals very forward. They are a dream team – I am so grateful to work with them.
RETRODELIA earned you nominations at the Western Canadian Music Awards and YYC Music Awards — did that recognition change your outlook heading into this EP?
I don’t think it changed anything when it came to the writing or production of this EP. It was incredibly exciting though, and I definitely want to keep putting out high-quality music that hopefully people resonate with. Being nominated alongside those other amazing artists was a true honour.
If you could collaborate with any artist — retro or modern — who would be your dream match?
Currently, it would be Lakestreet Dive or Sabrina Carpenter if we’re talking about a dream collab! If I look back in time without a doubt, it would have been Brian Wilson. He is my musical hero and a legend of writing and production – to write with him would have been life-altering. (I did actually meet him though, and that was also life-altering!)