Canadian East Coast Artist Kylie Fox Unveils Anthemic and Ethereal “Brandi Baby”

Like the tides of the Bay of Fundy on which she was raised, or the steadfast city line that broods along its port, Kylie Fox has been devoted to honing her craft as a songwriter for as long as she can remember. Growing up with a mother who would sing to her, and a father who sat at the helm of every kitchen party with his Yamaha and uninhibited voice, it became clear to Fox from a young age that music was how to show love, how to express identity, and how to connect with the people around her.

Grand, ethereal and epic, “Brandi Baby” is Fox‘s “coming-of-age song. It touches on my awkward high school years where I had the confidence to go to a school dance by myself, my early touring years where my ambition and my schedule prevented me from dating much, to when I found real big love in my now fiancé and drummer Ryan, where I feel so free and safe.”

She continues, “I used to straighten my hair to Brandi Carlile everyday in high school, and she became a big influence for me becoming a musician. ‘The Story’ was the first song my partner and I danced to and we are going to use it as our first dance at our wedding next year.”

In 2020, she released her first full-length album, Green, and is now preparing to release her second studio album, Sequoia, that was made with the support of ArtsNB, Music New Brunswick and Canada Council for the Arts. Sequoia has come to life as an 11-track album, developed with her band and six-time ECMA-winning producer Daniel Ledwell (Jenn Grant, Fortunate Ones, The Good Lovelies).

1. What did you enjoy most about the recording process of this new release?
We recorded “Brandi Baby” over Thanksgiving weekend and I made my first turkey for the band, which felt monumental. Our producer, Daniel Ledwell’s, studio is on his property in Lake Echo Nova Scotia. It’s in a wooded area on a hill where we could look out at the lake. It was a really wholesome, cozy, and creative time.

2. Share a nugget of advice that has resonated with you most over the years.
In Jeff Tweedy’s book “How to Write One Song” he really hits home that if you are a songwriter, you’ve got to write songs. It’s easy to make excuses why you can’t connect pen to paper, and not every song is going to strike like lightning when you’re on a bus. I schedule my writing time.

3. Who would be your dream artist/band to co-headline a tour with?
Brandi Carlile. I straightened my hair to her album Bear Creek every day in High School. She has brought Joni Mitchell (my ultimate) back on the stage, and she is so good at creating community, and special moments in music.

4. What sets your music apart from others in your genre?
I could say that it is my lyrics and story telling style that sets me apart. I write about specific images from my environment. I rarely create something of nothing, which I should get better at for when times aren’t changing, or exciting. My style has been called quirky, sometimes funny, but its always coming from a real experience.

5. Tell us what your favorite song is at the moment and why.
I’m currently working on Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark 50th Anniversary tribute show. I have fallen in love with “People’s Parties” and “Car on a Hill”. She is everything to me and it’s been a treat to get these songs in my fingers.