Growing up in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Kayla Glaze always had a knack for music and started playing at a young age.
“I was one of those toddlers that would pull out the pots and pans and set them up like a drum kit,” she says.
She has become quite the multi-instrumentalist, playing violin in school while also teaching herself guitar, bass guitar, drums and piano.
Her love for playing instruments spurred her to start writing her own songs in her bedroom. Music has always been a source of joy and healing for her.
“My parents got divorced when I was 8 years old, and music became this place for me where I had permission to feel everything I felt and to heal,” Kayla says.
Kayla did not perform in front of an audience until she started playing at worship services for her hometown church in high school. Since then, she has continued pursuing her love for music and has never looked back.
When she was 22, Kayla decided to move to Northern California to be closer to music industry professionals and to grow her career.
There, she met her husband Camden, and the two got married last October. They moved to Nashville this past February.
For Kayla, her music career is not necessarily about becoming an especially famous artist, but rather about connecting with others and making a difference in their lives.
“When I started writing music, I always wrote it from a place of wanting to give people something that they could relate to and connect with,” Kayla says. “That could be a place of healing for them.”
During the pandemic lockdown, Kayla became more interested in producing and mixing music. She has taught herself to write, record, produce and mix all of her own music at home.
Kayla released two singles earlier this year called “Lord Have Mercy” and “Smooth Criminal.” On July 29, she released another song, “Say What You Want,” featuring hip-hop artist Burgess.
Her sound can be described as alternative rock and blues, along with tones of pop rock. She is inspired by artists such as The Black Keys, Arctic Monkeys, Alice Martin and Bishop Briggs.
Kayla has been working towards getting her songs featured on television shows and films. She has worked with Koze Music, a sync licensing service in Los Angeles, to pitch her songs to production companies. Last year, one of her songs landed in CBS’s music library.
“Sync” licenses are agreements for the use of music in audiovisual projects, and attaining these licenses for her songs has been a huge goal for Kayla.
She is actively submitting her songs to briefs for TV and film through the music communities in which she is involved.
When I started writing music, I always wrote it from a place of wanting to give people something that they could relate to and connect with. That could be a place of healing for them.
Kayla Glaze
Kayla is unafraid to chase her dreams, but there have been obstacles along the way.
Many people, even one of her own high school teachers, have told her that music is not a realistic career and that she will not make it.
“You’re making yourself vulnerable to everyone’s opinions when releasing [music], but for me I try to remember the why I’m doing it — for the love of music,” Kayla says.
The music industry itself can be a tough place to be, and female artists know this especially well.
“I’m in an industry where a majority of people that are doing what I’m doing are men,” Kayla says. “Only 2% of music producers in the music industry are women, so the fact that I am producing music — that feels like a major accomplishment to me because I am one of those 2%.”
Kayla is proud of the risks she has taken to pursue what she loves, like moving across the country and making time for networking events. She has attended the ASCAP songwriting conference, where music creators can connect and network with mentors and professionals.
Outside of her musical endeavors, Kayla has started her own clothing brand — Til Death Club — with her husband.
The idea for this brand came while the couple was on their honeymoon trip to Mexico. “Til Death Club” refers to the saying “til death do us part” associated with marriage.
The two created this brand with the goal of promoting positive and loving messages about marriage and relationships. Their clothes are inspired by American traditional tattoo designs.
Although Kayla and her husband do not have prior experience running a business, Kayla’s story displays that one does not necessarily need a degree or total expertise to try something out.
She and her husband are learning along the way and plan to officially start selling clothes soon.
Inspiring people to be their best selves is one of Kayla’s many passions. She created her own podcast called Dare to Dream, where she shares stories to inspire those who are chasing their dreams and trying to achieve their goals.
In her most recent episode, she and her sister talked about basketball icon Michael Jordan and the choices he made along the way to become one of the greatest players of all time.
Kayla plans on recording and releasing more podcast episodes to continue inspiring others to take risks and chase their dreams.
“For me, ‘[she can be both]’ inspires and empowers women,” Kayla says. “Just because you might be in an industry where the majority of people might be men doesn’t mean that you can’t do it. I’m a testimony of that.”
You can find Kayla’s music on all streaming platforms by searching “Kayla Glaze.”
Check out her Instagram and TikTok to stay updated on Kayla!
