Review Fix Exclusive: K-Syran Talks ‘Smoke In My Veins’

Review Fix chats with singer/songwriter K-Syran, who discusses her upcoming US tour, as well as the track “Single,” off her new album, “Smoke in my Veins.”

About K-Syran:

K-Syran’s new album Smoke In My Veins features influences of jazz, hard rock, pop and classical music. Another distinctive quality of her songs is combining catchy, life-affirming dance tunes with an important message. In 2016, her song Intimacy was declared the official anthem of the United Nations International Women’s Day. K-Syran’s involvement in women’s rights has also found an outlet in theatre. Her play, Breaking the Silence: Monologues on Gender, Voice and Violence, was presented at the United Nations New York lecture series on women, peace and security, and was subsequently nominated Best Play at the London Summit to End Sexual Violence In Conflict, organized by Angelina Jolie and William Hague.

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Review Fix: What was the inspiration for this album?

K-Syran: The album is a journey of my life. Each song carries a piece of me. When one sits down and starts writing about one’s strongest experiences you kind of re-live them. One can say it’s a kind of therapy to write your emotions down on a piece of paper, to find that exact right word that expresses how you felt at just that moment. You have to go through the emotions to really be able to express them.

Review Fix: How is it different from your previous work?

K-Syran: This album I dug so deep. I had to go so far into myself, to the core. It’s by far my richest work. It’s so incredibly personal that it made me feel uncomfortably venerable when I performed my songs in public. I felt so naked. I am an actress and I have performed since the age of five, but I have never been so nervous as when I am to step on that stage and perform my songs from this album. Thankfully, the audience has received me with a lot of warmth and support. I’ve come to the stage where I couldn’t imagine my life not singing my songs from my album “Smoke In My Veins.”

Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?

K-Syran: I write every day. There is not a day that goes by that I will not see, feel, hear, taste, or read something that inspires me. For this, I am so grateful to my phone. I can write or record on it everywhere I go, such a liberty not to have to sit in front of a desk. I am useless with computers.

Review Fix: What was it like to work with Tom Nichols and Charlie Thomas?

K-Syran: Wonderful! Charlie is a brilliant writer and producer for Sony/ATV & Notting Hill Music. He is not just working with me but also Ella Henderson, One Direction, London Grammar, Pink Floyd just to mention a few! www.usethefaders.com

Review Fix: How was “Single” written?

K-Syran: My song, “Hello,” is my biggest nightmare. I woke up one morning and realized my life was a lie, the person I trusted the most was not who he pretended to be. That was my worst blow I had ever experienced. I actually cried when I wrote the song, that’s how raw the feeling still feels.

Review Fix: What are your goals for 2017?

K-Syran: 2017 will start off with a tour of my album “Smoke In My Vein” in the US! I will perform my play “Breaking The Silence”  in Geneva for an amazing cause we all should be more aware of. In Africa, young girls at the age of 13-14 get married and start a family. The girls are far too young to give birth and will often end up with vaginal fistulas. These young girls will be rejected by their husbands and community. Just a tiny operation for very little money will save these girls. On a lighter note, I will release my new album, which I am super excited about! I will film, three different film projects. I believe 2017 will be a great year!

Review Fix: What makes “Smoke in my Veins” a special album?

K-Syran: It is a dance album with deep and rich lyrics. As someone told me “Smoke In My Veins” is like a bottle of champagne, it gets you into the mood.

Review Fix: How do you want your music to affect people?

K-Syran: I want people to be affected by my music with excitement and pleasure, and what better than with rhythmic chanting with depth! Losing oneself in rhythmic movements, that sets the pulse racing, induce a mood of frenzied exhilaration mixed with my vulnerable lyrics that I hope will reach your guts!

Review Fix: What’s next?

K-Syran: Tomorrow, I will go back into the studio and finish a song I started today.

I will also speak with the talented film producer, Tracey Adam from Lex Filmed Entertainment, who is finishing my music clip for the dance remix version by super cool Dan Thomas of my single “Hello.”