Check out this interview I did with Kristyna recently after meeting her after her set at Luddstock festival :
Your music is very soulful, when you were starting out as a singer were soul artists your main influence and have you always been a fan of that genre of music?
Funnily enough I didn't grow up listening to soul Music, it was a genre I fell in love with when I got to Uni. I listened to what was current in the charts when I started singing growing up, my fav artists were Mariah Carey &Alanis Morisette.
What is it like when writing with Sam Gray?
I love writing with Sam, he's a very talented songwriter and singer. In the most recent writing session Sam layered up a drum beat with some tasty guitar parts & I started to improvise a melody over it.We both then vibed off each other and picked which lines sounded the best. We've got some more sessions soon which I'm really looking forward to. I'd love to write a duet with Sam.
Did you ever consider entering talent shows such as The X Factor or Britain's Got Talent?
I've not been attracted by the idea of auditioning for these shows in particular.They can provide a great way into the music industry depending on how it goes, however you can be tarnished with that brush forever. It's a lot harder to 'make it' without talent tv shows today, if they weren't there, record labels would look further a field at new upcoming artists and give more chances, where as now they rely a lot on the talent shows to give them artists who have already had millions of people seeing their talent which they hope will translate into sales. I've heard in particular with The Voice through a friend of a friend who got through that it can open up some amazing doors and a wider audience to your gift. I think whatever choice you make it needs to be right for you.
Would you rather have one of your songs in the top 5 in the charts or headline Wembley Stadium?
That's a great question!! Is it the UK charts or globally? If it'd be globally then i'd pick that one, otherwise I'd go for headlining wembley :)
You are an ambassador for Centrepoint charity, can you tell us more about this and what your plans are for raising more money for it in the future?
Centrepoint are a fantastic charity who give hope and a future to young people who are homeless. I was invited to sing at their annual sleepout night in London along with Rebecca Ferguson which is how i found out about them initially. The sleepout is where 100s of people raise lots of £ to sleep in their sleeping bags for a night rough on the streets of London to raise funds & awarenes of the 80,000 young adults that experience homelessness every year in the UK alone. Ive visited Centrepoint's hostels and have met the amazing staff who make such a difference to the lives of the young adults who have had a rough start in life offering counselling, teaching, loving support and a roof over their heads. I went on a busking tour last year with my guitarist Ben Williams to raise £ for them and this September a % of my single sales from The Paris Match released 9th September will be going to the charity. My aim in my lifetime is to raise £250,000 for them so i'll be thinking of other ways in the future of how I can raise £ for them. Any ideas would be welcome!
Opening for the likes of Mick Hucknall and Status Quo must have been a great experience, but who would your dream artist or band be to tour with?
I would love to support Lauryn Hill, she's one of my favourite artists ever & who inspired me to become a singer after watching her sing incredibly in the film Sister Act 2.
What has been your favourite concert to go to, as an audience member, and where was it?
There are a few! I saw Stevie Wonder at the MEN, we were possibly in the furthest corner from the stage but it didn't matter, the energy & atmosphere in the arena was electric & when Stevie & the band played Superstition EVERYONE got up on their feet. I also saw Amy Winehouse at the academy in Manchester which was so special. It was an intimate gig, Amy and her band were amazingly tight. Me & my husband were on the front row & she pointed to us & said we were a beautiful young couple which I'll never forget. I recently saw Goldfrapp playing with the RNSM string orchestra for the Manchester International Festival at the Albert Hall in Manchester which was incredible.
What was a highlight of Luddstock festival for you?
I loved being on stage singing hand me a ticket with Sam and his band, i love that song and what opportunities arose from it- bbc breakfast & loose women. The other highlight was singing The Paris Match my next single as this is my favourite style council song & I got to perform it with the style council drummer -Steve White.
If you want to listen to some of Kristyna's music and get to know more about her, you can find all you need to know at www.kristynamyles.com
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