Getting to Know… Myylo | Interview 🎤

For the exciting 37^th interview in our ‘Getting to Know…’ series, The Musical Hype ‘gets the scoop’ on intriguing Nashville LGBT pop artist, Myylo.  

“My music is pretty preoccupied with boys and love.” Hey, that’s pretty ‘cut and dry’, right? Right! If you haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing the delicious treat that is Myylo, well, you’re totally missing out! To quote Lizzo (“Juice”), he’s “Not a snack at all” but rather, “The whole damn meal.” The LGBT pop artist based in Nashville is a fabulous musician who writes pretty sick songs about, well – as he says best himself – boys!  The first time I personally encountered his music was his single, “Jonesing”, which appears on his 2019 EP, I’m a Nice Boy (EP). I found myself totally hooked – sign me up for that!

“What sets me apart as a performer is my intimate stage banter – I’m prone to tell the audience secrets to which only my best friends should be aware of,” Myylo responds when asked about how he ‘rocks the audience’s socks off.’ The honesty, the humor, and most of all, the authenticity he exhibits is something that really shines through while interviewing him.  Getting the ambitious, colorful pop singer, whose long-term goals including selling out huge venues and “writing killer pop bops for other artists,” and diverse influences and inspirations include the likes of Beyoncé, Chance the Rapper, and Kacey Musgraves, was nothing short of a tremendous honor for The Musical Hype.  Following up the excellence of the James Crux interview, The Musical Hype presents Getting to Know… Myylo: Interview #37!

Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype: Hey Myylo, thanks bunches for agreeing to answer some totally juicy, sizzling, and spicy questions for The Musical Hype – well somewhat spicy, I guess! For those who may not be familiar with you, what would you say makes you distinct or unique? How would you describe your style, and, how do you ‘rock the audience’s socks off’?

Myylo: My music is at the cross section of folk lyricism, pop production, and boyish relatability. My music is pretty preoccupied with boys and love.  What sets me apart as a performer is my intimate stage banter – I’m prone to tell the audience secrets to which only my best friends should be aware of.

Faulkner:  Getting totally juicy here Myylo, what inspired you to begin making music, and what were some of the goals or the visions you had early on?

Myylo: Well, my parents foisted me into music classes in kindergarten, so I didn’t have much of a choice, haha. Seeing popular YouTubers penning original songs and an early inclination toward singer songwriters like Sara Bareilles and Jason Mraz influenced me to start writing. Super early on, my goal was to be a studio rat. I wanted to hole up with a few people each day and just pen songs for other people.

Faulkner: Digging in deeper regarding goals, how have those goals or perspectives changed since first starting out? What do your musical aspirations look like at this point?

Myylo: Yeah, they’ve changed a bunch. I started out scribbling songs for other people’s artist projects. I was getting indie cuts here and there. Then, I wanted to be a country star for a year or two – that obviously didn’t work out. I switched lanes again and started pursuing pop writing and my own artist project. My short-term goals are to drop another EP by the end of the year and go on a fall tour. My long-term goals are to play festivals, sell out huge venues, and write killer pop bops for other artists.

Faulkner:  I remember you reached out to me regarding your single, “Jonesing”.  That marked my first experience with your music – so glad you did by the way! I was totally impressed with the authenticity of the message – “wanting a boy who’s just too damn far away” – how relatable it was.  Also, I think it’s awesome that LGBTQIA musicians are embracing and freely using pronouns regarding their respective love interests and such. As an LGBTQIA musician, what is the impact that you want to have on the LGBTQIA community itself, as well as outside of the community?

Myylo: I want to give LGBTQIA people songs with their own stories in them and I want to insert those stories into the larger tapestry that is pop music.

Faulkner:  Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Who would you consider some of your biggest musical influences and how are they influential?

Myylo: Beyoncé influences me to pursue excellence. Kacey Musgraves inspires me to choose authenticity and humor in my lyrics. Chance the Rapper inspires me to be joyous in my vocal delivery and tinker with spoken word. There’re a million folks who inspire my sound, but these are a few of the people I’m hung up on these days.

Faulkner:  We’re sizzling here! Moving on, what’s your craziest tour story or the wackiest thing that’s happened during a performance, in the studio, life, etc.?  Feel free to be creative and open!

Myylo: My friend gave me white wine before a performance in front of 150 people in San Francisco. I do a lot of bantering during my shows in order to give audiences a better perspective on what my songs are about. Slightly tipsy, I name dropped the subject of “Lack of You.” Afterwards, the MC of the show decided to do a Q&A with the audience during which there was only one question. This guy shot up his hand and said, “I know that guy you were writing about.” All 150 of us burst out laughing.

Faulkner: As a musician myself, I know what songs, performances, and accomplishments I’m most proud of.  As a music listener, listening to a specific artist – you in this case – I know songs that really wowed me from your I’m a Nice Boy (EP) included the aforementioned “Jonesing”, as well as “Cyborg” and “Doc Martens.” Of course, the whole EP was a bop.  That said, up until this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song or song(s) you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?

Myylo: 1st of all thank u! “Lack of You” is the most special to me. In addition to doing 100% of the writing, I did the bulk of the production with a killer assist from Christian Fiore. I had been writing about that guy for years trying to twist my feelings into the right words and melodies. When I was working on “Lack of You” I could tell that I was finally getting it correct and, then, I was able to let everything I felt go. That song is very cathartic for me.

Faulkner: I’ve asked lots of questions regarding your music.  Moving beyond music, is there anything else awesome, cool, or left of center that the world needs to know about Myylo? Any captivating secret talents or surprising tidbits? Anything else you want to share about issues you may be passionate about, etc.?

Myylo: My first car was my mother’s hand-me-down black minivan. I want to be reincarnated as a nice family’s dog. I made my mother cry when I sang “Hallelujah” on the ukulele at 15. There are some tidbits to hold the people over.

Faulkner:  Okay, I’ve totally kept you away from making more awesome music, touring, or living life for long enough, so, closing this demanding ‘Getting to Know…’ Q/A interview out, what are you currently working on, promoting that you can share with us or want us to know about? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure… we’ve pressured you enough with all these questions!

Myylo: I just released another single called “I Can’t Help But Look” which I’m really excited about and I also wrapped up a summer tour. I’m about to get back in the studio and will hopefully have another few songs out by the fall!

Faulkner:  Again, Myylo, I want to thank you so much for sharing taking the time to answer these questions.  It was an honor having you appear as one of our featured interviewees in our Getting to Know… series.  I knew that after listening and reviewing your music, I had to try to see if I could secure a Q&A with you. Best of luck with all of your future endeavors.   

Myylo: Thanks so much! Always appreciate your support 🙂

ONE FINAL THOUGHT: Also, worth mentioning, Myylo’s music has appeared on a couple of The Musical Hype’s playlists: 10 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy in February 2019 (“Cyborg”), Totally Awesome LGBTQ Songs Beaming with Pride, and 11 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy in June 2019 (“I Can’t Help but Look”).

Photo Credit: Myylo