Q+A: Kyle Stockman

Music’s hidden gem, Kyle Stockman, returns from his hiatus with his introspective EP, Petrified. The project comes from a place of intense feelings of isolation. Honing and perfecting his craft, the multi-hyphenate artist experiments with a fresh batch of new sounds that take on influences from folk and alternative rock. Pivoting away from the electronic influence, we were introduced to his previous works, Currents & Hearts, we’re witnessing Stockman usher into a more raw and honest version of himself. His persistence to constantly outdo himself with every release garners witness to the fact that Kyle Stockman is here to stay. 

With the release of Petrified, we had the opportunity to sit down with Kyle Stockman to discuss experimenting with a new sound along with the removal of his previous work from streaming services.

Do you mind introducing yourself to us? 

My name is Kyle Stockman. I'm 21 years old. I make indie-folk and alternative R&B. I don't know if that's where my music falls, but that's what I consider it. 

So well, that was another thing I was gonna bring up because I listened to Petrified and it did feel a little bit more folk-influenced compared to the stuff that you had before previously. So what was the process behind it? 

The entire project was basically me breaking down my whole idea of how I made music. Just kind of starting from the basics, because in all of my other projects, it's been much more production-oriented and like electronic and a lot of computer work, but I wanted to kind of step away from that because I. have always just kind of wanted to write more honestly. And I think that that was holding me back in some way, like all the frills of production. So I wanted to step back and really focus on my songwriting and how honestly I was writing about the things I wanted to write about as opposed to just kind of like filling in lyrics for a song I had already produced. That's basically the origin of the sound. 

Oh, definitely and it sounds way more mature if that makes sense. Like more harmony-driven and like totally a ton of vocal layering. Just overall experimenting with your own voice. 

I wanted to embrace the natural element and not duck away from all the little imperfections I used to really worry about. Like making every tiny vocal stack perfect and all of that, I think that takes a lot of emotion out of a piece of work.

What got you into this headspace?

I had a long period of seclusion, from last summer to the spring. So over last winter, it was basically just me alone in my studio. Writing these songs. And I felt like I wasn't breaking through in the way that I wanted to because I was just making it in one way and not really going out of my comfort zone.

So, I felt like I needed to change my process. I took a step back, took my guitar, started writing songs, and kind of built from there. And I think it also kind of plays along with my timeframe of learning guitar because like I've only been playing for three and a half years at this point.

I got to a point where I was able to do the things that I wanted to do and make it sound the way I wanted to.

I feel like I've been sort of delving into the same mindset where it's okay to make mistakes. 

I think overthinking and overlooking one tiny little thing, just drains things of the original intention or the original emotion, you know? 

Absolutely. What compelled you to delete all your older music off streaming? 

Yeah. A lot of people are asking me that.

Is it more because of an evolutionary thing or did you feel tired of it? 

I think I still love that music and like it holds a place in my heart because it was a creative era for me but as you said this last project feels a lot more mature than my other works. Those other things felt more like experimentation to me than an honest piece of myself that I'm putting out.

And it felt like a fresh start was the right choice for releasing this. Because I have more of a resemblance of an idea of what my artistic identity is and stuff at this point. 

That takes a lot of courage. 

Yeah, it's hard. 

Yeah. Like that's your legacy. You put time and effort and released it and were proud of it at the moment. And to completely get rid of it. I wish I could do the same.

Both of the things that I deleted were easily a year of work. So it was a very hard thing to kind of click the button and delete. 

Do you feel better?

Yeah, I definitely feel better. cause I still have it for myself. I can still listen to it and I can share it with anyone who asks me if they want to hear it.

From Petrified, what would you say was one of the songs that challenged your creativity the most?

I'd say in terms of a songwriting perspective, the single (“petrified”) probably. Wasn't the most challenging, but most honest and fully realized. So I think that kind of goes, that did challenge me because that's something I've kind of struggled with in the past is putting down the thing I'm trying to convey in my songs, you know, like actually writing the right, correct words that make me feel as if I'm saying my real idea and my real feeling.

So, you know, that one was definitely the most honest and most driven by new emotions and new experiences I was having. And then in terms of the actual musical aspects, I'd say cold and blue is probably my biggest departure from the sound I've had in the past. Because you know, it's very like alternative and Rocky and I did a lot of experimentation with analog tape distortion and stuff in that. This whole project is just kind of an exercise in not being afraid to do what feels right. For me. 

That sort of leads into my next question. You mentioned petrified being super vulnerable. Do you find it, did you find it challenging to be a little bit more honest and vulnerable compared to your previous work? 

Yeah, definitely. I also found myself kind of challenging my own ideas about myself, I've never really been able to give a song or a project that much of myself. I was kind of doubtful that I was doing what I thought I was doing. Like, it kind of felt like I was coming from a place of falsity or like a place of, like I said, just like filler, but that, yeah, that kind of caused me to reexamine the entire project. And then I was like, wow, like, this is, yeah, this is it. Like, this feels really right. 

Which track would you say resonates with you the most?

I think it's a tie between “petrified” and “crosshairs,” they feel very final to me and they feel like they're the end of a very long journey for me. So I hold them in my heart in a special way. They were written at a time when things were coming together for me, both in my life and in my artistic expression.

The tracklist is a very linear thing. They're in the order that I wrote them, which is a cool thing.

My last question today is who are you listening to right now? 

I'm listening to a ton of old folk music like a lot of Civil Bear, listening to some Johnny Cash. Also Dijon is a huge influence for me currently. Bon Iver, those are probably like my four big ones right now.

Stream Petrified