Photo of: Alicia Kayley (Photo Supplied from https://aliciakayley.com/)
By: Danielle Dufour
Alicia Kayley, who just released her latest single “Don’t Break My Heart,” is living her dream life and making a name for herself as an Indigenous Pop/R&B singer and songwriter from Ottawa.
Having grown up in an urban Indigenous community with her parents and sister, she was closely linked to her Indigenous heritage through involvement within the Powwow circle.
Her grandmother was fluent in Algonquin, which was passed down to her father. Kayley is not fluent but is trying to learn more of the language.
Kayley’s love of singing came at a young age.
“My dad always says that I was singing in my crib,” said Kayley. “My dad is also a musician and so I was definitely raised right on into it with him and singing with him at Powwows as far back as I can remember.”
Her dad, Kevin Chief, is a Juno nominated musician and traditional dancer known as Flying Down Thunder from the Algonquin Nation.
“I was actually a tour baby, and I got to go on tour through Paris and Germany when he was out doing music,” said Kayley. “I was like, oh my gosh, this is like superstar life, this is crazy.”
In her early years, Kayley experienced severe bullying in elementary school.
“Growing up as an Indigenous person, I definitely didn’t know a lot of Indigenous people that went to school anywhere near me which wasn’t great for making friends and I was in a lot of bad situations in terms of bullying,” said Kayley.
Music became a welcomed escape for her, and she soon learned about the arts-focussed Canterbury High School in Ottawa.
“I found out it was classical music … I learned an Italian piece within a few months and did an audition and got in,” said Kayley. “I really enjoyed it and it actually got me towards heading into my degree.”
She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Carleton University with a minor in Indigenous studies.
After being introduced to music at a young age, Kayley said, “It changed my life forever. I was like okay, this is my dream, it just confirmed it for me that this is what I wanted to do, make my own print on the world and change it up a little bit.”
Her style is different from her dad’s, but she likes to incorporate some parts into her music.
It was an Indigenous Day performance that changed it all for her was when she sang Andra Day’s song “Rise Up.”
“I sang this song for lots of events … I was messing up and I didn’t understand why,” said Kayley. “I sat down with my Kokum one day and she helped me translate the chorus into Algonquin and it changed everything for me. It turned into being a song that represented not just what I wanted to be as a musician, but me as a person, my family, my people and really helped me feel strong and powerful on stage as an artist.”
She is currently working on her debut album that is set to be released this summer through her label New Sun Music in Nashville, working alongside one of her role models and mentor Crystal Shawanda who is an award-winning Ojibwe Blues singer, songwriter and producer.
“I got to watch this incredible powerhouse, superstar Indigenous musician comment to me online and be like, you deserve a real chance, and I want to give that to you,” said Kayley.
Inspired by Shawanda’s success, Kayley aspires to have a successful career just like her.
Since then, she has travelled to Nashville and recorded some songs for her upcoming album.
“There’s a surprise little song that’s going to be thrown in there … collaborating with a songwriter,” said Kayley.
For more information or to follow Alicia Kayley, visit her website: https://aliciakayley.com/