Q: I love how introspective “Within Your Reach” is. Can you tell us more about the song?
SHAYE: Within Your Reach is about seeking peace when you’re not at ease with your mind. It’s about re-affirming with yourself that things will get better and you’re not as lost as you might believe yourself to be. I wrote this during the lockdown, where I felt conflicted and trapped with all the news surrounding the virus. The pandemic inspired me to try and make sense of all the changes that were happening across the world and the new reality that we would all be faced with.
Q: When did you first start playing music?
SHAYE: I started singing at the age of 7, I sang in school musicals and talent shows growing up. Then I started learning guitar at 15 and got my first guitar and ukulele at 16. I did stop for some time when I was in college. I started back again in 2019 with songwriting.
Q: Where do you usually find inspiration?
SHAYE: Some days I will revisit some of my musical aspirations such as Adele, Nina Simone, Amy Winehouse, Dallas Green and I will listen to the music they’ve put out over the years. I reflect on everyday life and events and also draw inspiration from there. Going on walks also helps me. I actually used to keep notes or anything that inspired me on my phone. But now I’ve transferred into a journal and I look into it for inspiration.
Q: Can you tell us about your personal experience collaborating with other musicians?
SHAYE:I used to be in a duo group and we worked together for 2 years on songwriting, recording, and live performances. It was a really good experience, I learned so much from working with them. We still work together on some musical projects. I am also in the process of writing music with a couple other independent musicians as well.
Q: What do you enjoy doing besides music?
SHAYE: Eating, sleeping, reading, watching anything on Netflix, traveling.
Q: Anything exciting for us to look forward to?
SHAYE: New music coming soon 🙂
Interviewed by Katrina Yang
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