Valley locals pursue music careers, release single
The sounds of steel strings snapping against the body of an acoustic guitar fill the cramped space of a newly built studio.
Keiyana Osmond’s voice rings through the small building as she performs the song she created with Kyle Wesley.
Osmond’s first single, “Dancin’ on a Wire,” was made possible by the producing capabilities and musical talents of Wesley.
“When we first started this project, I didn’t have huge expectations for it,” Osmond said. “I was just like this will be fun. To see where it’s gone and how many opportunities it’s brought in, it’s insane. Anything’s possible.”
Wesley only recently started producing music. After returning from a mission approximately a year ago, he decided against his lifelong dream of becoming a pilot and turned to music.
“I started out just with a buddy, just recording some stuff for fun and then started to develop the skill and produce some projects,” Wesley said. “I approached Taylor Ballam. He’s an amazing videographer. I approached him to compose for him. At that same time, I was introduced to Keiyana and all three of us kind of put our heads together and said, ‘OK, let’s do a project,’ and we did a project intending to make a music video for Keiyana, write her a single, have a music video – just the complete package.”
Videographer Taylor Ballam, vocalist Keiyana Osmond and producer Kyle Wesley started their project early this past summer.
“It just took off, the song we started writing in June,” Wesley said. “We started in June trying to get the feel and the motion. I started composing some music and recording some stuff and we got the idea. My mom actually suggested the phrase ‘dancing on a wire’ and it stuck, and as soon as we had that idea down, we just cranked it out. We had the song finished within three weeks.”
When it comes to the nuts and bolts of writing a song, Wesley prefers to compose music before writing lyrics.
“I’m a musical kind of person,” Wesley said. “I just heard the music before the lyrics, so I started with the music, but just had this rhythm and it started with a rhythm and then I got a melody down with the strings, and then from there we started to decide what the melody should sound like. Then we wrote lyrics according to it with this inspiring uplifting piece of music.”
After the initial production of the song, Wesley submitted it to several professional producers all around the country. Out of several positive responses, Wesley received one statement that changed the direction of the song.
Evan Fiest from Stacks of Wax audio productions in New York picked up “Dancin’ on a Wire” and added his expertise to the final edit of the song.
“In his words he said, ‘This is a hit hiding in the rough,'” Wesley said. “He took his expertise over there and added a little bit to the production of the song to make it just bigger.”
Since the completion of the song, Osmond and Wesley have received many positive responses, eventually leading to the song’s current popularity.
“Since then, the song’s gotten immediate feedback on iTunes,” Wesley said. “Everyone seems to be responding to it when they hear it, which is encouraging because the whole idea of the song was to be encouraging and uplifting and positive and something that our youth today could be proud listening to.”
Recent successes the group has had since the release of the song on iTunes include its feature on three internet radio stations, including one from the UK.
“A lot of the song’s success is owed to friends and family support,” Wesley said. “The song has sold all over the nation and all over the world.”
The song “Dancin’ on a Wire” was recently picked up on its first FM station in Los Angeles. KGUP 106.5 FM will have the song in rotation very soon.
The newest addition to the song’s success is the completion of the music video. The video, produced by Tayler Ballam, was released on Feb. 1. The YouTube video was viewed more than 6,000 times in its first four days and has received many comments.
But producing just an average pop song was not an option for Osmond. She was determined to create a song meaningful to her and people all around the nation.
“For me personally, what i’m singing, I want it to be empowering and uplifting and positive, and I don’t want it focused or to have content that could be inappropriate,” she said.
Osmond is proud of her song’s ability to reach a variety of different audiences.
“It’s more of a general audience,” Osmond said. “It’s exciting to hear the youth respond to it. I feel like it’s a universal song. It means something different to every youth and individual.”
The next step for Wesley and Osmond is live performing. Osmond has not yet sung “Dancin’ on a Wire” in front of a live audience.
“I think that once the video’s done, that’s when we’ll starting performing it,” Osmond said. “Just wherever, wherever people will have us. I just, locally, I perform live all the time.”
Regardless of the success of the song or video, Osmond and Wesley plan on making a career from their musical talents.
“I would love to eventually get signed,” Osmond said. “I want to reach a broader audience and I think that’s a good way to do it, so eventually that’s the goal. I’ll keep singing regardless of what happens.”
Both artists will release their first extended plays in the next month. Osmond’s EP will release at the end of March and Wesley’s in the beginning of April.
– daniellekmanley@gmail.com