Written By: Paul Amyot
Check out our NY Entertainer of the Week, Kiyomi Hawley.
upfrontNY: How does it feel to be back on the scene after taking some time away?
Kiyomi Hawley: It feels a little overwhelming in that I’m so busy right now, but it also feels just as overwhelming because my heart feels full, like I’ve come back home.
upfrontNY: What can fans expect from your newest EP Meet You There?
Kiyomi Hawley: The songs deal with subjects such as school shootings, being brave enough to be my best self, my love for music, and wanting to be accepted for who I am. Also, I’m more honest in this EP – I’m not hiding behind as many masks. The biggest part of me that I’d been hiding was that I was born and raised in a cult. I’ve always been terrified of telling people this, but by not revealing such a huge part of myself there’s only a certain level of authenticity I could have in my relationship with others.
upfrontNY: What was the most fun part about making this album?
Kiyomi Hawley: Being in a recording studio is always a wonderful time for me. It’s one of the places where I’m the happiest. Hearing my songs come alive is such a beautiful and fulfilling experience. It was a great time working with my producer for this album, Kevin Bents.
upfrontNY: Can you describe your creative process? Do you have a sacred place that you like to go to when you are writing music?
Kiyomi Hawley: Sometimes the creativity comes when I’m feeling something intensely, such as sadness. For “Little Angel” I was so heartbroken over a school shooting, and writing the song helped me to get through it. It just came right out of me. Other times, especially when I have deadlines (that are sometimes self-induced), it can be a difficult process! I am usually either at my desk, my keyboard, or on my bed and I write, rewrite, and despair over getting a song out! I usually have to journal before I start composing. I just scribble out anything and everything in me. Sometimes if I’m lucky I’ll dream a melody or lyrics. But of course even then, I’ll have to craft them all together to make a song. It’s a lot of work!
upfrontNY: How long have you been playing piano? And who was your biggest inspiration for learning to play?
Kiyomi Hawley: I started lessons when I was about 5, I think? I probably only took lessons for about 5 years or so, and took some random classes in high school and college. But other than that, I’ve learned how to play by continuously playing on my own since I was little. I guess I mostly learned because I just wanted to sing and it sounded better when there was a piano accompaniment so I learned to do that.
upfrontNY: Can you tell us what it has meant to you to be a part of Tina Shafer’s New York Songwriters Circle?
Kiyomi Hawley: Meeting Tina and working with her has been a renewing experience. I met her during a long break away from music. Going to the Circles and studying with her, and then performing at them helped me to come out of my cocoon, and it finally led me to this EP release. She has the most beautiful heart and has done so much for singer/songwriters including myself. She is like an angel for all those she’s helped to be their best musical selves. And sometimes to become your best musical self, you need to become your best internal self. She helped me to start doing this too.
upfrontNY: Who are your favorite musicians? Who would you like to collaborate with most if you could get the chance?
Kiyomi Hawley: Currently, I really love Lana Del Rey. I also think Lorde is good too. I think the music and the performances in “The Greatest Showman” are amazing. I always thought it would be cool to do a pretty melodic line in a rap maybe, haha! I like how two very different styles are juxtaposed, and since my music is more melodic and pretty, I’ve always thought it would be interesting to combine a very different element to it to create something new, that I couldn’t pull off on my own.
upfrontNY: You released your newest album at The Bitter Endin NYC why did you choose this venue? Does it hold a special meaning to you?
Kiyomi Hawley: The Bitter End is where I started to come back to music again. It holds a very special part of my heart now. I started attending some of the Songwriters Circles there because I was working with Tina Shafer. I’d been hiding away from even listening to music, especially live. I’m so affected by good, beautiful, deep music that I knew if I even listened to it it would break my heart since I’d given it up. I didn’t want to face the sadness in me that my love for music creates when I’m in hiding.
upfrontNY: What is your dream city/venue that you hope to perform in one day?
Kiyomi Hawley: I’ve been told several times that my music would appeal to Europeans, so I’ve always wanted to go there. Of course I’ve always wanted to go to France and Italy but these days I’ve been so drawn to London.
NYC FAVORITES
Favorite NYC restaurant: The last place I went to in NYC was a small tapas/wine place on the Upper East Side called “Pil Pil”, it was delish!
Favorite dessert spot in NYC: I’m really not much of a sweet tooth but a macaron is always welcome from Laduree.
Favorite season in NYC: Spring! The perfect weather to explore the city and I absolutely love flowers so seeing them around NYC makes me so happy.
Favorite spot to go to unwind in NYC: I love to unwind in nature the most since that’s hard to come by in the city. So Central Park would be a great spot.
Favorite thing about NYC: My favorite part of NYC that captures my heart the most, is all of the artists and dreamers that gather there. So much talent, and so many people chasing their big dreams. NYC, and the people there, have my heart.
Leave a Reply