Meet CAYLEA | Self-Produced R&B Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with CAYLEA and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi CAYLEA, career-wise, where do you want to be in the end?
This is kind of cool to start with the end. The first big goal is to sign with a major label, but only after I have built the leverage independently to curate the right deal with the right people who get my brand and goals. I am not on the no-labels train, but I don’t think they are helpful until there can be an equal partnership. The bigger goal ahead of signing with a major is to someday use the profits from my music career as an artist (and producer honestly) to start a non-profit organization that my husband and I have dreamt about for years. We can’t share the details yet, but it will be so cool to see that come to fruition someday. So I guess you could say I want success like any other music artist, which equates to lots of people listening, watching, streaming, coming to your shows, buying your merch… but with all my heart I actually wish there was a way to reach the goals we have without necessarily being famous. The introvert struggle is real!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My music is a mix of R&B, hip-hop and pop. What’s different about me right off the bat is that I am self-produced (been producing seriously for over a decade) and my lyrical content. Cinematic soundscapes, dissonant chords and intense hip-hop beats are my thing. Lyrically, I go deep and personal with literally every single song, and my songs aren’t focused on sex, which is definitely the common theme in my lane of music. The thing I get DMs or comments about most often is how relatable my songs are, which is super cool since my tag line is “you are not alone.” The biggest challenge to overcome was extreme stage fright. I never liked performing like a lot of artists do, because I am super introverted. It took a lot of energy, training and a couple of mentors to overcome literal sickness before performing and being able to tap into my true voice in front of people. Now it seems like my biggest strength; literally everyone tells me I don’t sound like I look like I would, that they don’t expect the soul, power and riffing that carry the heavy lyrics in my songs. My brand can be defined in three words: genuine, hope and triumph. I really only sing about stuff I’ve either personally been through or have experienced through someone else’s eyes, because I want my music to give people real hope for dark situations. I’ve learned to stop letting what people expect of me define how hard I come out swinging. It’s okay to not be what they expect – don’t hold back.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Although we aren’t from Pittsburgh and have only lived here 3 years, my favorite place to go is hands down the Strip District, a wholesale food market area with tons of incredible shops and places to eat. I am a total foodie. Pennsylvania Macaroni Co. is my favorite store for sure; they have an entire wall of the countries they import cheese from. It takes a whole day to explore that area. The Duquesne Incline is also around there, which gives you a beautiful view of the city and the three rivers meeting each other; the gear room of the incline is incredible to see, especially knowing they built it in 1877. I would also probably take them on a hike on one of the many trails we have around. There are several really cool museums downtown that I haven’t even been to yet. Basically though, anything to do with food or nature is a good time around here.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Two people immediately come to mind. My husband is my biggest fan, supporter, encourager, co-dreamer and sounding board for all my crazy ideas. He is in the U.S. Air Force, and with his particular job we are separated a lot. He sacrifices his time to serve our country and also sacrifices so much in pursuing this crazy music industry dream with me. I couldn’t do this without him. It’s been so sweet to reach the smaller goals we set this year for my music and it will be even sweeter when this all pays off someday in reaching the big goals.

The other person is my mix engineer, Jarred Lawson. He is my partner in crime in so many ways and one of my and my husband’s best friends. I literally couldn’t say enough good things about his character and how much he pours into my music as well. Check him out on his website (jarredlawson.com) – he’s an incredible guitarist, mix engineer, vocal editor, live AV professional… jack of all and master of all trades who is committed to excellence and integrity.

Website: https://www.cayleamusic.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cayleamusic/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cayleamusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cayleamusic

Other: https://linktr.ee/cayleamusic

Image Credits
Annie-Beth Photo