Conversations with Kyle Szalay

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyle Szalay.

Hi Kyle, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up around Blues and Folk from my grandfather who taught me to play guitar from as little as 5 years old. He was a gigging musician/songwriter and teacher in Santa Fe, NM. He was putting me on stage at blues open mic nights and letting me play at his gigs even though I wasn’t very good, and that’s where I first felt the rush of performing. I was passionate about playing guitar from that point on.
When I was 15 I started writing songs, and that where the love and obsession with music really began. I found in songwriting an outlet to express who I was and what I was experiencing, to deal with the world that is going on in my head, and also the world outside. This obsession turned into where I found an identity for myself and I found what I was truly passionate about.
At 17, I was going to trade school learning audio engineering and I started making and recording my own music in my bedroom, which I still make 99% of my music at my home studio. I also started gigging as a solo artist at 19 but pumped the brakes during covid due to the pandemic until 2022.
In 2023 I started releasing music again and have been finding a lot of success and momentum in creating a small fanbase/community, playing gigs opening for national tours, and putting out new songs.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not, but the unexpected is always going to happen, and I would prefer the bumpy road. I also like to think that everything happens for a reason.
In my journey I have dealt with loss, grief, heartache, the COVID pandemic slowing momentum, my first struggles with mental health, etc. Those things have also shaped me into who I am today, and I am really proud of the point that I am at now with myself, my life, my music, and very optimistic about the future.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a Folk Singer/Songwriter in Denver, CO who loves music. I specialize in songwriting, performing, guitar, singing, producing, recording, and mixing. I really cherish my songs, and am really grateful I get the opportunity to share them in a way that has an impact on people.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Even one other person resonating with my song means the world to me and I would also define that as “success”
The feeling of melancholy, nostalgia, or even just being taken away emotionally due to a great record or live performance is a feeling that has inspired me since I was a kid. My goal in my music is the opportunity to create something that gives someone else that exact same experience. The more chances I get to do that with more and more people is just added success to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kyleszalay.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kyleszalayy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KyleSzalayMusic/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kyleszalay8849