Kyle Richardson brings a smooth vocal delivery and deep emotional arcs to a soulful modern pop sound. Writing heartfelt songs that channel past experiences and emotions, he delivers melody-driven, lyrically rich music that is relatable, hopeful, and empowering.
Born in Vancouver, Kyle grew up in Vernon, British Columbia. While taking his first steps as a songwriter in high school, he excelled as a vocalist in several local talent contests, including Funtastics Battle of the Bands and was the second runner-up in Okanagan Star Search. As a young adult, he returned to Vancouver in 2011 to develop his sound further and follow his career ambitions. He soon found a mentor in noted writer-producer Jeff Dawson (Daniel Powter, State of Shock, Kelly Rowland), who has been a trusted collaborator ever since.
On the way to finding his own distinct sound through his first slate of single releases, Kyle also gained recognition as a songwriter and as a featured vocalist – performing with Will K and Gazzo in 2014 on “Forth and Back”, and for Bobina’s “Love is the Answer” in 2016, which has gained over 1.5 million Spotify streams. A proud member of Vancouver’s LGBTQIA+ music community, Kyle has become a loyal Pride performer at related events and is an advocate for representation and diversity in the industry.
After the solitude of the pandemic, Kyle re-emerged with three singles in 2023 – “Can You Hear Me”, “Anything”, and “Fight the Good Fight” – followed by the October release of his debut album, “Louder Than Words” – all to build a legacy of positivity through the exuberance of creating the music that he loves.
Name:
Kyle Richardson
Genre:
I make pop music… but love to incorporate other genres. Some of my songs are pure pop, some pop-rock, some have a bit more of a singer-songwriter vibe, there are piano-led ballads, and some throwback sounds to some fun Motown-era stuff too.
Founded:
I’ve been singing ever since I was a kid, but releasing music since 2013.
# of Albums:
1
Latest Album:
“Louder Than Words” – it’s my debut album, and it was released in October.
Latest Single:
“Fight the Good Fight” – it was my third single to be released in 2023 leading into the album – after “Can You Hear Me” and “Anything”. All three are featured in the album and together, they really capture the spirit and style of what it’s about.
Latest Video:
Favourite musician growing up:
I had so many different influences growing up. Stevie Wonder was one of my original fave artists, as well as the ‘90s pop groups and pop stars I grew up listening to. As I grew up though, my main faves were John Mayer for his songwriting/playing, Gavin DeGraw for his vocal tone and the vibe of his mega-hits, and Kelly Clarkson for her sheer vocal power and stylistic diversity.
Favourite musician now:
I honestly still stand by my few favorites I name-checked above, but would add some current artists like Tori Kelly for her insane vocals, guitar, and great songwriting, Teddy Swims also just sounds amazing on everything he touches, and I recently got into Kylie Minogue and am exploring her back-catalogue in anticipation of her upcoming album.
Guilty pleasure song:
“Call Me Maybe” – aside from being a local artist, I had the pleasure to write a song with Carly Rae on one occasion. It was before this single got released, and upon first listen it just stuck with me in such a cool way. It’s been so cool seeing her albums progress from her first until now, and I can still go back to this song and get just as wrapped up in it as the first time hearing it.
Live show ritual:
One not-so-great pattern I have is over-rehearsing until I almost lose my voice, followed by a panicked vocal rest so that I can deliver on the show day!
Favourite local musician:
I think Luca Fogale has such a great voice and songwriting style. Everything he does has such a great, smooth energy, and seeing him play live really opened my eyes to just how great he is as an artist.
EP or LP?
I’m such a lover of the album tracks… deep cuts, that I just have to go with LP. I feel like the singles are obviously usually great, but that album tracks can have a lot more nuance and tell different stories that you might not get in the broader-reaching singles off of an album or shorter EP.
Early bird or night owl?
I’m totally a night owl. Growing up, I always stayed up super late reading or playing my Gameboy in bed, and I’ve spent a lot of time working in nightlife and it’s so hard to get on a normal sleep pattern after that, so I’m 100% a night owl!
Road or studio?
Studio is home! I love the creative process and working with producers and other writers and seeing how everything comes together! Seeing a song go from a piano/vocal or guitar/vocal demo to a fully fleshed-out production is such a satisfying process for me, and I love the vocal day when I get to do all the backing vocals and ad-libs and overdubs… it’s so much fun!
Any shows or albums coming up?
As mentioned, my debut album “Louder Than Words” is out on all digital streaming platforms. I will also have an entire acoustic version of the album coming out as well. Stay tuned!
Where can we follow you?
Instagram | Youtube | TikTok | Facebook
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Rapid Fire Local Questions:
What is your favourite local restaurant?
Score on Davie
What is your favourite street in your city and why?
Robson Street, so many memories of visiting the city when I was younger and that downtown strip being so exciting.
What is your favourite park in your city and why?
Stanley Park, beautiful park, close to the ocean, hosts different events like outdoor movies and it’s filled with interesting people.
What is your favourite music venue in your city?
My fave venue has to be the Commodore Ballroom just due to how intimate it is while still giving off big concert vibes. It’s a beautiful space and I’ve only seen incredible shows there!
What is your favourite music store in your city?
My fave music store which sadly doesn’t exist anymore is the huge HMV that used to be on Robson Street. It was a HUGE three-level store that had infinite music options, movies, video games, merch of all kinds. I miss it so much! Currently, I have to stop in Sunrise Records every time I’m in the Metrotown Mall and see if anything exciting catches my eye.
