Behind the Sound: Kylie Dailey
Epidemic Sound’s artists make our company sing. Join Nashville-based songwriter Kylie Dailey for the first edition of our Behind the Sound series, where we deep-dive into our talent’s inspiration and creativity.
Epidemic Sound is the ultimate soundtracking partner, helping everyone from up-and-coming creators to household brands march to the beat of their own drum. But that’s only possible thanks to our amazing, one-of-a-kind artists — without them, we have no catalog.
Today, we’re kicking off Behind the Sound, in which we salute the musicians who’re taking Epidemic Sound to the next level.
First up is Kylie Dailey, a Nashville-based indie artist we’ve worked with for a few years now.
Kylie’s citrus-tinged melodies are laced with everything from Americana to indie pop, tied together with quiet, heartfelt emotion. Raised in Nashville, Tennessee and still living there today, she’s surrounded by a community of like-minded artists.
Her roots shine through in everything she does, including her new record, Way Past Taken. Releasing on February 28, 2025, her second album solidifies what makes her music so genuine, so catchy — it’s undeniably Kylie Dailey.
Ahead of Way Past Taken’s release, we sat down with Kylie to discuss her influences, writing process, and the quirks of being a songwriter.
What’s the most unexpected place or moment that inspired a song?
Kylie Dailey: “One of my songs, The Cold Shoulder, just landed on me like a bird. It was wild. I was driving my kids to school, and I was at a stop sign when I got a complete song download in my head.
“I thought, ‘I need to record this somehow,’ and I couldn’t. So I drove the kids to school and I was bummed, because as soon as I pulled away from that stop sign, it was gone. It was like I’d just tuned in for a second, then I couldn’t remember it.
“I was passing by that same stop sign to get back to my house. Sure enough, as soon as I pulled up to that sign, it was right back in my head. It felt like I was a little radio antenna or something — I pulled over and recorded the idea on my phone. It was very bizarre. I’ve never had that happen before or since, but hopefully it’ll happen again!”
What does your writing process look like?
KD: “Reading fiction helps my head stay in a way where I can write. I also often do a few pages of freewriting right when I wake up. Exercise is essential to my writing process as well. I’ve got to go on a run, take a long walk, or go to the gym to feel clarity before I sit down to make something.
“Then I play guitar and just mess around and see what happens, humming under my breath. Sometimes I’ll start with just a drum loop and see if a melody appears in my head — if something appears, I let it be and don’t judge it. Then I…see where it goes. It’s very stream of consciousness. Writing is mysterious and I’m still learning all the time.”
How do you beat writer’s block?
KD: “Freewriting, exploring other art forms, sharing with other songwriters, meditation, spending time outside, gardening, finishing an idea even if I don’t love it. Books like How To Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy and The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron have helped me out, too.”
How did you find your sound?
KD: “I’m still finding my sound. I think it’ll always continue to go on and on — I’ll keep evolving. But a lot of that’s from making music over and over, and every time articulating a little more of what you want, or what you don’t want. And sometimes, the only way to do that, at least for me, is just by doing it, by making stuff, and finishing it.
“I also have to say that, really, the biggest part of my sound is my partner, Kevin Dailey, who produces all my music. He and I have really found my sound together — we let our interests lead each track. We might have a few production references or sounds we’re loving from other records, or a tone from a film that we love.
“Then, we bring the track to our community of musicians and see what they contribute to it. I think that’s how we found the sound that I have right now: trial and error.”
Which artist has had the biggest influence on you?
KD: “Paul Simon. I listened to him a lot growing up — my dad was a big fan. There was a point in my young-adult life here, like a teenager in Nashville, where I just had his self-titled cassette tape in my car, and that was all I had. I just listened to it on the way to work, on the way home from work, and it created this soundtrack for my life. His music is still influencing what I’m making now.”
And who are your biggest recent inspirations?
KD: “This is just making me think of artists I saw perform live recently, the first of those being Feist. I got to see her play her new record, Multitudes, last year, and that whole performance was very experimental. It was gorgeous, and the show still felt intimate, but there was a live band. She used a lot of multimedia and audience-play, and you’re constantly being surprised throughout the performance.
“I listened to a lot of Anna Tivel this year. She’s a musician from Portland, Oregon, and I saw her play here in Nashville. She’s like a writer from the future, expressing all of our feelings in such a poetic way and telling us everything we need to know and feel. I was just basking in her writing, in her performance. She’s flawless.
“I also got to see [the Broadway musical] Hadestown. Anaïs Mitchell is one of my favorite songwriters of all time, and seeing her play was very profound.
“Also, a record I’ve been spinning a lot this year is Your Hand Forever Checking On My Fever, by Amanda Bergman. Beautiful record. She’s a Swedish artist who I absolutely adore.”
What’s your dream show or festival?
KD: “My dream project would be to build a musical space to host and work with other artists in my community. I feel that whatever the outcome would be, it would be profound and meaningful. I see a lot of folks in my community who just need the time and means to record their music — I’d love to help be a part of making something like that happen.”
Kylie Dailey’s new album, Way Past Taken, releases on all major streaming platforms February 28, 2025. Listen to Kylie’s entire discography below, and keep an eye out for the next edition of Behind the Sound.
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