If you dig any kind of iteration of modern Electro or Industrial then I Ya Toyah has something for you! And with upcoming EP (Our review is due soon), I am the Fire, fans get a taste of that broad spectrum over just 5 tracks. It also helps that this particular outing was produced by Stabbing Westward’s own Walter Flakus AND features SW vocalist Christopher Hall on one of the tracks (The just released “Dream Not A Dream” remix). That said, the new release is just the tip of the iceberg on what looks to be a banner year for I Ya Toyah with teases of even more new music coming, some high profile tours already booked (Cold Waves!) and so much more! Recently, we were lucky enough to get the opportunity to chat with I Ya Toyah over email about all the recent buzz, defining the “I Ya Toyah sound”, and what makes a collaboration work among other topics all of which you can read below:
RNRF: You’ve been seemingly unstoppable since arriving on the scene in 2017 with a constant stream of music since. With so much music already, where does your inspiration and creativity come from? And with the amount of music you’ve already created, do you prefer the studio to the stage or vice versa and why?
I Ya Toyah: “Creating music is one of the main ways for me to not only express myself, but also to communicate certain feelings and subjects to connect with the outside world. It’s addictive when you see it actually works – because it fuels not only further creativity, but also the levels of fulfillment, satisfaction, and a sense of belonging – we are not alone in this whole human experience. I’ve always been inspired by the human condition – everything that comes within this territory. So, by default that point of inspiration is kind of endless. I usually reach within myself for songwriting material. Oftentimes it just comes to me, in the weirdest, most random moment. Life is such an inspiration, every step of the way.
As an answer to solving the everlasting conflict between choosing stage vs studio, I must say that I choose both, equally. Both are extremely fulfilling to me, studio is the place where I can cleanse my soul and ornamentalize the intangible with the production process. It helps me validate the feelings I feel, make them real with all the tools of expression I get to choose when creating. It’s good for my mental health, and it gets extremely rewarding when later on I learn that so many people associate with the exact same sentiments. Stage, on the other hand, is pure catharsis. It’s where I thrive, reconnecting with the meanings of the songs while exchanging priceless energy with fans. It’s where I wanna be every night, there is nothing like that.”
With such an impressive range of music out that effortlessly navigates so many aspects of Electro, Industrial, and Darkwave to name a few, how would you describe your sound to someone just listening for the first time?
“It’s a great question. So, I just found out recently that my new ‘I am the Fire‘ EP, which is technically not even released yet – it is still in pre-order mode…is a #1 on bandcamp charts for Genre – Bending. It’s also very high on Electronic Rock charts, and on Dark Pop and Alternative music. This being said, I am so happy about this because I don’t want to be put in the box – boxes will never define my personality and my sound. There are so many genres I love, so many that I find fitting my array of expressions – alternative rock, industrial, electronica, metal, dark pop, jazz, synthwave, soul, and I could just keep going… I love playing with different styles, and bringing something new to the table of musical landscape – something familiar yet unique in its own way. Genre – Bending is definitely my (non)box, haha.”
When it comes to live performances, how important for you is it to replicate the sounds made in the studio to a live setting? Have there been songs yet to be played live due to constraints in that regard?
“I try my best to stay close to the sound of studio sound design in terms of certain effects and the structure for live shows. I like extending some sections of the songs here and there, make more attention-grabbing intros, emphasize my live guitar parts = make them more gritty, more ‘live’, and definitely leave myself some freedom in terms of vocal performance, meaning, if I want to do something different, I can – for the most part. My live show has to be planned out and sort of scripted- but only to the point. As a solo performer, I rely on triggers, looping, hardware and software controlling, backtracking of particular sounds, so it has to be ‘ on click ‘ – which I have in my in-ear monitor. If I skip the beat or come in late, things will fall off the wagon.
From all my releases there is only one song so far that I never played live – Out of Order released in 2021. The reason is, I love singing live and this song is mostly spoken, with some vocalizations and then a bigger singing part right at the end. I guess it is not satisfying enough but I am not giving up on this one. This might be the one that sounds very different live – but time will tell. Honestly, I haven’t been able to dwell over my releases too much, it’s been such a busy few years and my greatest problem with live performances is usually not enough time for the set, and dilemma which songs to choose for the show when I just wanna play them all.”
Speaking of the stage, you’ll be headed out in mid-April on tour in the US with Cold and Orgy. How did that opportunity come about? When in an opening slot, how do you balance a setlist that both grabs new fans while satisfying current ones with limited time to play?
“I am so excited for this tour! I knew about it two months before the official announcement, and when this offer came through I was dying to tell everyone! Both Orgy and Cold are iconic bands with so much talent that it blew my mind when their booking agent reached out. Since I am releasing so much new music this year, including the I am the Fire EP produced with and mixed by Walter Flakus of Stabbing Westward, I want to surprise my existing fans with new material, mix it up with the most high-energy songs from my previous releases. The new stuff is captivating, I hope it will grab everyone’s soul in the audience, both current and potential fans.
There was some serious group brainstorming that happened in order to co create this setlist – I reached out to a couple of industry people, and fans, and then asked the opinion of all my team members before making the final decisions. Also, I crafted the setlist based on the tour itself – to be able to complement the performances of Orgy and Cold, and also Horizon Theory who is on tour with us – to warm up the audiences so that the excitement builds up every single night making these shows a truly unforgettable experience from start to finish.”
Congrats on the Cold Waves announcement! Have you been previously either on the bill or as a fan? And as a Chicago-based artist, how important is it for you to be a part of this event that features a veritable who’s who of legendary and up & coming Electronic/Industrial artists?
“Thank you so much! It is a huge deal to be a part of this iconic festival. It will be my very first Cold Waves as a performer, however I came out as a fan numerous times. This has been my dream since the beginning of I Ya Toyah, and now that it’s happening I am simply honored to be able to represent Chicago, women in the scene, independent artists, you name it. Mostly, I feel so fulfilled because my fans have been asking me on repeat about when I’ll be on the bill. To give this to them is priceless. And I am bringing many extraordinary surprises for this show to further mark – in time and space – how special it is to be a part of it.”
You’ll soon be releasing I am the Fire produced by Stabbing Westward’s Walter Flakus featuring 3 new songs and 2 remixes. How did the collaboration with Walter come about and knowing his background with SW, did that alter the I Ya Toyah sound in any way?
“We talked about collaborating for a while. Walter did a remix of my ‘Pray’ single back in 2022 and since then we chatted about the possible work together. He then came out to my Chicago show and we officially decided this is going to happen. I started working on demo production at my home studio, and I think knowing that these songs will be involving Walter I added a bit of alternative rock twist to my compositions – which is natural as I love alternative rock. Then, we met and he was very enthusiastic about every single song – to my surprise. He suggested I focus on more hooks though. Which I did… And I am grateful for this advice. I kind of don’t want to look back now 🙂
As far as Walter’s side of production on these releases goes, there is definitely a touch of Stabbing-esque style and groove going on, stuff that you cannot miss, stuff that adds so much depth and power to these songs. I am just feeling so lucky to be able to work on music with my great idol – I’ve always been a fan of Stabbing Westward so all this feels quite surreal to me honestly.”
You worked with Walter and then his SW bandmate on the remix of “Dream not to Dream” (SW vocalist Christopher Hall) and in the past you’ve worked with Industrial supergroup The Joy Thieves as well as Rhys Fulber to name a few. What makes an artist the perfect partner to collaborate with and is there an artist out there you’ve yet to work with that’s on your bucket list to do something with in the future?
“I don’t think there is one perfect definition. It is more of a click, a connection that does this for me. It’s in the style, concept, level of adventurousness, and solid work ethics. All this is a perfect backdrop for musical magic to happen. My current bucket list of dream collaborations is led by one name: David Lynch. I love his cinematic arts and his music. I’d love to be able to create something – whether it’s new music, or a score, or visual art – with this extraordinary human.”
Wrapping up, and with all that’s on the horizon already, is there anything else you can tell us about what’s to come regarding more new music/guest appearances or tours for 2024 or beyond?
“I have things coming in the second part of the year, but it’s all yet to be announced officially. I can only say, more music is coming, and it will be better than anything you heard before from yours truly! It’s a busy year, but also the best one because I get to do what I love with such high intensity.
And, with this note I would like to thank all my supporters, followers, fans, every single person who tunes in, listens to my music, interacts with my posts, watches my videos, and adds to the rising streams list. THANK YOU for being here. Much love!”
I am the Fire releases on April 5th through Femme Fatale Records and can be yours by clicking here or on the stream below. For more from I Ya Toyah, including where to see her on tour with Cold and Orgy soon (But not Boston because we be SOLD OUT!), join the CULT and head to all the socials collected conveniently here.
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