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A clean solo show for Red Deer pop singer Kayla Williams

She takes a break from The Dirrty Show to perform G-rated original tunes
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Kayla Williams (contributed photo by Erin Buhr).

Kayla Williams is planning to sing some “pretty pop songs” — that have nothing to do with sex acts — at a family-friendly solo show this week in Red Deer.

The softer side of Williams, best known for being half of the ribald The Dirrty Show duo, will be heard in The Ladies of Song concert Thursday night at The Krossing (formerly Fratters). This single/video release party for William’s new track, One More Dose will also include performances by local singer/songwriters Kaylee Rose and Randi Boulton.

While Williams will be singing original “happy love songs and sad breakup songs,” it doesn’t mean she’ll be shaking her other musical half altogether. Her Dirrty Show partner Melody Stang will be accompanying on bass guitar as part of a band that also includes Jeremy Doody on guitar and Ryan Marchant on drums.

Williams sees something intrinsically funny about doing a solo show that still includes her duo partner — albeit in a supporting role. But she and Stang, both Red Deer College music program graduates, “have been tied at the hip” since meeting at a Ponoka elementary school in Grade 3.

“This really will be something completely different,” Williams promised. “I’ll be performing some good, old-fashioned singer/songwriter stuff — and it will still be catchy.”

Her solo music focuses on life experiences — both good and bad — and on recently turning 30, which she sees as a little bit of both: “I feel like now I’m more of an adult. When you’re 30, you can’t claim to be as naive about life. It’s like, you can still have fun, but now you make better decisions!”

Early feedback on her single One More Dose tune has been pretty positive, she added.

The four-minute track was born out of a painful time — Williams had tried ending things with a former boyfriend, but found herself drawn back to a relationship that both parties knew wasn’t working.

“It’s… about how you just need to get one more dose of this person… even though you know it isn’t right.”

The emotional ballad caused some tears when she recorded the song last spring with Red Deer producer Heath West at his Melodious Design studio. Williams has since gained distance from the lyrics, but still feels proud of capturing some human emotions many have experienced.

She would love to hear her new single get radio play, and feels the video created by local videographer Erin Buhr, of Crowquill Productions, will help draw online attention to it.

At some point, Williams hopes to record a new EP.

She’ll be busy, in the meantime, performing at clubs around Alberta as a solo artist and with Stang as part of The Dirrty Show. Williams also joined the new cast of Bull Skit, so will be stretching herself in a new direction with improv comedy.

For tickets to The Ladies of Song, please contact The Krossing venue.

lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com