On the Come Up: Jayla Darden

ASCAP “On the Come Up” chronicles ASCAP’s rising urban songwriters and producers.

Rising R&B dynamo Jayla Darden is an artist of many talents. The singer, songwriter, guitarist and audio engineer (among other things) has released a steady stream of distinctive singles and EPs, and made waves recently when she was featured on a segment of H.E.R.’s IG Live series “Girls with Guitars”. We caught up with Jayla to hear some more about her journey as a young musician, as well as the path that led her from her native Detroit to Atlanta, and finally to Los Angeles. Be on the lookout for new music, dropping soon...

 

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I want to start at the beginning of your story. So I know you're originally from Detroit. How was it living in Motown, and did the city's music scene influence you in any way?

I felt like it did subconsciously, because I didn't technically grow up wanting to make music. I just kind of loved music and then eventually got into it.

You moved to Atlanta during your teenage years. Tell me about your upbringing and how you made your way down south.

When I started to create music, my mom had her band from Detroit, and she just felt that I would have a better opportunity moving to Atlanta. I also had a cousin who was in Atlanta, who had moved from Detroit. So she had opportunities for me to work in studios and stuff like that. That didn't actually work out, and I was just creating at home. But yeah, that's why she moved, she felt like it was a better opportunity.

 

Wow, that's amazing that you have a mom who supported you like that. Because careers in music are some of the most sought-after careers, and there are a lot of people who don't have that type of support system that believes that it's possible. Outside of your mom, was there anybody else who supported you in your dream growing up?

 

It was mainly her, all the big moves were her every step of the way. She was pushing me to grow. So yeah, the main support system was her.

 

After moving to Atlanta, you studied engineering at SAE Institute.  What led you to become an engineer?

I ended up working from home. So I was also recording myself at home, but I felt so limited from lack of knowledge. I wanted to learn what I was actually doing. And also, I didn't really have much interest in things I could go to a university for, but I knew I wanted to go to school. So that's what led me to go to SAE.

 

I think that's a beautiful thing. Audio engineering has so much room for growth, if you're good at it. Engineers are very important in the creative process, but they just don't get the credit that they deserve. Why do you think that engineers are so important?

It really depends…I know from working with other artists' engineers who really guide you. Like, if a take was bad, or you feel like you could do better, then they’re pushing you. They make you sound good. At the end of the day, a good mix can really change the whole vibe of the song. 

For sure. For you to be a woman engineer...I mean, I don't want to say that’s rare, because you do meet women engineers, but how many were in your class?

I think I was the only one that finished with my class. There were definitely fewer women than men. There were probably like 10 women, maybe, [out of] like 300 people. 

I can believe it. It's beautiful that you're able to take your engineering and create beautiful music with your voice. It's also great that you understand the science behind the sound and the art of engineering...and your voice is so angelic. To top it off, you play guitar beautifully. Who are some of the people that saw it first, who knew you had something special?

There was Rachel. I don't know if you ever heard of "I Beat Daily.” It's like a beat competition that she does. She also does songwriters in the beginning of those competitions. Just like to place them, not actually the competition part. She let me go up there for free. I was I think 17 at the time, and I played a song I had been working on. It hadn't come out yet and everybody in the room went crazy. That was the moment I was like, “Okay yeah!” I got hungry. She saw for sure. 

And there was a guy, his name was Jake, and he was the choir director at my church when I was in Michigan...My mom was like, "You got to do it, or I'll do it." So she's a poet, and so what she did was she wrote these songs. Mind you she's 20 years older than me. So singing these songs from her perspective, I was like “Nah.” That pushed me to write my own songs. 

  

When you were working with these different people, what artists were you most often compared to?  

I didn't really grow up listening to them, but people always compared me to Brandy and they always compare me to Aaliyah. When I was really getting into it, because people kept comparing me so much, I would go and listen to them. And I was like, “Oh my god, I love this.” And I was listening to every album they had for months straight, so that kind of led to me really being inspired by them. The crazy part about it is that I was born in ‘98. So when these artists came out, I was just born.

I mean, those are huge compliments. Two very legendary people. 

At the time I didn't know it, but then I was like, “Oh my God.” 

Atlanta has a reputation of being a place where people can collaborate and build together.   Were there any valuable relationships that you made in Atlanta that helped to propel you forward to the next level in your career?

  

It was definitely India Shawn and Henny Tha Bizness. They were both my mentors at the same time. Henny produces and India writes and sings. So they were both really helping mold me at the time. Other than that, I was a recluse that kind of stayed to myself. I'm just now really getting into collaboration, because I realize how important it is to the process. I think then I was just kind of getting confident in who I was, and now I am so it's easier to collaborate.

Eventually you left us in Atlanta, and moved to LA. So how's your experience been out there?

It's been good. It's been really good. I felt like I didn't really know too many people who were making R&B in Atlanta. I wasn't really in that scene. When I came out to LA, I knew more people making the type of music that I made. So that's how I ended up here.

Do you feel like moving to LA has helped you to grow even more as an artist? Musically? Lyrically? Sonically?

  

For sure. Being here, when I'm in studios, it's kind of open. It's a lot of people moving around. I feel like in Atlanta, everybody has their people. Everybody works together, but it's hard to, you know, really tap in because everybody already has their people. Here, people just come in and out of studios and meet people. Now I've got a session with that person I met yesterday. Next day somebody else will come in, and I'll have a session with this person. It's an ongoing thing. I definitely grow from just being around different types of people. I feel like everybody here is just working.

Since being in LA, you were featured on H.E.R.’s IG Live series “Girls with Guitars” in an incredible performance, featuring some background vocals from H.E.R. I know that's gotta be a great feeling. 

  

Yeah, that was dope. Her manager hit me. I think I was just on [IG Live] one day. He was like, “We gotta get you on ‘Girls with Guitars.’” But yeah, it was definitely felt. I didn't even realize she was singing with me until like, halfway through. I was like, “Oh.”

You know, Instagram can be a tough crowd. Everybody is commenting from their keyboards from their home. But the love was definitely there. And I think it's because you're really, really raw and people love it. So that's dope. Your future's looking bright. Tell me what you're working on right now. And what's next for you?

Right now I'm just creating and trying to be more active on socials. I know that's a big thing. Like I said, I'm a recluse. I have to force myself to be active. I'm making music. I'm working on putting the project together. I'm just trying to figure out how I want to package it. Yeah, I got a lot of stuff in the vault waiting on the right time.

So when can we look forward to the project? 

Definitely this year. I have to put something out this year.

 

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Follow Jayla Darden on Instagram and Twitter // Visit her online at jayladarden.com

Interview transcribed by Chase Stokes