Plenty has changed for Kylie Van Slyke since they released their debut album as Kylie V in 2021—which is bound to be the case for anyone between the ages of 17 and 20. Musically speaking, the span of time between their first collection of indie-folk tunes, Big Blue, and the present has seen them gravitate toward more upbeat sounds, as heard on the lead single from Van Slyke’s forthcoming album, Crash Test Planes. According to the Vancouver-based songwriter, “Wish I Was in Bed” embraced the vibe of “gay Sheryl Crow” in its earliest iteration.
“‘Wish I Was In Bed’ all fell out of my brain in one go, and I think I brought it to the studio the same week I wrote it, which is unheard of for me,” Kylie V shares of the song, which sounds every bit as natural as they indicate. “Something in me was just convinced it needed to come out, because it felt like a little bit of a 180 from my usual sort of slower, more poetic writing. Josh [Eastman] and I threw together the track fairly quickly as well, since it’s short, relatively simple, and I had a somewhat clear idea of what I wanted it to sound like.”
Like the rest of the new album, the single was the result of a more honest and open approach to songwriting, bringing a more autobiographical approach to these recordings in lieu of the broader lyricism of Big Blue. “It was songwriting for the sake of songwriting,” they note of their debut, “which isn’t necessarily good or bad to me, but now I have more experiences I feel the need to write about, more knowledge of myself, my emotions, and the world around me—all of which I think have helped hone that skill. ‘Wish I Was in Bed’ explores feelings just as uncomfortable as the rest of my songs, but at least I’m smiling while singing on this one.”
As a preview of the new album, “Wish I Was in Bed” feels like a significant step for Kylie V, an embrace of pop influences and a letting-go of perceived sonic boundaries. “I think this song is probably the most upbeat and fun on the record, maybe one of the most upbeat and fun songs I’ve put out,” they conclude. “I explore a bit more of that side on Crash Test Plane, as well as a healthy dose of country instrumentation on the production side and more obvious pop influences in my writing. I wanted this to feel like a Kylie V album to the people who know me from Big Blue, while also exploring more aspects of my music taste and influences.”
Check out the track’s video below, and pre-order Crash Test Plane ahead of its November 15 release via Royal Mountain Records here.
