Amanda Kind has been singing since she was a young child; today, she’s a vocal powerhouse. Her newest release is a song entitled ‘Easier’ that gives listeners an emotional, in-depth look into Amanda’s life as well as a relatable song about the types of heartbreak we experience in our lives.
Looking to hit just the right emotionally charged words, she wrote the song alongside songwriter and producer Sam Hillifer.
“As personal as “Easier” is, Sam and I considered many kinds of loss when writing this song. We talked about all the kinds of loss where the other person is still out there living in the world: divorce, one-sided breakups, losing someone slowly to dementia or Alzheimer’s, fractured friendships, broken families. The scenarios where you thought that that person would always be in your life and now they aren’t,” said Kind of the impetus for the new release.
“Now that the song has been out there for a few days, I am blown away by how many people have experienced the same sense of sadness having to ‘grieve someone who’s still alive.’ Tons of people have messaged me about the song and that specific lyric in the bridge.”
Kind noted that’s her favourite lyric in the new song, as it can reflect an emotion many heartbroken people are feeling.
“I experienced a difficult breakup that was not my choice. Knowing that someone you loved is out there in the world happier without you is a complicated pain. You’re grieving the loss of that relationship, your life changes in an uncomfortable way, and you also feel the sting of rejection. People tell you that time heals all wounds, but does it? I kept thinking ‘does it get easier?’ That question turned into a refrain.”
Music was something instilled into her at an early age. She remembers singing alongside her family as a small child. Kind had a musical family surrounding her growing up, as her mother was a recreational piano player. One of her favourite artists to sing to is the high-pitched Mariah Carey; though that’s a tough range to reach, she admits it’s fun to try.
“I think I’ve always been drawn to really interesting voices, especially virtuosic voices – I’m always surprised by how incredible Ella Fitzgerald scats and the range on someone like Mariah Carey,” added Kind.
Her upcoming plans include shooting a music video for ‘Easier’ that is set to come out in the middle of September after three or four rearrangements due to the pandemic. The main location for the music video is set at the Registry Theatre in Kitchener.
“I don’t think I would create what I’m creating right now if there wasn’t a pandemic – people have been able to build new relationships, so I expect over the next few years we will see more new music than we ever thought we would because people have the space to be creative now,” said Kind, speaking about how Spotify and other online music sites have given artists the ability to go out on their own without a big music company behind them.
Along with writing and recording music, Kind is also a sought-after vocal coach. Teaching singing virtually has been a challenge for her, but it has allowed her to take on more clients. While ‘Easier’ is the first song she has created of her own music in nearly a decade, during that time she was busy helping growing Canadian talent hit the spotlight. She became the artistic director for one of Canada’s top youth choirs and multi-time winner of Show Choir Canada, KW Glee. The group has made a name for itself as a training resource for many up-and-coming musicians or musical theatre performers.
“Songwriting is a form of therapy for me, so creating “Easier” was cathartic and an essential gateway to healing for me. Ironically, it helped me process the pain and made it easier to accept. I hope it will strike a chord with others who have experienced the dissolution of an important relationship. It’s a special kind of grief.”
