The CHEEKY Issue: BAYLI

words BY AMany Khreis, photos by claudia chan

BAYLI is unbelievably sweet. From the moment I see her, she runs up to me like I’m an old friend and gives me a warm hug. It’s November in Madison and cold. We’re standing outside the Majestic Theatre where, in several hours, she’ll be performing. BAYLI is the type of person to worry about whether you’re cold or not, she says please and thank you often and she’s always smiling.  She’s a curious person; she wants to know why we’re named EMMIE and asks about the history behind our magazine. A singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, BAYLI has recently began releasing solo music following her time in The Skins and work she’s done for other artists. As a solo artist, she’s collaborated with artists like SOPHIE and now she’s opening up for Magdalena Bay on tour. BAYLI and I chatted about storytelling in music, why London means so much to her and how her music can be super cheeky, even if she’s a self-proclaimed nerd at heart.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

I always forget the story behind why it's called EMMIE. Oops. So M and E. Music and entertainment magazine. That's the history behind that. Well, since we're talking about the naming of EMMIE, you know, you go by just your first name…

For now! I haven't ever really thought about it. I just thrust myself into that space. When I was a young, young teenager, I had a band called The Skins. And after we stopped being a band, I kind of just went into songwriting, writing for other artists and now, I'm doing solo work. I thought, why not just keep it 100% real?

Yeah. So you've written for other artists? 

I'm called a topliner in music industry talk. So, really, I'll do a lot of hooks. I submit full songs for artists all the time. I've written for artists like Blu DeTiger.

Cool! And how has touring with Magdalena Bay been? 

They're the best! They were my faves from before. This is my first tour. I have done a few shows in New York, where I'm from, and a few promo shows. I did three dates in London, just one-off shows. This is really like back-to-back shows, seeing how audiences react. I'm doing the same setlist every night, so it's been really enlightening just seeing how people react to you because all of my music I made during COVID lockdown.

Your EP that you put out this year, it's called stories 2. I'm assuming that's following stories from new york?

stories from new york… that was my first time trying solo work. My first song ever released was “sushi for breakfast.” stories from new york is experiences and a self discovery in New York City, my hometown, very home based. It's been really cathartic for me. [stories 2] is also cathartic. The only difference is I wrote these songs in new, different territories: LA, some in Canada, “TELLY BAG” I wrote in Brooklyn… just trying to capture the essence of the cities that I wrote the songs and what I was feeling in those moments. So same concept as stories from new york, except I'm trying to capture what I was experiencing in those new places. 

You talked about how you might have wanted to move to England. Has that happened yet?

Earlier this year, I went to London. I got to travel around the country a little bit. I was mostly busy doing one-off shows and interviews. It was really a press run, but I don't know, I still have that craving of living somewhere else and just taking in that new inspiration because I've been in New York my whole life. New York is a cool city, but I'm craving that change of pace. I think that's why I wanted to go for something like stories 2, where I’m capturing these different cities, these different places. London will always remain special because my mom is from London. 

Has your mom influenced your music in any way?

Definitely. She's super cool. I call my parents the first hipsters. They're just very artsy people. Really eclectic. I grew up in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, which is the home of hip-hop, where all the greats are from. But my mom was playing punk music and post-punk like The Stranglers and the Sex Pistols and all these alternative rock bands. It helped me understand that it’s okay to listen to different sounds.

What's the origin story with The Skins and why did it come to an end?

My siblings and I started doing music programs after school. We were really young, like 14. We started jamming in our basement and doing covers of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath and we had two friends from music school join us. We started making our own music and went semi- viral on YouTube, started getting show offers and everything linked up. That's really how I started doing music more seriously. We were together for a few years — we worked with amazing people like Rick Rubin. Then we just got older and everyone wanted to do different types of music. It was kind of that natural, organic thing where you kind of just wanted to free each other up. We stopped playing together, but it was very mutual and respectful, just being in a new phase of life.

I have to talk about “cheeky” before we go. What does that word mean to you?

Cheeky is so British. It's like, do your parents or aunts or anything say ‘fresh?’ I think it's just my community. They'll say, ‘you're being fresh, chill out.’ If you're doing a lot or being too much. It's kind of being sassy. Cheeky… You're being a little mischievous. So we love a cheeky moment anywhere we can get it. I feel like a nerd, like a shy person, but I think people think of me as cheeky and a provocative artist. I don't hate it! That makes me sound so much cooler! I like to talk about things in my lyrics that maybe people don't talk about on a regular basis. So I think there's a little bit of cheekiness in my music at least.

I was gonna say… even the title “sushi for breakfast,” it's cheeky. 

It’s very cheeky.