The Musician Spotlight Series shines a light on up-and-coming bands and solo acts creating heartfelt and original work across genres, giving them an opportunity to talk about their music, their collaborators, and why they do what they do.
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“Vancouver, BC-based, The Heels is an all-female band composed of members Bobbi Smith, Brittni Dominelli and Kyla Rawlins. The trio’s mutual love of singing led them to join forces at a North Vancouver café co-owned by Kyla, where Brittni worked behind the counter and Bobbi was a regular. One thing led to another, and The Heels released their 2017 debut album, Love, Heels, and lead single, “Come Around,” which propelled the band to prominence in Western Canada, garnering them six nominations at the 2018 B.C. Country Music Awards and two BCCMA Awards. Continuing to build momentum, The Heels released their 2021 album, I Am, including the singles “Catch & Release,” featuring Canadian country superstar Aaron Pritchett and “Hush Money,” which racked up over 1 million views on TikTok and reached #1 in France, #6 in Ireland, #10 in Belgium and #13 in the UK on the iTunes Charts. In 2022, the band won the Josie Music Award for Best Country Trio, a show during which The Heels took the stage at the Grand Ole Opry House, and continued to tour widely in Canada and the United States.”
When did you know you wanted to be a musician?
Brittni: I grew up in a family full of musicians. My dad was a professional touring musician in a band with my uncle and naturally music was a huge part of our family gatherings. As a girl surrounded by so many working musicians I just assumed music was what you did when you grew up. I started singing harmonies with my dad, learning guitar and I fell in love with the stage and the spotlight through not only music but dance and music theatre. Eventually I learned adults had other jobs but music has always felt like my future. Music has been my comfort and my creative outlet through a lot of ups and downs and now I’m in a band with some of my closest friends and my husband.
Kyla: I knew I wanted to be a musician since preschool. I played Santa in my preschool play and loved performing for an audience. I was a natural born performer making up dances and singing songs for family and friends. My mom and my sister and I would spend hours dressing up in my moms fancy clothes and high heels dancing in front of the mirror. Musical theatre became a huge part of my childhood and I felt most comfortable on the stage.
Bobbi: Growing up my Dad listened to country music and would wake up early and turn on CMT music videos while my family were all still asleep. My mom says I would throw a fit when she would try and change the channel to Mr.Roger’s. I fell in love Reba McEntire and Tanya Tucker and I loved singing for my family and performing for the camera. My grandparents said the video camera was the best babysitter for me, the only thing that kept me in one spot. I was always very dramatic and emotional belting out heartbreak country songs about cheating and leaving with comical conviction for such a young age. Singing has always been what I loved to do most and I knew I wanted to grow up and be just like Reba with a big show, dramatic songs and costume changes.
Are you trained? How did you develop your skills?
Kyla: I am classically trained, I went to the Canadian College of Performing Arts on Vancouver Island and studied musical theatre and opera. Now I am a vocal coach for multiple artists giving in-person lessons and online sessions.
Bobbi: My mom stumbled on my voice teacher by dialling a wrong number. She said that she felt like I was a great singer but wanted to find a vocal teacher for me to see if she was biased or if I really was talented. She was returning a clients call and misdialed and heard an answering machine recording saying “If you’re looking for voice lessons please leave a message.” She was shocked and left a message explaining she had no idea what number she had just called so please call her back. I was ten years old and went to my first lesson to prepare for a talent show and I warmed up with my teacher -Monique Lefevbre -at the piano and when it came time to sing a song for her I chicken out and burst into tears. Shocking because at home in front of family I apparently never shut-up. My mom and I were about to leave and I changed my mind and I sang for my now vocal teacher of over 25 years now. I kept up with regular weekly lessons until I was in my late teens and then transitioned to training only to prepare certain songs and recording sessions. We, The Heels, still work with Monique. She has arranged harmonies for us on many of our singles and helps us choose unique arrangements, challenging our ears to choose new parts than we would naturally hear when creating our harmonies. We keep working with her to evolve our vocals and create dynamics and unpredictably within our songs and vocals.
Brittni: Growing up I learned harmonies and practiced with Dad. He was a rigorous coach and kept me stopping and starting again until I had perfected every part “with no dents.” Sometimes I was in tears but I appreciate how dedicated he was and the way it motivated me to always keep improving. I was in dance and theatre and spent hours rehearsing and mastering the stage and my stage presence. Today I’m raising my daughter and still making time to practice guitar and rehearse my parts. My daughter loves watching my husband and I rehearse for The Heels concerts and recordings.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Kyla: Growing I listened to Whitney, Celine & Shania. Today I still love the powerhouse divas I grew up on plus, Carrie Underwood, Mickey Guyton & Jessi J.
Brittni: My biggest musical influence would probably be my dad. Growing up I sang along to Christina Aguilera, danced to Britney Spears and The Spice Girls. I first learned harmonies with my Dad to a Sheryl Crow song and I love her music. Taylor Swift inspired me to write songs with my guitar and sing. Today I listen to a lot of my daughter’s favourite songs, “Tell My Ma” by The Rankin family, which was one of my favourite songs growing up too. The whole band knows it now and we have been known to listen to it on repeat during long road trips to keep her happy in her car seat.
Bobbi: Reba McEntire, Tanya Tucker & Michelle Wright were my influences growing up. Taylor Swift and her songwriting always inspires me today. I listen to a lot of The Heels today, we (The Heels) all do, we joke that we are our own biggest fans. We write songs we love and we put our hearts into every part we record so I think it’s only natural that I drive around playing and listening to our music.
How would you describe your sound?
Bobbi: Our sound is rooted in country music, a relatable honest genre we all share a love for, but because we all came from different backgrounds of music as solo artists in rock/pop, rnb/jazz & country it’s a unique fusion of styles creating a sound we feel is unlike any other artist.
What’s your favourite tune in your repertoire and why?
Brittni: This question really stumped us all. We all agree that because we are always creating new music we always have new favourites. Our moods also dictate what songs we love most because we have so many different emotions in each song. Some of our favourites haven’t even been recorded yet. We write so often that we can’t keep up with the production. We feel very lucky to have recorded and released so many songs and our last record had 16 songs on it because we couldn’t narrow down our favourites so we kept them all.
What can audiences expect from one of your live shows?
Kyla: Our live shows offer high energy entertainment from the moment we step on stage until the last note. We switch up lead parts and instruments, we have choreography, we dance, we beat drums, we toss t-shirts and aim to make the show not just about us and our music but about the audience too. It’s an experience for all.
Where can we find your music?
Kyla: All of our music is available on all music platforms and you can find everything linked on our website theheelsmusic.com
Instagram: @theheelsmusic
Twitter: @TheHeelsMusic
Facebook: /theheelsmusic
Website: theheelsmusic.com