KTL Debuts with ‘Hush,’ A Unique Combination of Fingerstyle Acoustics and Lyrical Stories

Bay-area singer-songwriter KTL has debuted his first EP release entitled Hush. Dropping on March 5th, Hush eloquently showcases KTL’s fingerstyle guitar and soulful roots with five tracks that exemplify his soothing vocals and introspective lyrics. Citing influences like Sufjan Stevens, Ben Howard, and Jose Gonzalez, it’s no surprise that Hush is an instantly gratifying soundscape for the soul.

As KTL’s debut EP, he admits that the five chosen tracks are a culmination of trial and error. “Some of the tracks on this EP I wrote five or six years ago, while others came together in the last 12 months,” says KTL. “The process of creating this EP was the process of learning how to write songs that felt authentic to me, then learning how to record them, and then finding a way to make them hold up against other professional recordings — the last of which I never would have gotten close to without others’ help.”

Each of the tracks centers around specific moments in the artist’s life and serves as launch points for the kind of emotion he is trying to convey. KTL says that “Space Between” was inspired after a difficult trip left him searching for a way to ground himself while “Hideaway” is about a revelatory dream helping you realize something you only knew subconsciously before, and how to deal with it in waking life. He goes on to explain that each track tells a story, but beyond that, tries to convey an overall feeling to the listener that transcends the lyrics.

“I wasn’t sure I was going to release these songs as a single project, but found over the course of creating them that there was a commonality to them — each track deals with a different kind of insecurity, whether it’s a high school kid who’s unsure how to talk to his crush (“Dust”), or the fear of letting life go by without making a mark on the world (“Picture Frames”). There’s a catharsis in writing about these feelings and overall hopefulness in the songs that despite these fears, things will work out if you put yourself out there.”

As an admittedly shy person, the result of this EP represents the struggle between fearing the spotlight and yet still wanting to express himself musically. Without a doubt, KTL has found that perfect middle ground to let the listeners in so they can experience the stories of each song alongside him.

Cover art for ‘Hush’ by KTL