'I'm doing something important with myself': Newman uses personal loss to fuel music career

Aug. 1—When Kayla Newman realized she had a knack for performing, she began to showcase it to the people she was the closest to.

"I've been putting on little shows for my family since I can remember," Newman, 32, said, "(and) making them sit down and turn off the TV and watch me sing and dance to whatever song I picked."

Newman, an Owensboro native who performs under the name Kayla Nicole, said there wasn't a moment that made her realize she wanted to pursue music.

"I just kind of started doing it," she said.

Early on, she found influences in rock music — particularly highlighting the late Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Temple of the Dog and the grunge band Nirvana — in part by her late mother Tinki Cook.

"My mom ... was really big into music and ... we were constantly listening to something," Newman said. "She had a huge CD collection. She always went to concerts (like) Ozzfest. She was a huge metal head; that was her thing."

Newman said she and Cook saw "over 100 bands live."

But for someone who described herself as "always really shy with people" growing up, Newman didn't go performing right out of the gate.

Her first time being on stage was during her freshman year at Apollo High School as a member of the drama club.

"I walked out on stage for my first play and I was really, really into practicing my lines and I really wanted to do good," Newman said, "but the whole thing kind of flopped and I was terrified when I was out there. I was so embarrassed and I didn't know what to do.

"And so I never got back on stage again after that."

But at the age of 25, Newman decided to make her public debut singing and playing guitar at an open mic night at the former Taylor's Bar & Grill off West Parrish Avenue, hosted by fellow musician Josh Merritt.

"... I think I was going through some stuff and I've always written poems and music and stuff, but I never really tried to play and sing at the same time," she said. "I just lost my great-grandmother at the time and my family was kind of falling apart ...; and when you go through loss, you've got to have something."

Without Merritt's encouragement, Newman said that she would have "never gotten on stage."

"I always tell him that I appreciate him for that," she said.

Newman began performing her own original material before expanding her repertoire with covers that she felt she best connected with.

She started playing at different venues such as Brasher's Lil' Nashville, Ten O Six and at the former Milligan's Bar location and the Boiler Room Bar. She began getting contacted by different venues for gigs throughout the region and has even been featured in some of Theatre Workshop of Owensboro's monthly cabaret nights.

Newman realized she feels the most comfortable being herself juxtaposed to portraying a character in the theatre world.

"Someone came up to me after one of the other performers (at TWO's cabaret night) and told me how authentic I was," she said, "and I never heard anyone tell me that before .... I kind of held on to that because I always say that I'm really nervous before I do a performance, and then when I get on stage and start — it's like a different person.

"... I really let all my emotions out in my music (and) all that shyness and nervousness is gone."

Recently, Newman stepped away from the public eye when her mother passed away after a six-year battle with breast cancer in March.

However, Newman is using her mother's loss as fuel to get her back out there.

"My mom was my biggest fan ... and she always pushed me to do what I love no matter what it was, not just with music," she said. "I know that if I just hung it up because I was too sad, that's not what she would want.

"She never was sad about (the diagnosis). She was hilarious and she would always make jokes about it and she was just really funny; and I'm trying to take that energy and use it to continue doing what I like to do and not let it get me down because she wouldn't let it get her down.

"It really helps me (that) when I play, it makes me feel like she's there."

While Newman predominantly performs blues and rock covers, she plans to slowly sneak in some originals into future sets.

Though anger comes and goes throughout the grieving process, Newman said keeping the music alive goes beyond healing and wants to set a good example for her two children.

"My daughter is 13 and she is starting high school. She just got her first guitar for her 13th birthday and she wants to follow in my footsteps," Newman said, "and I can't not continue on."

And Newman still wakes up every day knowing what she's capable of doing with her voice and a song.

"I love making people laugh, and sing-a-long, and clap and have a good time," she said. "I love seeing people happy; and even if I'm sad, if I can do something to make someone else happy — it makes me feel like I'm doing something important with myself."

For more information, visit facebook.com/kaylanicolemusic1.