KayLynne Shaw’s feather-light voice and soulful lyrics hit iTunes and Spotify just in time to encourage homesick students to look to their own “Northern Star” when they feel far from home.
Released Aug. 24, 2016, sophomore KayLynne recorded acoustic “Northern Star” at Inside Out Studios in Farmington, Arkansas. The song features her younger brother, Samuel Shaw, on vocals and guitar.
KayLynne wrote “Northern Star” on the day she left home for her freshman year at Hillsdale College.
“I wrote the whole thing in one sitting,” KayLynne said. “It just flowed. I wrote it at the piano and then I left [for Hillsdale].”
In “Northern Star,” KayLynne captures both the feelings when her family moved from Oklahoma to Arkansas in 2009 and how she dealt with leaving her family, specifically her brother Samuel, when she departed for college.
“At some time during our lives, we all make hard decisions, wondering if the difficulty that follows is a sign that we made a wrong choice,” said Leslie Shaw, KayLynne’s mother and voice teacher. “I believe that we can all relate to that. I love how real her lyrics are to people of all ages and walks of life.”
At first, KayLynne sang “Northern Star” as a solo, but eventually invited her younger brother Samuel to sing it with her.
“My little brother Samuel is my best friend,” Kaylynne said. “I wanted to make something that would capture our relationship.”
KayLynne sings the first verse, which details her leaving, and Samuel leads the second, which speaks to his experience after his sister, his “best friend and biggest encourager,” left.
“This song evokes a mixture of emotions, whether it be sadness from missing her or happiness because she was thinking of me when she wrote it,” Samuel said. “Our relationship definitely has an amazing effect on the music we create. It gives the music a sense of authenticity and raw emotion.”
KayLynne comes from a musical background. She is an active church musician, as are her parents and siblings. KayLynne said her mother, a musician by profession, has helped her daughter to grow musically “since day one.”
KayLynne said music, along with writing, is her creative outlet. She currently sings in the Hillsdale College Choir in addition to leading worship at SOMA campus ministry and Pine Ridge Bible Church.
KayLynne said she has compiled 10 songs for her upcoming album, but she does not know when she will release it. In the meantime, search for “Northern Star Kay” on Spotify or iTunes to give “Northern Star” a listen.
