Photo by: Sophie Perras

Up-and-coming Montreal artist Raff Pylon is a widely talented multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, producer and songwriter. Most recently a contestant on La Voix, Pylon first started out as a member of Bridgeway – who charted on Quebec radio from 2012 to 2018 and is set to do the same with his new music.

Nearing the end of 2018, Pylon returned to the studio as a one-man-act. Collaborating with renowned producers such as Rob Wells (Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, the Backstreet Boys), Grammy-winning producer Earl Powell (Jennifer Hudson, The Jacksons) and Ben Pelchat (Boy George), Pylon went on to release his first solo single “Can’t Let You Go” in 2019. Through his work with Earl Powell, Pylon met the legendary Tito Jackson (The Jackson 5) who happened to love his sound.

Jackson and Pylon met up again, but this time with a purpose – to create the much-needed release of “King’s Lane.” Pylon’s newest single showcases a softer side of his familiar pop melodies, with an added R&B twist. The uplifting track is a vessel for messages reflecting positivity, unity and embracing our beautiful differences – focused on inspiring people during these unprecedented times and the uprising of the Black Lives Matter movement. 

“Music is how I share my views with the world, I want to share positivity and bring people together. It’s the reason why I make music. To not only showcase my artistry but to unite listeners through the melodic sounds and lyrical styling while spreading messages of peace and harmony.”


“King’s Lane” is a reflection of a dream Pylon once had, where he saw a path of millions of roses leading up to a European style castle. He turned this vision into a melody on his piano to bring his dream to life.

“I thought if millions of roses were people on earth, reflecting the various cultures and differences amongst us, sharing the same space and cohabiting together it makes such a beautiful and tranquil sight to see.” 


Although La Voix's eighth season was forced to halt production due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pylon has been using his time to produce covers from his home studio which – along with fellow contestants', were presented online as a series called “Piano Sessions”  during the show's usual broadcast time. He hasn't been able to share his music on television but Pylon continues to connect with fans and act as a effervescent beacon of light, spreading messages that are crucial to today's society.

Tell us about your experience being on Canada’s The Voice (La Voix): 


I’ve had a very good time on the show so far! I got to learn a lot about what’s going on behind the scenes of a big production like this one and it’s been very interesting to see! Plus it was really great to work with the coaches! They’re all great artists that I respect very much, so it was really nice to learn from them.

What can you tell us about your new track ‘King’s Lane’? 


Well it’s a funny story. I woke up one morning with this vision from the dream I just had: a stone path leading to a castle with millions of roses of many different colours on each side. I also had the melody for the song as I opened my eyes, so I went up to the piano and started putting all of it together, telling the story of my dream over the melody. When I got to the chorus, I realized that the true message of the song was, if we were able to live together the same way these roses are, cohabitating in their common space and sticking together as a whole even though they’re all of different colours, it would make the world just as beautiful as the image I had in my dream! That was two years ago and we hadn’t released the song yet for many different reasons. But after witnessing everything that happened in the past months around the world, and especially in North America, I felt compelled to send it out as I needed to share my thoughts with the world, and “King’s Lane” was the best way to express myself.

The track features the legendary Tito Jackson. How was your experience working with him? How did that collaboration come about? 


Working with Tito was great! I’m extremely happy with the results coming out of the process. We actually met through my producer Earl Powell, who worked on projects for both the Jacksons and Tito himself in the past. When I went to record “King’s Lane” in LA, we actually did it in Tito’s home studio, which was a great surprise for me as I didn’t know beforehand! Later in the week Tito came back from London and that’s how we met, then he heard the song and said he really liked it! So when we decided to release the song it felt natural to ask him if he wanted to be a part of the project, and we were very happy to hear that he was up for it! The track sends a message about unity.

How important is it to use your platform to help spread messages that are crucial to society? 


It’s very important to me and I try to inspire my fellow artists to do the same as much as possible. I truly believe we can have a valuable and positive impact on society by way of our collective output to people, namely through social and conventional media. Most people, myself included, rely highly on music to go through their days, whether good or bad. And sometimes we as artists forget the power of our lyrics and how important it is to use our art to bring people together. Being aware of that, I try to do it as much as I can.

The music industry was hit hard due to the pandemic, do you have any advice for other creators during this time? 


Be creative in your own way! With so many of our conventional practices put on hold, we all have to find different ways to reach out to our audience and now’s the best time to think outside the box!

What’s next for Raff Pylon? 


I have plenty more music coming your way in the next year! We are working hard making these songs ready for you to hear and hopefully, if things settle back down in the next few months, I will be able to come somewhere near you and perform live! I can’t wait to go back on tour and play!




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raffpylon.com
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