Stay Calm / Frustration
Kyla Kilzer & Max Noir

After introducing themselves with the introspective and atmospheric “Break Through”, Brighton-based 23-year-old singer-songwriter Kyla Kilzer and Jersey-born producer Max Noir return with “Stay Calm / Frustration.” A double single that captures two sides of the same emotional coin: release and tension, serenity and self-confrontation.

The release marks the announcement of their debut EP, Sip & Wonder, a project that traces growth, self-reflection, and the art of slowing down. Across the record, Kyla and Max craft a world that’s equal parts intimate and expansive, music that feels like a conversation between two people learning, healing, and experimenting in real time. It’s the sound of patience rewarded, of lessons learned and cycles broken, a gentle reminder that taking your time is sometimes the fastest way to grow.

Opening the double single, “Stay Calm” unfolds like a deep breath, a tender, minimalist moment drifting between lo-fi soul and meditative alt-R&B. Written as a mantra to ease anxiety, the track finds Kyla grounding herself through sound. “This song is about our lovely friend Anxiety,” Kyla shares. “It was something I had to overcome most days, and I could never have done it without music. While writing, I imagined what words would comfort someone listening. In the chorus, I talk about using your five senses to stay calm, exactly how my mum taught me.”

Then comes “Frustration,” its shadow twin. Built on dusty percussion and a hip-hop swing laced with Spanish-tinged rhythm, the track channels restlessness into rhythm. Kyla’s vocals shift from silk to steel as she turns anger into motion, while Max’s production keeps the pulse steady and hypnotic. “I was angry with myself,” Kyla admits, “but we just poured it all into the music and came out with this lovely piece.” Max adds, “I love how the breathy vocal layers in the chorus reflect the feeling of frustration, building up in intensity as the track progresses.”

Together, the two tracks chart the movement between stillness and storm, the quiet moments when clarity arrives, and the messy ones that make it possible. They showcase Kyla and Max’s instinctive chemistry: songs that feel spontaneous but intentional, emotional but composed.