Earlier this year, word got out that Malaysian singer Saint Kylo would be flying to Ireland to work with none other than Anderson .Paak. That has now become a reality. Kyren Thomas, better known as Saint Kylo, was named one of 20 artists worldwide chosen for Jameson Distilled Sounds 2025, a music platform put together by .Paak himself. The idea behind Distilled Sounds is simple: bring together artists from all corners of the globe, let them share their sound, culture, and ideas, and see what sparks. Anderson .Paak, the Grammy-winning powerhouse, is back for the second year running to guide the sessions—hosting workshops, leading panels, and, of course, jumping on stage for some unforgettable live sets.
For those just discovering him, Saint Kylo is one of Malaysia’s most exciting young voices. He’s hard to pin down genre-wise, mixing soul, funk, R&B, and hip hop into something that feels both retro and fresh. His songs range from raw and heartfelt to wild and experimental—take Love$truck or the cheeky Carole Baskin, which slides from a chilled groove into a tribal drum workout. On stage, he’s electric, with the kind of presence that gets the whole room moving like it’s the disco era again. Kylo credits his dad for shaping his musical taste, introducing him early on to legends like B.B. King, James Brown and Michael Jackson. Those influences are clear if you’ve ever caught him live—he was born to perform. After years of open mics, time with his previous band Ryot Jones, and going solo in 2020, he’s now stepping onto the international stage with a string of new releases on the way.
As for Anderson .Paak, he barely needs an introduction—the man behind Bubblin’, Come Down and Silk Sonic with Bruno Mars, not to mention his chops on the drums and a killer NPR Tiny Desk performance, he’s now putting his energy into championing rising talent from around the world.
At Jameson Distilled Sounds 2025, Saint Kylo teamed up with Dublin’s own Skinner–a multi-instrumentalist known for his punchy mix of new wave and post-punk revival. Together, they came up with Hollywood, an explosive track that bottles the rush of leaving your hometown behind to chase big-city dreams. Saint Kylo breaks down his journey with us.
How did you feel when you first found out you’d be mentored by Anderson .Paak? Was it excitement, pressure, or a mix of both?
Initially, it was nerve-racking, especially sitting down and having your music judged by a talent of his calibre. But by the end of the retreat, he made us all feel super comfortable and chilled when it came to owning and showcasing our music. He knows how to bring out the best in people with his energy.
To work under Anderson .Paak’s guidance—what was that experience like, and what were some of the biggest lessons you took away from him?
The biggest takeaway I got was just to be yourself and to treat people nicely, and with respect. He was super nice to every single one of us and gave us his time and full attention whenever any of us had questions. Humility goes a long way in the music business—as well as trusting in your confidence as an artist.
Did that mentorship directly influence the sound and melody of Hollywood? If so, how did it shape your approach to the song?
Skinner and I just tried to include as many of our influences as artists into the song. We really wanted to make something super cohesive that screamed out “collab” in every sense of the word. I think anyone who knows either of us would hear those influences and our sounds wholly embedded in it.
Speaking of Hollywood, how did your collaboration with Skinner first come about? How were you paired with Skinner?
We got to know that we would be paired up a few weeks before the trip, just so we could get a head start on the prep and not have to fully rush while there. That helped a bunch. We passed demos back and forth, and he really liked the Hollywood demo I penned. And we locked in on it; threw in all our crazy ideas, and it all just went as smoothly as butter. I couldn’t have asked for a cooler collab partner; we gelled quickly.
Skinner’s sound feels quite different from yours. How did the two of you find a balance between your styles, and were there any surprising similarities you discovered while working together?
I think that comes with the years that we have under our belt doing this. We’re both chill creatives, and I think we bonded pretty easily on the fact that we knew this experience works best when both parties are willing to open up, explore, and just push boundaries. And both Skins and I love pushing boundaries.
I imagine there must have been moments where your ideas clashed—how did you handle disagreements in the studio and turn them into something productive?
I think our personalities would overcome any roadblock or stumble. We’re both extremely open, chill, and understanding—any stumbling blocks would have been met with a lepak mindset. In fact, we’d both have just gone with the crazier of the ideas.
On a personal level, being an artist isn’t always easy. When your brain feels fried and you don’t feel like making music anymore (have you ever had the idea that you “don’t like music anymore”), what helps you push through and keep creating?
In my early days of doing music, I relied solely on inspiration or “on fire” days to write music. But growing up in this scene is knowing that you have to power through the days when the creative blocks are at their strongest. Practice recreating inspiration and seeing the potential in every song. Power through the hurdles, and you are opened to magic showcasing itself to you at the randomest or bleakest of times. Believe in your talent.
Looking back, how different is your energy and approach to music now compared to when you first started? What’s changed the most for you as a musician?
Being abroad and seeing how the incredible cohorts I had for Jameson Distilled Sounds reacted to my abilities and music was incredible. Also, watching Anderson .Paak bump out to my song was unreal. It just gave me a sense of self-assurance. I now know I’m at that calibre of artistry and can fully trust that no matter how music plays out for me in Malaysia, a Grammy winner from LA vibed out to my tune and liked my art. I don’t need to make art craving for anyone else’s validation anymore, and I’m free of those shackles to just create and know I’m on the right path.
You also recently took part in Jameson Distilled Sounds’ creative retreat. What was the itinerary like? (Was drinking Jameson involved?) How did that experience shape you as a Malaysian indie artist?
It’s safe to say I’ve drunk enough Jameson to secure myself an Irish Citizenship. The itinerary was well spread out. There were plenty of talks by key opinion leaders in the music scene that provided us with plenty of nuggets of wisdom that we’re all going to take back. Hanging with Anderson .Paak showed us all how to behave and treat others once we all make it as established artists in our respective corners of the earth, and most importantly, we all got to build some pretty unreal bonds. In terms of how it shaped me coming back here, it’s given me even more drive to contribute to the growth of Malaysia’s indie scene. The truth is, we have so many incredible independent artists with unique voices, and I want to use what I’ve learned through Jameson Distilled Sounds to help shine a light on them. The retreat really showed me the power of community and collaboration, and I’d love to bring more of that spirit back home.
What were some of the most valuable things you learned from connecting and collaborating with artists from other parts of the world?
Borders and language may separate us, but music brings us all together.
From your perspective, what can Malaysian artists and producers take away from the way international artists approach creating music?
One of my biggest realisations is to approach music with a global mindset. Create for the world. Be boundary-less. Be you. And don’t ever doubt whether we are worthy talent-wise, coming from this tiny corner of the earth. Cause we really are. I could rattle off about 50 different indie acts who are of international calibre currently. We just need to remould the mindset of the mass audience here to start supporting local indie talents more. It’s happening. We just gotta keep at it and keep moulding.
As Jameson Distilled Sounds’ Malaysian ambassador, how do you see your role in representing and uplifting the local music scene on a bigger stage?
Ima rep JDS proud. They’re an incredible brand putting in incredible effort to help nurture the local indie scene. They deserve all the props in the world for getting behind the cause. The belief and love the Malaysian Jameson team has for our local indie talents is so special, and we are all blessed to have them take us on and lift us all. I’m proud to be an ambassador of a brand that champions the little guys with universe-sized talents. It takes a maverick team of people to believe and fearlessly get behind us, local upcoming talents. And I’m beyond proud to be an ambassador to Jameson Distilled Sounds in Malaysia.
And finally—what’s next for you? Are there any sounds, projects, or directions you’re especially excited to explore moving forward?
Well, the collaboration song with Skinner came out on the 17th of September on all streaming platforms. But I’m already working on new stuff that hopefully comes out by the end of the year, so I can make it four solid indie releases in a calendar year, but besides that, Jameson and I have some unreal plans. One of them includes a nationwide tour that kicks off in the middle of October. And then we’ve got a lil something special in store for the local indie talents in Malaysia, can’t say much now. But I will leave you with this little nugget… Dear Malaysian Indie acts, Jameson Malaysia and I will need you to be on your A-game, because we kinda have a craving for more sounds that are distilled.
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