Kayla Von Der Heide

Kayla von der Heide is a singer-songwriter/south west photographer and she also films her own music videos, makes history videos on her favorite locations, a candle maker and more. Kayla travels around the south west, capturing photos of abandoned places in the desert with her dog Bodie. Kayla has written over five original albums that encapsulate the dreamy desert landscapes and nostalgic history of the nature around her. Kayla's original music videos also blend the visuals of the west with her cinematic music. Kayla was the winner of the first Gems on VHS "Gems in the Rough" contest in 2020 after she submitted an entry of her song "The Word Around". Following that, she was asked to sing on season twenty two of The Voice and made it to the knockout rounds on Team Gwen Stefani. The Voice mainly served as a nudge in the right direction for Kayla though, and after that it really pushed her to keep pursuing more creative parts of herself. She continued to travel and perform live shows in different towns and brings hand made candles to sell as well as photo books of her original photographs. Kayla's goal is to completely encapsulate whatever environment she is in and it ultimately becomes the inspiration for all of the artwork she creates. Having grown up in the Mojave Desert, she spent a lot of time on her own playing her guitar in scenic desert locations at sunset with her camera too, creating a complete world of her own through music, nature, writing and film. She has recently started to make history videos on the certain locations that she travels alone to. An artist residency would be a perfect opportunity for her, as she completely takes in the locations and nature around her with her art.