PREMIERE: Industrial/Darkwave Songstress I Ya Toyah’s “Afterlight” is a Powerful Tribute for Suicide Prevention Month

“The spark in the eyes of a person who’s alive, this is everything. It’s like a promise that anything can happen. As long as we are here, we are alive, there is hope. And that is all that matters.

I Ya Toyah explains, “’Afterlight’ is a song about accepting the dark side of life.”

“It is a song about mental health, and it’s my most hopeful one yet. I wanted to release it during Suicide Prevention Month to not only help support this initiative that is extremely important to me, but also to remind everyone that it’s ok not to be ok…It’s not just our lonely fight, we are in this together and not alone – even when momentary emotions tell us otherwise.”

I Ya Toyah adds, “The music video production took us in strange and new creative endeavors. Director Alex Zarek executed our vision perfectly, using technology to create holograms to take the story a step further into my personal life. As a suicide loss survivor who lost her mother very suddenly, I always struggle with the different ways darkness hits me and reminds me how fragile we are mentally. The video is the story of darkness and light. I hope it resonates with viewers.”

Watch “Afterlight”
Learn more about Suicide Prevention Month

To learn more, we caught up with I Ya Toyah to dig into the dynamic video, get a feel for what inspires her iconic production design, and explore music’s power to move us through grief.

The WIMN: Hi, I Ya Toyah, we’re grateful to premiere the “Afterlife” video, congratulations to you for this powerful project! Let’s get into it!

I Ya Toyah: Thank you so much! Thank you for having me here!

Firstly, the visuals for this are stunning, and you’ve created such a strong visual identity for I Ya Toyah; can you share some inspirations for this and what you’re channeling through these stylistic choices?

I Ya Toyah: I always feel music beyond its audible form, visually – meaning that the moment I write a song, I can see it vividly in my head. This might be because I’ve always had a very strong connection to the cinematic world. I grew up in Lodz, Poland – the city of film culture, international film festivals, but also theater and performance. I guess those elements shaped me early in life and today I instinctively choose visual mediums to further the original meaning of the songs I write.

It’s challenging to release a music video for every song on the album, considering the budgets and time constraints – yet I just have to, it helps me channel the deeper, hidden side of me and the music I create to the point where it’s so fulfilling and therapeutic, sort of cathartic really. The visual aspect is also highlighted during my live shows where I use background visuals created together with Joel of Lumbra Productions for the live show only. It helps me to take the stage production to the next level – especially because as a one-woman army I perform solo.

The holograms are a very cool technological feature here. Can you break down what we’re seeing through your eyes? Is it your childhood, or more of the ‘every-person’ viewpoint into someone’s inner world and struggles?

I Ya Toyah: The idea with the hologram for the “Afterlight”music video was to introduce the ghosts of the past, things that are gone yet still present due to the continuum of life. The video shows me reliving moments of my life, from childhood to the future, and the transcendent chain of legacy. Most of all – it brings the gift of Afterlight – life itself.

I understand this song has some powerful personal meaning for you, as a tribute to Suicide Awareness Month and your loss of your mother – was writing this song and producing the video a part of your own grief journey, and can you share how it may have helped you move through this experience? I’m always struck by music’s power to be a tool in healing.

I Ya Toyah: Ever since I unexpectedly lost at my dear mom to suicide, I knew her death could not be in vain. It has to mean something, something greater than myself and so she became my driving power to represent and support mental health and suicide prevention causes.

Writing the “Afterlight” song took me to a very new and surprising place. I didn’t expect the piece to turn into such a hopeful anthem- but it did and I am so happy because it’s not easy to feel hope when you come from a dark place. I felt pretty dark writing this song. As a suicide loss survivor I struggle a lot with making sense of it all and taking care of my own sanity. But I do prioritize mental health even though it is so easy to let it slide. I wish I
understood and knew more, but the things I know, feel – I make sure I share with everyone around me to raise that awareness, to let everyone know that it’s ok not to be ok and that the darkness is a part of light.

Life is not easy, and sometimes when several things hit us at once it can be tricky to stay positive or to even find the strength to get up in the morning. Suicide is such a gruesome, devastating experience. For the person that is now gone, and for all of us who are left here, wondering. It makes me think that I wish there was a way to turn back time. So that everyone we lost could have another chance to take a deep breath, and not act on that momentary darkness. The spark in the eyes of a person who’s alive, this is everything. It’s like a promise that anything can happen. As long as we are here, we are alive, there is hope. And that is all that matters.

Do you have any favorite moments from the making of the video, or reflections on the process you can share?

I Ya Toyah: The process was wild! Alex Zarek, the video director I work with for my official music videos, is so talented and driven. He doesn’t settle for anything but the best – and I am the same way. To execute our vision for the “Afterlight” music video we spent hours planning and scripting things. And then we got hit by real life situations on the day of the shoot, which forced us to think outside of the box and not only be extremely creative but also tech savvy. Creating holograms in real life took some serious time and we ended up needing another shooting day to wrap all the other shots. The whole process was amazing. I always feel alive when building, making something. Time doesn’t exist when you spend it doing what you love. It’s a great place to be, mentally.

What do you hope everyone takes away from “Afterlight” as we all navigate our own darkness and light?

I Ya Toyah: ‘Thorn makes the rose, it’s how it goes’- just like these words from the song state, severe darkness is momentary. The light is always here, we just have to make space for it. So, my message here is never give up simply because you are in this difficult moment and feeling overwhelmed and alone. The moment the severe darkness passes, the light feels so good. And the further we go in this life, the greater the meaning of it becomes.

A giant thanks from the WIMN to I Ya Toyah for sharing this with us; give “Afterlight” a spin today and consider learning more about Suicide Prevention Month!

Watch “Afterlight”
Learn more about Suicide Prevention Month

“Afterlight” is taken from the upcoming full-length album, DRAMA.

Due out on October 4th, DRAMA is co-produced with/mixed by Stabbing Westward’s Walter Flakus. DRAMA features new material as well as a few previously available tracks from her recently-released EP, I AM THE FIRE.

Meet I Ya Toyah: 

I Ya Toyah is not just a musical act, she’s a movement. When spoken out loud in her native
Polish, the words “I Ya Toyah” translate to “It’s just me” and “I am who I am”. These simple, but powerful words act as an unwavering mission statement that guides every aspect of her career. In just a few short years, the Chicago-based singer/songwriter/guitarist has released several recordings, organized the creation of multiple music videos, and toured the United States multiple times, most recently with Stabbing Westward. I Ya Toyah combines elements of industrial, pop, electro, darkwave, and alternative rock into a unique aural tapestry that acts as the perfect backdrop for her intensely personal lyrics; but it’s the power and versatility of her voice that really sets her apart. Her potent vocal performances effectively deliver a message that is modern, relatable, and speaks to the paranoia of everyday reality.

While she truly embodies the spirit of DIY, I Ya Toyah also actively embraces the collaborative nature of the industrial/darkwave music scene. Recent musical releases include projects with Raymond Watts (PIG, KMFDM), Julian Beeston (Nitzer Ebb, Cubanate), Rhys Fulber (Front Line Assembly, Delerium), Tim Skold (Shotgun Messiah, KMFDM, Marilyn Manson, Motionless in White), Phil Owen (Skatenigs), and Stabbing Westward, whose remix of her song “Pray” quickly brought her name to the top of the Industrial Electronic charts on Bandcamp. She is also an active member of The Joy Thieves, a 50+ member supergroup whose roster includes musicians who have worked with Ministry, Depeche Mode, Killing Joke, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, KMFDM, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, Nitzer Ebb, White Zombie, and more.

I Ya Toyah is a fierce advocate for mental wellness, as well as human and animal rights. Not content to simply raise awareness for these causes, she has donated 15% of the proceeds from the sales of her music and merchandise directly to organizations such as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), and the Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation. Most recently, she participated in the recording of a version of the Beatles’ classic “Come Together” to raise funds for the people of the war-torn country of Ukraine. The project was arranged and mixed by legendary music producer John Fryer (Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, Cocteau Twins). Participants included members of Faith No More, Stabbing Westward, Ministry, Rammstein, Filter, The Joy Thieves, Agnostic Front and more.

Keep up with I Ya Toyah