Polish/American artist I Ya Toyah is gaining traction galore as one of most mesmerizing voices of the entire industrial darkwave scene, who currently calls Chicago home when she’s not off expanding her global reach.

Following tours with alternative veterans Orgy and Stabbing Westward, the singer/songwriter/visual innovator comes to Metro’s Cold Waves XII on Sunday, September 29, joining fellow festival favorites Clan Of Xymox, The Cassandra Complex, Attrition, Houses Of Heaven and Curse Mackey.

Fans and newcomers alike will be amongst the first to hear cuts off an upcoming album, “DRAMA,” prior to its October 4 release date, which as I Ya Toyah tells Chicago Concert Reviews, is shaping up to be an expressive and ambitious milestone-in-the-making.

Tell us a bit about the upcoming album’s title, “DRAMA.”

I Ya Toyah: The “DRAMA” record is a collection of contemporary moods, inner conflicts and insecurities inspired by our cultural crisis. It tells a personal yet ubiquitous story of a human navigating through the uncertainty of modern times. It reflects on a moment in a place and time, where belonging and earning acceptance means a frustrating compromise between taming instinctive nature and applying faux reasoning, all whilst surviving amongst the affinity for nostalgia and a fearless approach towards the big unknown – the future. “Everyone around knows better. I’m not a drama. I’m a theater. It’s a wonder hit show. Now watch me blow it all away”’ 
 
How would you describe your style, sound and vocals for those just getting to know you? 

I Ya Toyah: It’s power, it’s emotion, it’s the feeling, all wrapped in the multi-genre soundscape. From industrial through alt-rock and metal, all the way to unapologetic dark pop, it’s familiar but unexpected. At least this is what my listeners tell me, haha. I think it’s probably best to just check my music and associated visual creations out. I hope that whatever it is that I Ya Toyah brings stylistically, everyone can find something uniquely relatable to themselves.
 
If you were to direct listeners to a few specific tracks to start, what would they be and why? 

I Ya Toyah: I think “Panic Room,” “Dream Not To Dream Remix” and “I Am The Fire” are a good start to my newest collection of sounds. “Vast Spaces,” “Out Of Order,” “Concrete” and “Pray” from my previous releases…“GHOST,” the acoustic EP, if you want to get spooked. 
 
What’s in store for your set at the Metro for the Cold Waves Festival?

I Ya Toyah: The Cold Waves Festival will be a “DRAMA” record pre-release, party so expect a lot of exciting things! This includes [multi-instrumentalist] Walter [Flakus] of Stabbing Westward popping on stage for a guest performance.
 
What did Walter producing and mixing the project bring to the equation? 

I Ya Toyah: Walter is such a talented musician, producer and one of the kindest people I know. His contribution is so much more than what shows. The fact that he wanted to be a part of this endeavor – the fact that he believes in me – boosted my confidence and opened up all the abilities I never knew I had. Just knowing those things made me create demos I don’t think I could create before. And then he pushed me to recreate some of the parts into more hooky and catchy sections, all while keeping the artistic integrity and original concepts. His involvement definitely inspired an alt-rock feel to the material as well, and as a genre-bending artist, I cannot express enough how awesome that is. It just added a whole new dimension to I Ya Toyah’s sound and resulted in “DRAMA” being my best release yet. 
 
Who have been some of the other collaborators you’re most excited about and do you have any dream duets?

I Ya Toyah: I love collaborating. Collaborations fill the void of my one woman army where I don’t get to experience the magic of interhuman chemistry on stage or at the studio. My recent favorite and dream-duet was with Chris Hall of Stabbing Westward, who remixed the “Dream Not To Dream” single and added his amazing vocals in choruses, making it a perfect harmony and duet. I do a lot of collaboration with ReVillusion band and the producer Brian Carter, for whom I’ve written and recorded some stuff before. Recently he invited me to do a duet recording with Waylon Raevis of Killer’s Confession and Mushroomhead. We did the song “Unite” and it was a lot of fun. I dream of collaborating with David Lynch. His creations have a huge influence on me and my own approach at cinematography, sound design, and blending the audio and visual medium in my own releases. It would be an ultimate cherry on top!

How was your experience previously being on tour with Orgy and also Stabbing Westward?

I Ya Toyah: I love touring, and being able to do so gives me great joy and a strong sense of fulfillment. The shows with Stabbing Westward were life-changing, not just because I was a direct opener for my lifelong musical heroes, but also because their audiences are simply mesmerizing. I was able to experience a great energy coming from the crowds during my performances and this will stay with me forever. The almost two months American tour with Orgy and Cold gave me similar impressions. It was a very intense run, show after show, majority sold out, and aside from the fact that I was able to prove to myself that I’m strong enough to endure and to deliver my best, which to be certain of is a great gift on its own, I gained so many friends for life. Today I reflect on these memories, still so fresh, and I feel a great sense of wonder. This feeds my inner child and I need more.
 
What role has Chicago played in your musical development? 

I Ya Toyah: I came to Chicago as a young adult, and basically before being able to give a full focus to my dream career, I had to build and secure my life here from scratch. Working multiple jobs, commuting by public bus starting at 3am to open a coffee shop downtown, then by trains at night after school, straight to the music theater rehearsals I was doing at that time, I got to experience the city from its most polarizing angles – the darkest side and the most uplifting one. And the vibe very much reminded me of my hometown Lodz in Poland, a post-industrial city with underground arts and culture thriving at nights, contradicting and sweetening the struggle and poverty so omnipresent on the streets. And then there is a whole industrial thing going on in Chicago. It’s imprinted in this city, and it definitely got to me very quickly that art and music that I want to do cannot be simply an entertainment, bubble gum, porn stuff. They are to carry that transcendent, invisible vibe of gloom meets hope mix. This city breathes and lives it, and so do I.
 
Can you expand upon the meaning and vision behind your name?

I Ya Toyah: “I Ya Toyah,” when spoken out loud in Polish, my first language, means “It’s Just Me”. And since I am a solo performer, songwriter, composer, it only makes sense. I’ve been called a “One-Woman Army” for a while now, it kind of became the I Ya Toyah brand. 
 
Where do you feel like you fit into today’s industrial/darkwave scene? 

I Ya Toyah: I’m honestly not sure how to answer that question. I was never the one that would aspire to fit in anywhere. My sense of belonging is definitely warped and I’ve always been more of a provoking type rather than the one that fits in. This being said, I think my fans would answer this question better. To me, I’m thankful for all the places I Ya Toyah’s music gets to shine, and I feel simply grateful for being able to have that privilege of having my dream career. My stylistic choices aren’t something that I’m trying for, or aiming for. It’s more of a natural outcome. If I was to try and analyze today’s industrial/darkwave scene, it’s such a mix of different styles, from metal to dance, so as a genre-bending artist with darker music production tendencies, I kind of just fit. I think a lot of it has to do with fashion and look in general as well. I’ve always looked kind of industrial. I guess it’s who I am. 

You’re also known for your advocacy of mental wellness and animal rights. Why have those causes been so important to you and how do you hope to spread the word? 

I Ya Toyah: I lost my dear mom to suicide and it was a huge shock. My mom was such a nest builder, always welcoming you with a hot bowl of soup and a hug. I guess losing her taught me that there is so much going on behind the facade of a smile, and that the inner struggle can get so real, too real to be able to keep going, even for someone like her, whom I always considered to be my superhero. I started I Ya Toyah as a way to cope with my own pain and demons related to mental health and this loss – and it is a kind of bond for life. It is who I am, that cause, that pain, and overcoming something such as being a suicide loss survivor takes a lifetime and it never fully goes away. I thought, “I could dwell on this pain or I could take it and make a difference.”

So here we are today. I have my little own 988 crisis line cause, where I make bracelets and give them away to anyone who asks for one. I mail them all the time and I give them away during tours. The first step to making a difference is to start talking about the problem, so I want to encourage a conversation about mental health, about stigma, and bring the awareness that it’s ok not to be ok. It’s absolutely normal and we all are not ok sometimes. Bad things pass and there is always hope as long as we hang on to this life.

As far as animal rights, my dog Benek has been a face of a campaign for Animal Wellness Foundation to raise awareness about animal suffering and how to help make things better. He has a song out called “Forbidden Bark,” with the video on Youtube. 
 
Do you have any goals for the rest of this year? 

I Ya Toyah: Honestly, this year has been so much more than I could ever dream of. Between having such a great reaction to the “I AM THE FIRE” EP and the singles leading to the “DRAMA” album release, successful and fun touring through the USA, being scheduled to go to Europe for the very first time in my career to perform with Front Line Assembly later this year… The list keeps on going, but my hope would be for all this positivity to continue. Being able to do what I love most, on a greater scale, means a deeper and stronger connection with everyone who chooses to listen to I Ya Toyah’s music. And that connection means everything to me. 

Where do you ultimately hope your music and platform wind up in the world? 

I Ya Toyah: In your heart, mind and soul…