Singer/Songwriter Kyla Nicole Healey Discovers Herself Through Making Music And is Bringing It To The World

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Parent Category: Film and the Arts

Category: Interviews

Published on Tuesday, 08 July 2025 14:02

Written by Brad Balfour

Photo: Stefan Dickerson

Discovering a new musical talent makes the experience of writing about them all the more enriching. Take Kyla Nicole Healey. Originally from Long Island, this singer/songwriter has been pursuing her passions of being a singer, dancer and actress since she was three years old.

Growing up in an artistic family — her father an actor and mother a painter — they were always listening to vintage vinyl in the evenings. Healey knew early on that she was an old soul and resonated with such classic jazz artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, and Billie Holiday. She also counted legendary singing screen stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth, and Doris Day among those who made an impression early on.

Says Healey, “Ella’s voice struck a chord within my heart and soul immediately, and has never left. A timeless talent, she is such that you simply want to close your eyes to feel, listen, and absorb her raw talent and the yearning in her voice. The medium of jazz music is much deeper than the physical and has become spiritual, when you allow the music to speak for itself.”

Furthermore, the youthful performer has starred in such off-Broadway musical theater productions as “The Sound of Music” (as Maria) “A Streetcar Named Desire” (as Blanche) and “Cabaret” (as Sally Bowles) in New York City’s Greenwich Village Theatre and Manhattan Movement & Arts Center. 

Bi-coastal from New York City to Los Angeles, she’s been inspired to create her own sound, blending the old with the new. She describes her music as inspired by the old but with a new spirit. When her self-titled debut album — produced and arranged by Stefán Dickerson — was released in Spring of 2024, it featured jazz standards such as “Sway,” “Cry Me A River,” “Moon River,” and “Fly Me to the Moon,” to name a few. Melodic and warm, yet melancholic at the same time, it truly encapsulates a moment in time for her.

Now in production, a new EP — recorded and curated in Los Angeles — consisting of six unique songs is being released this summer. Titled “Eras of Kyla,” it’s an eclectic mix of jazz, soul, R&B, folk, and pop music. All incorporated within her original music, this EP is a fusion of genres, a mixture of dark and light with a poetic lyricism that truly reflects Healey’s passion for songwriting.

Adds the New York native, “Songwriting for me has been a beautiful catharsis and a medium for expression. A subconscious narrative of dreams, hopes, loss, love, grief, and yearning, the process has allowed me to discover hidden parts of myself. A subconscious narrative of dreams, hopes, loss love, grief, and yearning, the process has allowed me to discover hidden parts of myself. Without writing and exploring the physical world I wouldn’t be able to transform this material into a spiritual musical expression. I’m forever grateful I started to express my poetry and songwriting from my early years, since I was 16 years old and on.” 

This exclusive Q&A was conducted in anticipation of that release so some of her comments were made as she’s has been contemplating its completion. This conversation not only reflects what’s happening now but what’s being planned to happen. 

Q: You’re working on a new record. Who wrote the songs? Did you write them with someone? How did you choose the songs?

Kyla Nicole Healey: With a playlist of six songs, the new EP is titled “Eras of Kyla,” since it’s all original music that I wrote. Some of the lyrics were based on older poetry from when I was younger to semi-newer words. It’s more of a collection of my thoughts on personal issues of love, loss, grief, addiction, and how music has really helped me. It’s a beautiful medium for expression and I have an important need for [definitely pulling these out of me]. It’s very cathartic and soulful, especially in these [stressful] times.

Q: When you call it “Eras of Kyla,” it makes you sound like you’re a hundred years old.

Kyla Nicole Healey: I’m an old soul. I’ve always been an old soul since I was young. I used to listen to vinyl with my dad. I remember even when I was three years old, I’d listen to vinyl by the fireplace, growing up in Long Island, New York, Greenlawn near Huntington. He used to be an actor. My mom was and still is a very talented painter. She does oils and watercolor. My parents were very supportive of me doing the arts and singing. 
 
I just remember growing up and listening to records from Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Doris Day, even Marilyn Monroe and Rita Hayworth, and a lot of people I don’t know the names of. Marilyn Monroe was a great jazz singer, and people don’t really listen to her, but I love her voice. It’s very sultry and sexy. But she had a lot of darkness and depth as well, that people don’t allude to. It’s always this, I don’t know, happiness and glamor, but that’s only one facet of her.

Q: Do you remember the first record you heard, or the first that made you want to sing?

Kyla Nicole Healey: The first one that I really recollect and is instilled in my memory would be Ella Fitzgerald’s “Someone To Watch Over Me.” Her singing that in “My Funny Valentine.” I’m not sure exactly what it was titled, but I specifically remember that song.

Q: Your style has jazz elements, but I wouldn’t call you a jazz singer. You’re more in the vein of a Sade or Norah Jones. What do you think?

Kyla Nicole Healey: I think I’m finding my authentic voice right now and infusing different genres and elements that are jazzy, but soulful, and have a kind of indie chill, ethereal dream pop-like feel. It still has those jazzy, raw, intimate elements that are more natural and a nice tonality, but I’m also infusing different influences that have inspired me over the years. I think crossing genres is an important part and process of it and exploring as well.

Q: I noticed you have had some Broadway show experience. Sometimes you can be very big, broad and loud, and the sound has that operatic quality. But your music is very much different from that. When did you figure out that you wanted to go in a different direction than that kind of a stage experience?

Kyla Nicole Healey: I’ve done some musical theater and onstage theater like Blanche in “A Streetcar Named Desire” — as dramatic and intense a role as any. I’ve always loved musical theater. But I’ve also just liked being a singer and songwriter, especially when I’ve felt I could use my authentic, unique voice. It’s been a chance for me to really express how I was feeling. It’s a more personal way to showcase where you come from, your influences and your own lane.

Q: Has it defined the sound that you have? I’ve heard the samples, and it has a very different vibe than being on a theatrical stage. How has that defined how your live performance will be?

Kyla Nicole Healey: I’ve been performing with more of a jazz quartet, but I’m still in the process of exploring that outlet. I think that it would be more of a threshold and combination of engineering and having those tracks and as well as combining these different musical elements. I even use the sitar in one of my songs, “Psyche,” so it’s a bit unique. I like combining different instruments, Middle Eastern influences and rock and pop. It would be amazing if I could get a live sitar player, but I think it would be a combination of having those engineers as well as live musicians.

Q: Interestingly enough, Norah Jones’ half sister Anoushka plays sitar. They’re both daughters of the late legendary sitar maestro, Ravi Shankar. Anoushka does a lot more traditional Indian music, so that can be an influence.

Kyla Nicole Healey: And I love her too. Anoushka Shankar is amazing. I’m like an old Indian man at heart. [she chuckles].

Q: I can see those influences in what you’re doing. Your vocalizations could fit very well into that. You’re still exploring, so what things have you been discovering lately?

Kyla Nicole Healey: It’s part of a process, unnerving or discovering parts of yourself. The journey is the destination, as they say.

Q: Do you improvise live or are you improvising on the record itself?

Kyla Nicole Healey: A little bit of both. I like to improvise live and on the record. You never know what’s going to happen with the musicians in the moment. That’s another element of why I love jazz, because there is that spontaneity and interplay between musicians that’s only created in the live moment. You have to really feed off of each other’s energy. It’s apparent whether there’s synergy with musicians or if there’s not and it’s lacking.

Q: How did you find your musicians?

Kyla Nicole Healey: Usually from producer referrals. Or I see a lot of people out live, performing at prominent venues and musical venues. I’ll just approach them if I feel like it’s a good match or fit, and I love their work. So I like to see people live and to see what they enjoy doing live, seeing how it’s played out in real time.

Q: On your first record, you had a well-known producer….

Kyla Nicole Healey: Yes, Stefan Dickerson.

Q: How did he find you, or did you find him?

Kyla Nicole Healey: Actually through “Backstage.” Right when I moved to Los Angeles, I found him and his assistant reached out to me. It took a while to work with him, but I auditioned for him a few times and then started working with him as a developmental client.

Q: You have a different producer for this record, or are you producing it yourself?

Kyla Nicole Healey: I’ve been working with a new producer. He’s Italian, actually, Mario Fanizzi.

Q: How did you two find each other?

Kyla Nicole Healey: Through my friend who’s also a great singer-songwriter and an actress as well. We met actually at the racetrack.

Q: He’s your personal partner, not your business partner?

Kyla Nicole Healey: Both.

Q: What have you learned from racing?

Kyla Nicole Healey: it’s more mathematical and analytical than just what’s on the surface. Things are a lot deeper than meet the surface with getting any edge in gaming and sports,

Q: You could say that about music. Music has a mathematical element to it.

Kyla Nicole Healey: It does. Exactly. He works with a lot of math people, so maybe they can write an app or something that helps with the modern age, with AI and everything. It’s just a combination of math, talent and skill. But also, I guess you’d call it, sheer luck. I don’t even know what you call it these days, but that energetic spark intrigues people. Something like that. It’s not just talent these days.

Q: Have any horses inspired you to write a song?

Kyla Nicole Healey: There are some amazing ones. Who was the last winner? I don’t know.

Q: Were you looking out for what were the horse races that were recently in the news? What was the one that won? Sovereignty, I think, won.

Kyla Nicole Healey: Sovereignty won the last, and then Journalism.

Q: Yeah, Journalism. I like that horse for obvious reasons.

Kyla Nicole Healey: He’s beautiful. I love the grey stallions. There was this one horse called The Gray Wizard that was just so beautiful. It was from London. I remember seeing it at Saratoga Springs.

Q: That could be your next song. “The Gray Wizard.”

Kyla Nicole Healey: You like it, right? “The Gray Wizard.” [She chuckles]

Q: Have you pretty much moved to LA? You’ve abandoned us here in New York?

Kyla Nicole Healey: I’m still bi-coastal, East and west coast. I visit my family in Florida, which is where I’m at right now. 

Q: What influences do you find in LA and what influences do you find in New York? Florida is great for Latino influences. Is that something you’ve discovered?

Kyla Nicole Healey: I enjoy Bossa Nova and Latin influences, and I’ve explored that as well. Like “Sway” on my first album. But coming from New York to LA, it is definitely a bit different, a bit of a culture shock. New York is a little more [upfront]. At least they tell you to your face if they don’t like you, or it’s an interesting dynamic. 

I’m pretty versatile. I can get along with anyone, and I’ve definitely met some great people there. I’ve worked with some talented musicians, singers, writers, producers, and met some great renowned actors. There’s definitely quality people there, but it’s harder to find your footing and not get drowned out by all the nonsense, partying and whatnot. I would say, if I had to choose, I’m still an East Coast girl. People there are a little more real.

Q: When you finish your record, are planning to come back and start performing here? I don’t know what venues they have for non-hip hoppy, non-pop music kind of artists. I think of you as having a somewhat more sophisticated, adult sound, even though your look could be more of a pop style. Your sound is really rich. It’s more appealing to me than a lot of the other stuff. It might be harder to find an initial pop audience, but that’s good in the long run.

Kyla Nicole Healey: Iit’s good to have both of those elements. It’s like a nice juxtaposition. In LA there’s lots of nice indie venues or reputable jazz venues like Vibratos or the Mercury Lounge if you want indie rock. In New York, as well, there’s a lot of great established venues like Cafe Carlyle and places of that nature. I’ve performed on an international tour when I went to London, which was really amazing. And I got to record at Abbey Road in London.

Q: Wow, that’s fantastic. Who produced that session?

Kyla Nicole Healey: For that session? Myself and my manager, Don Johnson, helped produce that. I was thinking of maybe doing a limited vinyl or another EP just for those recordings special to “Abbey Road.”

Q: As you write your songs, do they evolve or change in the process? Do you learn from one song to the next how to maybe come up with a new hook, or a different element or texture?

Kyla Nicole Healey: They change over time but I would say a lot comes out of the blue like how a lot of poets or writers find inspiration. They’ll have block for a while and then, out of the blue, they’ll be able to channel or write down everything quickly. I feel that for me, I like to write a lot of times at night. I’m kind of a night owl. I am more inspired during the witching hours. It’s quiet, and I’m more connected to the moon. I feel more inspired that way than during the daytime. But things change for sure over time.

Q: You’ve said songwriting has been a form of catharsis, a medium of expression, a way to express a subconscious narrative of dreams, hopes, loss, love, grief, and yearning. It sounds like there’s a dark side that you’re addressing here. Is it a process of therapy, discovering these things and you’re then getting them out?

Kyla Nicole Healey: I would say catharsis. I already know they’re there and I’m getting it out. For me, it’s a yearning. I feel a melancholy and am nostalgic for an older time. I always say I’m an old soul, but I think it’s just that I love older influences and older artists, most who have already passed. 

I love influences like Jim Morrison and Stevie Nicks or deeply troubled people like Amy Winehouse as well. Jim Morrison was a poet. I have this book of his  poetry. They have a very dark path, and dealt with a lot of addictions and issues and grief. It was definitely channeled through their music. I think darkness is needed. No dark without the light. It’s a beautiful thing.

Q: Hopefully, you’re using the music before you abuse yourself [chuckles].

Kyla Nicole Healey:  Yes, in a healthy way. That’s why it’s needed. It’s catharsis. I’m using healthy mediums, I think therapy’s needed for everyone regardless, even if you’re doing well.

Q: I noticed your last name is Healey. Do you have Irish roots?

Kyla Nicole Healey: I do. My dad is Irish, a little bit, but I’m a French European Jew. I’m Jewish as well. I celebrate the best of both worlds. My mom’s Jewish, dad’s Catholic.

Q: There’s a lot of good instrumental music from Israel that could be influential as well. And from Ireland.

Kyla Nicole Healey: I love Celtic folk. That’s another big influence. I would say it’s in one of the “River on the Walk” songs. If you’ve heard that one [that I recorded], it’s a little more folky, like a Joni Mitchell vibe. 

Q: You should definitely look into some of the Irish singers, like The Corrs or Enya. She does really interesting moody instrumentals, along with her voice. 

Kyla Nicole Healey: Oh, I love Enya. If you ever heard her, she does a lot of Celtic folk — also like world music. It’s very ethereal.

Q: Why are you settling on just an EP? It sounds like you have enough ideas to make two full LPs.

Kyla Nicole Healey: I know but I just wanted to see how this panned out first, working with a new producer and it’s been going well. I guess we can see, I do have so many more ideas. I have a lot of songs written in all of my notebooks, so they’re ready to come out.

Q: How does a song start for you? Do you start with the lyrics, and then you work with musicians that you find the music. Or do you just sit and compose the music on a piano or a guitar? What is your development of choice?

Kyla Nicole Healey: It depends on the day. I sometimes hear a melody or I hum something that resonates with me first, and then lyrics do come from it. I would say maybe the music and the emotions influenced me more. Hearing something on the piano or the instruments first, for the most part, I would say. Then the lyrics come in or I would match something that resonates with that tonality. The music’s more inspiring for the initial impact.

Q: This is a great point in your career where you’ve gotten enough groundwork done, but at the same time, the doors are open for all kinds of different directions. It must be tough to make decisions where a song has ended and the next song begins.

Kyla Nicole Healey: It is. I think I [do] run-ons and especially when I write. It’s good to be concise. I’m learning, but also to get your point across. I guess learning when to stop is valuable.

Q: In any case, where do you start first, with the lyrics or the music? When do you start composing?

Kyla Nicole Healey: More on a guitar or a piano. I would say the music influences more, but I think it depends. I do have a lot of lyrics that I write first, but I hum and find a melody first. I say on the piano or guitar, but mostly piano. I start composing the music and then the lyrics will follow.

Q: When do you think you’re going to finish this record? What’s the game plan? Will you release it yourself or with your partners or whatever, and not wait until you find a label that will put it out?

Kyla Nicole Healey: We hope to have it out in mid to late July. We’re just shopping around for a label, to see if there’s a good fit. Like an indie label or an already established label. We’re kind of figuring out now, which would be the best.

Q: Is the plan to release it on vinyl as well?

Kyla Nicole Healey: I would like to, yes. I like something tangible, as well. I know everything’s online these days, but it’s nice to hold something real, like vinyl or CD … right?

Q: If you had a desert island disc, what disc would you take with you on that desert island?

Kyla Nicole Healey: Just one?

Q: If you had to take one. Oh, I could give you two.

Kyla Nicole Healey: I really love “Cream” like Eric Clapton.“Strange Brew” and “Sunshine of Your Love.” I love rock ‘n’ roll, too and old school vinyl but it depends on my mood. I’m so moody, I’m all over (the place.) I love different genres. But maybe Jim Morrison. I love The Doors, too. I think “Riders on the Storm” would be great on the desert island.

Q: And on the jazz side?

Kyla Nicole Healey: Ella Fitzgerald and maybe Sarah Vaughn, Billie Holiday, or I also love Diana Krall. She’s easy, effortless. She has a natural vibe.

Q: If you had a choice of anywhere to start your tour, where would you like to start? LA, New York, Ireland. Where?

Kyla Nicole Healey: I’ll start in New York. If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. Kind of a cliche, but it is true. Then… I’ve already been to London, but I’d love to go back and maybe go to France and Italy. I have yet to go there. I would love to do that. Maybe I’d go to some nice wineries there, do an Italian retreat, a musical retreat. I think that would be unique.  I think of Europe, honestly. There’s New York and exploring the U.S., but Europe would definitely be a dream.

Q: In any case, you’re now in Florida. What will you do for the rest of the day? You’re going to go off to a studio, or you’re going to work on songs?

Kyla Nicole Healey: I’m spending some family time. But we like to go out to concerts and listen to music at home. My parents are big supporters of the arts, as they’re artists themselves. Mostly, I spend time with the dogs, go to the beach, I’m kind of just relaxing here.

Q: Who do you want to see live that you’ve never seen, that would be your target?

Kyla Nicole Healey: I also love Kali Uchis. She inspires me too. And Lana del Rey.

Q: I could see Lana del Rey as an influence, for sure.

Kyla Nicole Healey: Lana del Rey, for sure. She’s very poetic and has a dream girl/ethereal vibe. She has jazzy, sexy, sultry roots as well. I think she’s really created her own lane, which is inspiring.

Q: I hope you make it to London. You can explore where Amy Winehouse worked. Did you see any of the Amy Winehouse films? There’s the documentary in….

Kyla Nicole Healey: …Ronnie Scott’s [Jazz Club]. Next time I’m there, I’m going to perform at Ronnie Scott’s. Amy practically grew up there. Her grandmother dated Ronnie Scott, and she was always invited; she frequented went there with her dad.

For more info go to: https://kylanicolehealey.bandzoogle.com/home

Filmmaker Beth Lane Celebrates her Family As Holocaust Survivors in the Documentary “UnBroken”

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Parent Category: Film and the Arts

Category: Interviews

Published on Thursday, 26 June 2025 13:57

Written by Brad Balfour

Beth Lane photo: Chad Batka

In light of all the attention on antisemitism and the Jewish people since the October 7th massacre by Hamas terrorists, there’s been a desire for a story of triumph in the face of bloodshed and slaughter.

So when filmmaker Beth Lane embarked on an international quest to uncover answers about the plight of her mother and her six siblings, she found a story to inspire. As children, they had escaped Nazi Germany by relying on their own youthful bravado and the kindness of German strangers. Their self-rescue resulted in this documentary, “UnBroken” — the story of the seven Weber siblings, ages 6-18, who evaded capture and death following their mother’s incarceration and murder at Auschwitz.

After being hidden in a laundry hut by a benevolent German farmer, the children spent two years on their own in war-torn Germany. Emboldened by their father’s mandate that they “always stay together,” they used their instincts to fight hunger, loneliness, rape, bombings and fear. Separated from their parents, the siblings had to declare themselves orphans in order to escape to a new life in America. This salvation would become what finally tore them apart, not to be reunited for another 40 years.

Daughter of the youngest Weber sibling, Lane set out to retrace the family’s steps, seeking answers to long-held questions about their survival. The film examines the family’s journey as told through conversations with the living siblings — now in their 80s and 90s. Lane and her crew made a road trip across Germany, following the harrowing path taken by her family over 70 years ago.

As her feature debut, this documentary is both a professional milestone and a personal effort to immortalize the Webers’ incredible story of the siblings’ survival. They’re the only family of seven Jewish kids from Nazi Germany known to have lived and emigrated together.

Lane is also an actress, singer and dancer whose driving force has been to display empathy through storytelling, design and meditation. She has curated and served on panels and hosted over 40 episodes of a weekly Instagram live on-camera podcast, “Banter with Beth.” “UnBroken” was named Best Documentary Feature Film in Indianapolis at the 23rd Heartland International Film Festival in 2023. That was just one day after the terrorist organization, Hamas, attacked Israel — the worst assault against Jewish people since the Holocaust.

Q: When you realized you had this rich history, how much investigating did you have to do to put the whole story together?

Beth Lane: I was six years old when I learned that my mother was adopted at the same age she had been when she arrived in America. She didn’t tell me about the Holocaust then, or how her mother died, but she did mention that she had six siblings I would never meet. Like any child told they can’t have something, I wanted it all the more. I didn’t know why I longed to meet those siblings, only that I did. Even then, I had the curiosity of an actress and the daydreaming powers that have never left me.

Years later, that longing found form: my mother reunited with her siblings. One of them, my Uncle Alfons, wrote a 40-page memoir marking the 50th anniversary of their arrival in America — a personal history woven with survival, loss, and love.

Over time, I came to realize that the story of my family wasn’t just poignant — it was extraordinary. My grandmother Lina, whom I never met, was a Jewish resistance fighter in Berlin. She helped others escape Nazi Germany, forging visas and passports in secret. But she couldn’t save herself. She was murdered in Auschwitz on December 1, 1943, at exactly 11:35 in the morning.

Whenever someone asks, “If you could have dinner with anyone, past or present, who would it be?”—I never hesitate. Queen Elizabeth I, perhaps (we share a name). But more truthfully: Lina. My grandmother. A woman I never knew, but whose courage and sacrifice run in my blood. As my Aunt Ruth says in our documentary “UnBroken,” “She believed that if you help others, you help yourself.” That belief— that legacy — is how I know I come from a rich history: the Weber kids in 1946

I began researching in earnest the moment my mom decided she wanted to return to Berlin and Worin for the first time in over 70 years. That was the summer of 2017 — and I haven’t stopped since.

What started as a personal journey quickly turned into something much bigger: unearthing family documents, tracking down distant relatives, translating letters, and digging through archives in multiple countries. Each discovery led to more questions, more layers, and more truths that had been buried for decades.

There’s a book I need to write. A museum exhibit I need to launch. This story isn’t just about the past — it’s about preserving a legacy that still echoes through the present. The research? It never ends.

Q: When did you decide to make a film about it?

Beth Lane: I decided to make a film about it after that life-changing trip to Berlin and Worin with my family. We visited the farm where my mother and her siblings were hidden during the Shoah. Seeing the place where they endured such unimaginable hardships deeply moved me. I made a vow then to tell their story — not only to honor the bravery of the Weber siblings but also to highlight the courage of those who helped them survive.

Q: How did you organize the film and map it?

Beth Lane: Organizing the film was a massive undertaking. We had over 200 hours of footage from three days at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, three weeks in Germany, and three weeks in the United States. We started by dedicating six weeks just to watching every single minute of that footage. From there, we made scene selects and gradually whittled it down to around 20 hours.

It’s a process of constant refinement — you keep shaving it down until the footage starts to tell you what it wants to be. Once we had a story lock, we moved into the next phase: incorporating animation, original music, and graphics to bring emotional depth and narrative clarity to the story. It was a long and deeply immersive process, but it allowed the heart of the story to emerge organically.

Q: At one point you decided to add animation — talk about that decision and the process of doing it.

Beth Lane: The decision to add animation came from a deep desire to have the audience experience these stories through the lens of a child — just as my mother and her siblings had lived them. The sisters are now in their 80s and 90s. And while their memories are vivid, animation allowed us to bridge the gap between their adult reflections and their childhood experiences.

For me, it was the most powerful medium not only to visualize those memories, but also to engage the audience’s imagination. Animation gave us the freedom to express moments that couldn’t be captured through archival footage or reenactments — moments of fear, wonder, confusion, and even resilience — all from a child’s perspective.

Q: There’s lots of travel involved to get this done. Talk about managing it.

Beth Lane: Managing all the travel for the film was definitely a huge undertaking, but I was lucky to have a fantastic line producer who was incredibly organized — especially with Google Maps. We used a 40-page narrative written by my Uncle Alfons. He created it for the 50th anniversary of the Weber siblings’ emigration from Germany to America. That document became our roadmap.

I went through and circled every place, street, and city mentioned. Then my line producer turned all of that into detailed maps and itineraries. It was a real team effort. That level of planning was crucial in helping us retrace the journey and capture the emotional geography of the story.

Q: How did your family react to being filmed?

Beth Lane: They were surprisingly open — each in their own way. My mom, a dancer and performer for years, was the easiest to convince. Aunt Gertrude welcomed it, and Aunt Ruth wouldn’t stop talking. It was marvelous. But these are deeply tender topics, and the emotional weight was real.

Aunt Ruth chose not to see the final cut. Aunt Renee initially declined but ultimately agreed. Her contribution is stunning in brevity, humor, and depth. Aunt Judy abstained from filming but attended a recent screening in Dallas, where she felt deeply seen and heard.

Most cousins were enthusiastic, though a few declined. My kids were skeptical at first, since this was my directorial debut. But later, they admitted that they underestimated me.

Aunt Senta, who was in hospice, couldn’t participate, but she supported the film financially. That support gave me the confidence to tell their story. I used it to found The Weber Family Arts Foundation, a 501(c)(3) dedicated to combating antisemitism and hate through the arts.

Q: Were they happy with the results?

Beth Lane: Absolutely. None of us expected the film to win awards, have a nationwide release, or stream on Netflix. When I told my mom that “UnBroken” had ranked #5 in the top 10 U.S. Netflix films within 24 hours after its launch, she nearly fell out of her wheelchair.

Q: Did the film change lives among the subjects or beyond?

Beth Lane: Yes. One cousin converted to Judaism after being raised Catholic. Others who had lost touch reconnected by attending screenings and meeting me. It’s powerful to see the story reconnect our family and remind us all of our shared humanity in a divided world.

Q: What were the profound discoveries that you and your family made that were unexpected?

Beth Lane: Three weeks after I committed to making “UnBroken,” the Charlottesville rally happened. White supremacists marched through a Southern town under the guise of protecting Confederate monuments. But we knew it was really an attempt to spread hate and amplify antisemitism. That was a moment of clarity: our story couldn’t wait. It needed to be told — now.

Fast forward to October 8, 2023: our world premiere at the Heartland International Film Festival. Just 24 hours earlier, news of a devastating terrorist attack broke. Watching such horrific violence — families torn apart, civilians targeted — shattered something in us. What was most painful was the wavering moral clarity surrounding it.

I was in Manhattan when the Towers fell on 9/11. Back then, there was no question about what was evil. Today, that certainty feels like it’s slipping away. That loss of clarity was one of the most painful realizations of this journey. 

There’s a “before and after” for me and our family now. But with that, I’ve gained spiritual clarity. I’m more grounded and prepared for the unexpected. That makes me sad — knowing to expect wrongdoing.

Q: “UnBroken” is a stand against hate in all its forms. It’s a bridge to remind us all to be human and simply to do unto others as you would wish to be done unto you. This isn’t a political or religious film. It’s a spiritual film. A personal story about staying human in a world that too often forgets how.

Beth Lane: Yes. And if there’s one message I want to share, it’s this: Even in the darkest moments, there is still light. Still hope. Still connection. “UnBroken” is my offering to anyone searching for that light.

Q: Now that you’ve made a film that’s part of an important legacy of Holocaust survivors, how do you hope it impacts on the world at large?

Beth Lane: I hope it makes people pause and realize how disconnected we’ve become — relying on texts instead of calls, online likes instead of real conversations. “UnBroken” is a reminder to cherish our neighbors and to practice kindness. Antisemitism isn’t just a Jewish problem; it threatens society as a whole. As a daughter of a Holocaust survivor, I feel a duty to speak out against hate and bigotry — and I hope others feel inspired to do the same.

What sets “UnBroken” apart from other Holocaust or family-history documentaries is that it’s a woman-led story spanning generations, told through a deeply personal and spiritual lens rather than a political or historical one. It blends humor, pain, and healing in unexpected ways. It’s urgent given today’s climate of antisemitism and global unrest.

Q: What’s next for you? Other films, books, etc.?

Beth Lane: I’ve been invited to give keynote addresses, which has been incredibly meaningful. I love connecting with audiences — sharing stories that remind us we are more alike than different. That sense of oneness is the heart of this work. I hope “UnBroken” continues to lead us toward that. I have a book and museum exhibit in development, plus three more films in development that need funding. The Weber Family Arts Foundation is growing, and we’re seeking resources to hire an executive director to increase our impact.

NOTE: To watch “UnBroken,” support the foundation, or to host a screening, visit:
http://www.theweberfamilyartsfoundation.com

Rocker-turned-Writer Larry Kirwan Debuts His Latest Novel, “Rockin’ the Bronx” and Spurs ’80s Recollections

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Parent Category: Film and the Arts

Category: Interviews

Published on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 14:15

Written by Brad Balfour

During the annual Origin 1st Irish Festival, legendary Irish rocker Larry Kirwan presented a book launch, reading and performance of his latest novel, “Rockin’ the Bronx,” in April. Hosted by the New York Irish Center, this rare event added one more unique element to this festival of plays and readings of contemporary Irish works.

The bushy haired Kirwan is one unique guy in the course of Irish immigrants coming to New York. Born in Wexford, Ireland, Kirwan now lives in NYC and was leader of the aggro rock band Black 47 for 25 years. The political rockers played 2500 gigs, released 16 albums and appeared on every major US TV show.

The 70-something has also written three novels, this current one, “Rockin’ The Bronx,” “Liverpool Fantasy,” and “Rockaway Blue” as well as a memoir, “Green Suede Shoes” and “A History of Irish Music.”

In addition, he has written or collaborated on 21 plays and musicals. Among them, the Tony-nominated “Paradise Square” which he conceived and co-wrote put him further in the spotlight. The full-blown Broadway musical garnered 10 Tony Award noms including one for Kirwan and a win for its lead vocalist, Joaquina Kalukango.

Also a political activist, Kirwan has expressed his views as an Irish Echo columnist and celebrity host/producer of Celtic Crush on SiriusXM Satellite Radio. He was president of Irish American Writers & Artists for five years and received the 2022 Eugene O’Neill Lifetime Achievement Award.

“Rockin’ The Bronx” can be ordered at all stores, at Amazon and all digital outlets. Autographed copies of the book can be purchased through SHOP at www.black47.com

Go to https://www.fordhampress.com/ where a discount of 25% off, plus free shipping (paperback and eBook) can be had. Use the code: ROCKIN25-FI

Q: What were the most challenging things in crafting this book, the characterizations or the plotting itself?

Larry Kirwan: “Out of character comes story!” So saith Aeschylus, the great Greek dramatist, and who am I to disagree. I always start with the characters whether it’s play or novel writing. Unless the characters are interesting, the story won’t grab a hold of you. Rockin’ The Bronx presented a problem though. I had played the bar scene in the Irish Bronx through the late ’70s and ’80s and recognized that something unique was happening up there.

Droves of young Irish immigrants swamped the area, drinking like fish, taking the subway at the crack of dawn down to Manhattan building sites, or nannying in yuppie apartments, six and even seven days a week. From the band stage it was like being in the midst of an immersive play, akin to being back in the Five Points during the huge Irish migration of 1847. I knew the scene had the makings of a great novel. I just didn’t know how to begin it.

Many years later, after Chris Byrne and I had made a success of Black 47, I took the two characters of our song Sleep Tight in New York City and used their story as the basis of Rockin’ The Bronx. That was a magical song to perform, and we always finished it with a long improvised instrumental coda, cinematic in scope. You could almost see Sean Kelly and Mary Devine materialize in the crowd and live out their story. The plot of the novel took some crafting and needed the introduction of another couple, Danny Boy McCorley from Belfast and the rambunctious Kate from Co. Mayo, but the lyrics of the song provided a great foundation.

Q: How much do you deviate from things you pull from memory and things that have evolved throughout your career?

Larry Kirwan: When you’re writing a novel you scavenge from all quarters. Is it fiction, is it fact? Who cares? You use what comes to hand. I never lived in The Bronx, I was an East Village guy, but I was part of the musical scene up there. I had also lived a fairly edgy life, so I had a store of experience to contrast with what was happening around me.

Ultimately, however, fiction takes over, especially in relation to plot which becomes more important as soon as characters are established.

Q: When you decide to write a book, does it take long to gather steam or does it kick off and keep going?

Larry Kirwan: Books are hard to write so when you begin one, you’ve really got to apply yourself as it will take years to finish. The trick is: deciding which idea or subject you will pursue –- which will be the most fruitful, which one are you best suited to handle? Writing a novel –- or a play –- is very time-consuming. You’ll lose faith, that’s only natural. Many times you’ll question your ability to write something original and worthwhile. But you just keep plugging on and hope for the best.

Q: When writing a book which incorporates the musician’s experience, how does that affect the parameters?

Larry Kirwan: It’s much the same as the parameters a carpenter might have, or an accountant. Perhaps, the boundaries might be more fluid for a musician, mostly because of the era you’re writing about. In the early 1980s –- when “Rockin’ The Bronx” took place — I was playing many different kinds of music.

The Punk/New Wave [I played] with Pierce Turner in Major Thinkers led to us touring with Cyndi Lauper, UB40 and many more. We were also playing improvisatory music behind the poet Copernicus, in CBGB and Max’s Kansas City, not to mention four sets a night of whatever songs and styles that would get us hired in The Bronx and other tri-state bars.

All of those experiences leaked into the writing of “RTB.” Because the Irish Bronx was such a wild and vibrant scene, we were trying to blow away audiences up there and not just play what the crowds wanted to hear. This, of course, led to tension and aggression.

Everything that happens to Sean and Danny on stage in the book actually happened to me in real life over the years. In our early Bronx days, Black 47 seemed to pose an almost existential threat to some of the “New Irish,” probably because we used Hip-Hop and Reggae beats and made our political leanings obvious with edgy lyrics. So, I had much to draw on.

Q: What is there about the Bronx that makes the experience of writing and then, reading this book different?

Larry Kirwan: The Bronx has always been the dead center of the New York immigrant experience. It’s traditionally been the poorest borough and arguably the toughest. But, for whatever reason, it’s always been very music oriented. Look at the South Bronx – it has spawned Rap/Hip-Hop, for many decades now the most universal and successful music style, you hear it in every country of the world. Then take the Irish Bronx. Bars up there had far more live music than any of the other four boroughs.

Gigs were plentiful for musicians. That’s why Chris Byrne and I took Black 47 to the Bronx immediately – you had a chance to play four one-hour sets a night, and get decently paid. After a year of that bruising, but important, experience, we were a band with our own unique sound, and, within another 18 months, we were a national touring act appearing on Leno, Letterman and O’Brien. That’s what The Bronx did for us, and that experience is reflected in “RTB,” even though the book is set 10 years previously.

Q: Which of the characters in the book came first and how did you plan the book’s evolution?

Larry Kirwan: Sean Kelly and Mary Devine came first. But more than anything, the book is about Sean’s undying love for Mary, and his need to understand why she left him and Ireland behind. Despite the socio-political trappings, Rockin’ The Bronx is a love story, and through Sean’s eyes we learn about Mary and the nature of her attraction to The Bronx. But, despite everything that happens, Sean never stops loving her.

We also learn about New York and what it was like in a period that encompasses the deaths of John Lennon and Bobby Sands. Very little has been written about the many young Northern immigrants who were familiar with the killing fields of Belfast and South Armagh – that’s why Danny McCorley is so important to the story. “RTB” is no fairytale, it deals with conflict, sexuality and many other issues, but it’s also a tribute to the young Irish immigrants of the ’80s who came to a very tough city and made lives for themselves over here.

Q: The challenges of imbuing the book with textures of the era — to make it distinct — are huge. Besides your own memories, were there other resources you used to enhance the book's authenticity?

Larry Kirwan: What other resources did I need? I lived it 24/7, like all the other Irish who arrived in that period when Ireland couldn’t provide for them. You don’t get that experience from books or academics, no matter how well meaning. The streets and the memories provide the material and the inspiration. The only thing you have to be careful about is making sure that you don’t lose sight of the forest for the trees – in other words, tell the damned story. I was always a reader and hung around the somewhat literary Bells of Hell and the Lower East Side. At that period I was reading a lot of Henry Miller, Jack Kerouac and, of course, the columns of Pete Hamill, Jimmy Breslin, and other hands-on lecturers from the University of the Streets.

Q: How is the writing alike and different to writing your previous books?

Larry Kirwan: Each book is different but I’m struck by how youthful the authorial voice is in Rockin’ The Bronx. I was writing through the eyes of Sean Kelly, then in his early 20’s.There are also echoes of the Hip-Hop cadences of the South Bronx mixed in with the various vocal rhythms of the characters, Sean and Mary from County Wexford, Danny from Belfast, and Kate from rural Mayo, with just a smidgin of the run-on tempos of Kerouac to highlight the transitory nature of the rugged Irish Bronx we knew.

That style is very different from “Rockaway Blue,” my last novel, which tells the story of a family and city still reeling from 9/11, from the point of view of a Vietnam Vet/ NYPD detective in his late 50s. The writing in “Rockaway Blue” is more chiseled, then again such a controversial subject calls for a certain spareness. There’s more room for youthful excess and exuberance in RTB so I ran with that.

Q: Did it go easier or was this one tougher?

Larry Kirwan: They’re all tough, including the 21 plays/musicals I’ve written. You’re trying to capture a time, a place, and do justice to the people who lived there and the drama of their story. Mystery plays a large part in my stories – what’s Mary Devine’s secret that sends Sean to The Bronx in search of her; what was Lieut. Brian Murphy doing down in the World Trade [Center] right before the planes struck, and why can’t his father, Det. Jimmy Murphy let the past be? Or for that matter why did Paul McCartney change his name to Paul Montana and leave his three Beatle mates behind in my first novel, “Liverpool Fantasy?”

The importance of “Rockin’ The Bronx” to me is that a very special time and place is finally captured in print. There’s barely a trace of the old Irish Bronx left behind. This book shows us as we were in the final big surge of Irish emigration to New York.

Many were fleeing warfare in the North of Ireland, others were looking for the opportunities denied them in the Republic, and, some of us just came for adventure and the hell of it. The city was changing and we changed with it. One thing you can be sure of –- you’ll never see the like of us again.

Q: In writing this book did it inspire you to get up and play — to rock out? Now that you’ve gotten this out of your system will you do something very different or do you hope this will be the basis of a movie or another theatrical piece?

Larry Kirwan: I don’t write to inspire myself but I think “Rockin’ The Bronx” gives an insight into what it’s like to be a musician. Not just Sean and Danny on guitars, but also Shiggins on drums, Bugsy on bass, and especially Johnny Crowley on fiddle. I was close to Lester Bangs, the great rock critic.

He wrote many wonderful pieces about music and musicians, but at the same time I always felt that he was missing something, because he had never felt the inner fire and magic when contributing on stage to a great rock band. Hopefully, some of that essence is captured in “RTB.”

There’s already a theatrical version of “Rockin’ The Bronx.” It had three different productions here and in Ireland. It’s a straight play but I use a recorded score of Black 47 music to highlight scenes and characters.

And you’re right, I’m working on a very different project — “Rebel Girl” — a musical about the life and times of Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, the Irish-American labor activist and her union The International Workers of the World (Wobblies). It takes place between 1912-1922, a great melting pot period for Folk, Blues, Jazz, Swing, Gospel & Opera, but I treat those influences in a contemporary manner.

Oddly enough, the setting closely resembles current America with its immigration issues, income inequality, racial unease, and partisan divide. The seven characters include songwriter Joe Hill and birth control activist Margaret (Higgins) Sanger. The story centers on the intense love affair between Elizabeth and Italian revolutionary Carlo Tresca. Life goes on…

For more info, go to: www.black47.com