Louder Than The Music

Shayla Van Tassel is debuting her goth sythwave project with 'Burning Out,' a single marked by otherworldly vocals and Van Tassel’s own fiery journey through chronic illness. “Burning Out” is streaming on all major platforms now, including Spotify and Apple Music.



Based in a small town in rural Oregon, Shayla Van Tassel has always had a deep love for music - an art form which has been her companion and source of divine comfort. That comfort became critical when Shayla began facing debilitating health challenges.

“‘Burning Out’ is a reflection of what it’s like to live with severe Crohn’s disease,” the artist explains. “The song describes the illness, the challenges of treatment, and the emotional struggle as an enemy to be confronted instead of surrendered to.”

The result is a haunting cry in piercingly pure vocal tones. With a phoenix-like theme of rising through the ashes of systems and symptoms of pain, the lyrics will resonate with anyone who has faced an outsized adversary.

I won't let you take me
I won't let you break me
I won't let you take me down with your poisoning.

Shayla recorded her vocals at Round Mountain Studios, with Asche Relesser recording, mixing, and mastering guitar, drums, and bass at Trask Studios for A.D. Windblown Media Records. “Burning Out” is Shayla Van Tassel’s first release with A.D. Windblown Media, a collaboration that she sees as divinely wrought.

“Chronic illness took over my 20s, and I became very depressed. Music and painting were my outlets, my creative gifts given to me by God. A friend encouraged me to try writing my own music, and that was the beginning of a decade-long journey of finding the words to help me articulate the pain I was constantly living with,” Shayla recalls. “I kept pushing forward, and added prayer into the mix, and that's around the time I received a message from my now friend Jeff Rundberg at Round Mountain Studios. He had listened to my very rough recordings I had posted on SoundCloud, and offered to help me develop my style and record a full album.”

That initial recording happened despite the fact that Shayla had to leave the country to receive medical treatments. She and Rundberg stayed in touch, continuing to trade ideas back and forth through her lonely hours of navigating the medical system.

Eventually, she filmed three videos to accompany songs on that project. She posted one of them on a goth page, where it drew the attention of someone who suggested she reach out to A.D. Windblown Media Records.

“All of these events felt very planned by God, and I'm very excited to see where it leads,” Shayla says. “My goal with music is to teach kids like me, who might be feeling sad, or lost, or unloved. Maybe they've heard about God's love, but don't understand that everyone, no matter how broken, is worthy of His unconditional love.”

“Burning Out” is her message to anyone feeling in need of that love.