by pankhuri bhutani
photo courtesy of kels
Hailing from Germany, KELS initially started penning down tracks merely at the age of 13. Last year, she released her highly anticipated debut EP Slow Ryde, showcasing her unique vocal style and versatile songwriting.
KELS is a new wave neo soul singer-songwriter and artist with a background in jazz. Growing up, she was heavily involved in choir, singing at church and in jazz ensembles. She debuted her original music at a series of music festivals in Pittsburgh during the summer of 2021, headlining at The Three Rivers Arts Festival, Millvale Music Festival, Picklesburgh, and opening for Kat Wright.
We recently had a wonderful chat with KELS in order to talk about her music journey, where she draws her major musical influences from and what she has in store for her future projects!
Hi there, KELS. Thank you for joining us on Unclear! How has the beginning of 2022 been for you so far?
KELS: “Of course, thank you for having me! 2022 has been great so far — just writing a ton of new music lately that will map out my year. I’m very excited for what 2022 has in store!”
Before delving into your phenomenal music journey, I’d like to ask you what it was initially that brought you closer to the field of music? Did the passion come in early or did it develop at a later stage in your life?
KELS: “I have been singing since I could talk, really. My dad is a singer as well and he made music a huge part of my childhood. We spent hours singing in the car on long rides — all types of music. He introduced me to greats like Andrea Bocelli, Sam Cooke, and Johnny Cash. I was very shy as a kid so I didn’t sing in front of an audience until around middle school, other than in choir. Even when I did sing in front of people it scared me so much, my mouth would close up and I wouldn’t look at anyone! I’m self critical and a perfectionist, so I was just overthinking my voice as a kid (I didn’t know what to do with it).
I started writing songs on a keyboard at 13, and started performing often at coffee shops and festivals by 15. Music came naturally to me, especially songwriting. I didn’t realize how powerful that skill was until I grew up a bit. Jazz was my go to genre in school — I loved scatting and improvising at live performances. Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Billie Holiday set the standard for my vocal ability — I wanted to sound like them as a teen. I sang in many jazz trios and ensembles. By my senior year in high school I was chosen as one of ten girls statewide for the state vocal jazz ensemble.
My jazz foundation has helped me in my artistry to write better, more complicated melodies from an early age. Fast forward to the body of music I’m currently releasing — it’s so fulfilling for me. I didn’t want to release original music until I knew my sound and my style, but now I’m here.”
You recently released your debut EP Slow Ryde. Huge congratulations on that! What was the inspiration behind it and how did the general creative process go about with this project?
KELS: “Slow Ryde as a concept really took shape over the summer when I was performing a lot of unreleased music at festivals. I only had a few songs out, so I needed to debut some unreleased music to fill my performance times. There were three distinct songs that the crowd gravitated towards when I performed — which ended up being the three songs I chose to record for the Slow Ryde EP.
All three songs are love songs. The overarching message in the title is that love is best when we take it slow. Starting from top to bottom on the EP I describe feelings of love at first sight in ‘Slow Ryde,’ to the honeymoon phase in ‘Down 2 U,’ and end with the tough decision of figuring out if it’s meant to be in ‘Just Let Me Go.’ I wrote all three songs and worked with two different producers who know me and my sound really well — Ryan M Tedder and Jacob Spitzer. The vision was easy to bring to life in the studio because I’d performed these songs so many times so I knew exactly how they should be sung.
The whole process flowed from spring to early fall pretty seamlessly all the way up until the November 29th release date (which is my birthday by the way!).”
Slow Ryde has garnered such a tremendous response so far! How does it feel to know that your debut EP in itself has gained such an influence?
KELS: “It’s crazy. I couldn’t have asked for a better debut EP release. I have connected with so many new artists and listeners because of the Slow Ryde EP and it’s only been a few months since its release. I’m extremely grateful to all the people supporting my work and sharing my music with their networks. It’s been a beautiful thing to experience the organic growth of this project.”
Out of all the songs within the EP, which track stands out the most for you and why?
KELS: “That is so tough. It changes day to day if I’m being honest! It also depends on my mood. ‘Slow Ryde’ overall is a song I play when I’m feeling good and need a soundtrack to my joy. I can’t not groove when I hear that one. The production is bouncy, golden and vintage — instant good vibes. If I’m talking from my artist self — ‘Just Let Me Go’ is the track that represents the edginess and grittiness of my soul. I put so much emotion into that song so it is hard to ignore it!”
Where do you garner your major music influences from? If given an opportunity, is there anyone on your radar who you would absolutely love to collaborate with in the future?
KELS: “There’s so much that makes up my musical background. Like I mentioned, I started out singing jazz standards so the greats inspired my voice early on — Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone to name a few. The songwriting and mix of jazz, neo soul, and pop Amy Winehouse perfected in the music industry greatly inspired me as well.
I’ve always been drawn to the sound of strong female vocals — Jazmine Sullivan is another huge influence, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, and of course the songwriting and vocal genius Ms. Lauryn Hill. It would be a dream for me to collaborate with Jazmine Sullivan. Her talent inspired my voice and songwriting and shaped it into what it is today. I admire her sincerity and prowess on stage and in her records — she emulates soul. Career would be made if that happened!”
I know everything’s a bit uncertain at the moment, but do you have anything on your bucket list regarding the year 2022?
KELS: “Yes! It’s true, there is no telling where live shows will be. Aside from that, my biggest goals this year include releasing a full length album, singing on A COLORS SHOW, and collaborating with some large artists.”
What’s next for you, KELS? What can your fans expect from your upcoming projects/collaborations?
KELS: “I can’t say much for now, but I can only promise that the music is on the way! Slow Ryde is only the beginning.”
Lastly, is there any message that you’d like to convey to your fans reading this interview?
KELS: “Thank you for supporting my music, I can’t do it without you! Stay tuned for a new release very, very soon.”