“You Talkin’ To Me?” – Kel

Hailing from a musical family, Kel began playing multiple instruments and singing while in high school, going on to pen his first original compositions in year twelve. After producing some videos of himself, Kel’s search began for a producer in earnest, ultimately resulting in his discovery of John Castle (Vance Joy, Megan Washington, Angus and Julia Stone) and falling in love with the talented producer, engineer and multi-instrumentalist’s sound and catalogue. From sending his videos to John, the two immediately began working together. While Paradise may mark the first single unleashed into the wild for Kel, the future looks bright for this talented up-and-comer currently working towards his debut EP.

Sitting right in the pocket of both a dreamy ballad and an erupting anthem with indie cool smarts, Kel’s Paradise takes you on a journey; searching for that elusive place of calm, clarity, and love.

Name: Kel

In less than 50 words describe your music and yourself.
My music is alternative emotive ballads with a pop-rock influence. As an artist, I’m a young singer-songwriter, writing music about my life, relationships and my own experiences.

What was the first rock/pop concert you attended?
One of Alicia Keys’ concerts when I was about 6 years old.

Punk or Goth Music:
Leaning more toward punk.

Who are you excited about, music wise, at the moment?
I’ve been really enjoying listening to other Australian artists like Ruel or Budjerah – so I would be excited to see either of them perform.

The Best live artist/band you’ve seen:
Taylor Swift

What are you currently reading?
Currently finishing the Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood.

Your favourite Sunday morning chill out record?
Daylight – Harry Styles

Which song do you wish you had written?
I Love You – Billie Eilish. It’s such a beautiful song and one of my favorites of the album.

Author Manuel Puig said “I’m not terribly happy about rock and roll. Rock music is uninspiring, numbing; it makes you feel like an idiot.” Discuss.
Disagree! I love rock music, whilst it may not be the genre, I write my songs in most of the time, there is an element of passion and intensity that many pop or alternative songs draw from. It’s inspiring as there’s a lot of emotion in rock music, that’s why it comes across so strong.

Vinyl, Cassette, CD, mp3 or Streaming?
I love the idea of Vinyl collecting but I haven’t bought a record player because I find it’s easier to stream music. However, I think buying music like Vinyl is better as it creates an experience to collect music and also supports the artist as well.

If you could hang out with any music artist, in a bar one afternoon, who would it be?
Maybe Dua Lipa, she seems like so much fun. Her music and personality are vibrant and exciting, so I feel like she would be good to talk to for an afternoon.

What is your worst habit?
I procrastinate during the day and then have a random spell of motivation at night so I always leave important work until 10pm or some late hour.

How often do you look at your mobile phone?
A lot – maybe too much. I check it in the morning when I wake up and keep it with me all day.

Any good backstage stories?
At my last gig at the Great Club, out of nowhere it started pouring down with rain while we were loading in equipment. Me and the band used our only jackets and a broken umbrella to try and cover the equipment and got drenched in the process before we went on stage.

An alien lands on Earth and wants to know what Rock and roll sounds like. What song do you play them?
Bad Reputation – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts.

Favourite all time TV show:
The 100

What is your specialty in the kitchen?
I can make a really good Prawn and Chilli Pasta. Easiest dish to make and it tastes so good.

With whom would you like to record a song with?
Finneas! He’s one of the most talented producers, songwriters and performers that I’ve seen live twice. He’s very inspiring as a producer.

You have tickets to see The Killers and Bruce Springsteen but they are on the same night. Which one do you attend?
The Killers

Where do you hope to be in 12 months?
Hopefully doing more live shows with more released music!

Interview by Geoff Jenke

Connect with Kel
Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Spotify