So impressive (and speaks volumes about the artist) to have a debut single produced by the great John Castle (Vance Joy, Megan Washington, Angus and Julia Stone), this track really is something else! 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.

We caught up with Kel for a quick Q +A

Hi, thanks for taking the time to chat with Hear 2 Zen, what have you been up to today?

Hey! Thanks for having me. Today I had a rehearsal with my band and then wrote and finished some of the unreleased songs I’ve been working on. 

Tell us about yourself, how long have you been performing/creating music for? 

I’ve been creating my own music for the last 2-3 years, having written my first song at the age of 16, but have been performing through school or extra curricular groups since I was around 10 years old. So in a way, I’ve always enjoyed performing.

Who are your greatest inspirations?  Why?

My inspiration artists are Finneas, Harry Styles, Taylor Swift. I love their approach to songwriting, branching across genres and their general approach to experimental music that is still inherently alternative pop song styles.  

How do you create music?  Are you lyrics/story driven, or does the music/melody come first?  Explain your process.

I’d say a bit of both, as a songwriter the story-driven aspect is definitely a huge part of my process but sometimes if the melody comes first, I lay down some chords and see what vibe or emotion is generally coming across and then it’s easier for me to pinpoint what I’m going to write about. But on the odd occasion I might have some lyric or phrase that I want to use and craft the song around that. 

What has been your greatest challenge so far in performing/creating music?

I’d say choosing which songs I want to record and which ones I want to put down for a bit has been a big challenge. Having written my own songs since I was 16 I have so many songs that I love but over time I feel less connected to or I’m older or in a different place now. So navigating the music that is most relevant and current to who I am and then deciding which ones to record has been a challenge.

Tell us about your new release Paradise, how did it come about?

I wrote Paradise by myself after a holiday trip to the south coast NSW, and then shortly after contacted John Castle (who produced it). He liked the song and we began recording it together remotely through phone call sessions almost straight away.

What advice do you have to artists who are just starting out?

Keep writing and making music that is true to yourself and what you want to reflect first before writing music that might fit a box or algorithm.

Tell us your favourite Zen practice.

 Sitting outside with noise canceling headphones listening to film orchestra score soundtracks.