Kelly Lee Owens is absolutely killing it. London’s most recent out of the box sensation has been doing production work for years, but is just now branching out on her own. And we can’t thank her enough for that. Her new EP Oleic hit shelves at the end of October, and has garnered high praise from critics around the world. A collection of songs that exude an ambiance befitting her personality, we get lost in the tracks every time we hit play. Check out the EP below, and then see what Kelly herself had to say regarding its release!
Was there a moment when you decided that music was what you wanted to pursue?
Not a specific moment, I think I just knew I always wanted to be involved in making music in some way, but it took me ages to figure out exactly how I wanted to express it myself. I collected ideas and sounds over the years. I think artists should always take their time to find that out. Being in my mid twenties when I started to properly write and produce was definitely the right time for me.
Oleic just hit shelves on the 21st. What is that like for you?
Exciting because it marks the beginning of my working relationship with Smalltown Supersound and everyone’s reactions so far have been really positive! This energy leads in to my debut album announcement which will come early next year.
Any fun anecdotes from the production process?
I think the moment I was recording a prawn cracker melting in to hot soup, because I loved the sound so much…
That was a kind of a “fuck, I’m a a bit crazy” moment but also hilarious – I used it on the track ‘Oleic’. I love using my own odd samples in tracks.
You’ve gotten high praise for the songs on this EP. What has that been like for you?
Totally unexpected! The tracks were put together post-album writing without too much thought and were fun to make. The fact that people have responded so well is very encouraging, especially tastemakers like Fader & Pitchfork. Their support has been incredible!
The tracks on Oleic definitely create an ambience. How do you imagine people listening to your music?
Either in a dark, dingy club or walking around somewhere having an immersive headphone moment.
The extreme would be to think of maybe an astronaut listening to C.B.M in the ISS whilst flying over planet Earth having a cuppa. Taking in “the colours, the beauty & the motion.” That would be amazing! Maybe I’ll send some of my tracks over to NASA…
You’ve collaborated with many people in the past. What have you learned from those experiences?
To be open minded & to feed off the other persons energy.
Generally just to let go, experiment & be less of a control-freak!
If you could collaborate with anyone in the industry, who would it be and what would you create?
Off the top of my head.. Bjork to create some immersive exhibitions with, Thom Yorke to write with, Kelela to remix & Jon Hopkins to produce with.
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Oleic is out now.
