Congratulations on the release of your new single "Be The One"! I am so beyond impressed! What is the story behind this track? And can you take us through the production of it?
Kevin: Thank you so much for the kind words, Sarah! The song is a story about a tarnished and adulterous relationship. It takes us through the multi-dimensional emotions and insecurities surrounding the situation. The lyrics outline some of the bizarre places your mind can go to during such adversity.
Initially, I approached the song as a guitar ballad, but the delivery of the song's meaning would be too superficial. I wanted the production to evoke a sense of frustration, desperation, as well as recklessness - not just slow pondering. I think I ultimately achieved that by mixing different genres that had various roles in conveying the meaning of the lyrics. You can hear punk-rock and dance-pop influences, as well as elements from guitar-ballad, classical music and early Charli XCX.
What inspired you to make the transition from playing classical music on the piano and cello to the production side in the electronic genre?
Kevin: While studying classical music at a young age, I experienced what felt like an extensive amount of competitiveness and elitism - which is actually embedded into the history of classical music at its core. I had always wondered what the world outside of classical music was like, where you can just freely express yourself for the sake of creating art and not conformed to any societal standards. I started listening to electronic music during my teenage years, and I felt like the music was highly expressive in its own way. Being able to design your own instrument with a unique timbre and manipulating samples into something that's never been heard before - these things were all inaccessible in classical music.
What did you find was the hardest part of breaking into the music industry?
Kevin: Being an independent artist continues to be a challenge. There are many intricate things to know, and I had to learn many the hard way. I've done everything alone for years and learnt not to depend on others. It'll be nice to eventually get some help from a major label. I mean, if Beyoncé would take me under her queen bee wings, I wouldn't complain.
How did your collab with JVCQUI come along? The two of you working together was a perfect match!
Kevin: We had been friends for a while and had been talking about collaborating on a song together. I feel like we give off pure crackhead energy when we're together. Be The One was conceived when we put that energy into a song. Around the time, we had both been heartbroken, coincidentally, by boys both named Christian. We bonded over that and put some of our experiences in the lyrics. Thank you, Christians, for your service.
The hook line, "Is it selfish of me if I just wanna be the one?" popped into my head one day, and I thought it was an interesting question that carried a heavy sentiment. When I brought it into the studio with JVCQUI and our close friend Seetali Mack, all the melodies and lyrics just flowed out of us so naturally. We wrote so much during that session; we were just having fun and using our imagination. More than half of what we wrote ended up being cut out - including a queer, ménage à trois narrative and a bloodshed confrontation at the end. We joke that we could make a 10-minute version of this song as Taylor Swift did with All Too Well.
If you could go on tour with any artist, who would you pick and why?
Kevin: My dream is to open for Krewella. They were (and continue to be) my musical heroes growing up and rescued me from classical music. Although if I met them in person, I would probably respectfully pass out. Opening for David Bowie would also be cute, but there are certain limitations.
What can we expect from you next? After listening to some of the work you put out so far, I'm dying to see what's coming in the future!
Kevin: Please don't die, Sarah. I'm putting out my album this year, which I've worked really hard on. It'll touch on themes surrounding escapism and grief, as well as some subject matters that I've never talked about in my songs before. Also, more content, more music videos, and more shows!
Interviewed By Sarah Curry
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