Introducing: Kenya Grace

Kenya Grace is a self-taught singer/songwriter/producer hailing from London. She has grown up on an eclectic mix of music which permeates through to her current sound and has been likened to Banks and Flume. She’s managed to stay creative and productive throughout lockdown; dropping the syrupyTalk earlier this month on Trash Like You Records. We caught up with Kenya to discuss her musical journey, her current musical output and her plans for the future…

What influenced you in pursuing music as a career and have there ever been times when you doubted yourself in your pursuit?

I remember the first time I wrote a song and the feeling I got; I literally couldn't compare it to anything else so I think I then just decided this is what I'm going to do for the rest of my life! From then I diverged into production and my mind was literally blown with how much you can create from a laptop - we live in such an exciting time! I think every artist has doubts (we’re such a sensitive bunch) but I know for certain I would not be happy at all if I quit music and did something else. 

You graduated from the Academy of Contemporary Music in August 2019 - what were the main things you took away from that and how has that impacted you as a musician?

Before ACM I couldn't even sing in front of people. I was so shy with my music and barely believed in myself at all, So I think ACM impacted me as a musician in a huge way - I was finally surrounded by people just like me, we worked on so many different projects and really supported each other. I really have met the best people during my time at ACM and I learnt so much about myself and really worked hard on building up my confidence and my sound. 

For someone that has never heard a Kenya Grace song, how would you describe your soundscape in seven words?

Sultry, smooth, delicate, dreamy, electronic, empowering.

You’ve described your latest song Talk as "an acknowledgement of a toxic relationship and a decision not to take someone's shit anymore" - how do you hope tracks like these will help others who may be going through similar situations? 

I wrote Talk after getting out of a toxic relationship and the journey of finally letting go and moving on which gave me back my power. I really hope people can relate to the lyrics and perhaps see similar situations in their own life and get out of there!! It may seem hard at first to let someone go especially if they are close to you but it's also so incredibly empowering to finally do what is best just for yourself.

The track was created in your bedroom during isolation - how did you find lockdown had an impact on your creative process and did it change your process when putting together a track?

I love creating sounds and writing on my own. I think it's when I'm my most authentic and creative, so lockdown wasn’t really too much of a change for me! However after I create a demo or the basis of a song I now usually involve more people and get them to add some different elements to the song. However for this one I just made it all myself and then @bandicootstudios did an amazing job of mixing and mastering my little bedroom creation. In a sense, I am more proud of this one because it's all mine, made from my room during lockdown and about something that really impacted my life so it feels very genuine to me. 

A lot has been spoken about in the world of live music about the support it receives from a government via the #LetTheMusicPlay hashtag - what is your opinion on this and what more do you believe can be done to support the industry during these uncertain times?

I really do miss live shows so much! It was always something that would make me so happy and I really looked forward to it. When this is all over, I hope we can do some big money raising gigs to save some venues and get a load of artists, musicians and music lovers out into the world again! 

Having released a string of singles, do you have plans to release a project in the future and what do you think a Kenya Grace project can deliver and achieve?

I'm really excited for what the future holds - up until now, I have just been on my own but now I'm lucky enough to have an amazingly talented team of people who have already helped me SO much! I'm incredibly excited for the upcoming projects we have planned and I hope people really love it.

With 2020 returning to some semblance of normality - what do you hope to achieve over the next few months and what are your short term goals with regards to releasing music and developing as an artist?

One of my short term goals in music is to get back in the studio - I’ve missed it so much!! I have been writing so much during lockdown and can't wait to bring these creations to life in the studio. Although we have been doing lots of zoom writing sessions, it's just not the same as that feeling of when you’re vibing in the studio! I really can't wait to release the projects we have been working on over the past few months and hopefully in the near future I’ll be able to perform them in front of a live audience.

Follow Kenya for the latest news. Her music is available on Spotify. Photos by Ava Roeg. Interview by Nathan Tuft.