Q&A: JUDAH KELLEY
Dropping her long awaited indie-pop/rock single ‘Apathy’, Judah Kelley is absolutely one to watch for 2022 with this track being the first of many that we’ll be treating our ears with this year!
HEY JUDAH! WE WERE SO BLESSED TO SEE YOUR MESMERISING LIVE PERFORMANCE AT BREAKING SOUNDS RECENTLY, AND NOW WE'RE STOKED TO CHAT TO YOU ABOUT YOUR NEW MUSIC! HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN SINGING & MAKING MUSIC?
Thank you so much!! I was immersed in music at a very young age due to the musical environment my family provided. After being taught the basics on guitar and piano by my brothers, songwriting and singing became a regular practice - falling in love with melodies and using words to tell stories. During my studies, I was performing regularly and found that the songs I was writing meant more to my audience, which is the reason I dove into the realm of recording.
CONGRATS ON YOUR INCREDIBLE NEW SINGLE 'APATHY'! CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE MEANING OF THE SONG AND THE INSPIRATION BEHIND IT?
Thank you! The meaning behind ‘Apathy’ is the turmoil of emotional unavailability. It sheds light on the flirtatious elements that occur when we meet someone but fall into contemplation of ‘should I or should I not’ develop this. Ultimately the feeling of apathy winning. It was inspired from what I was feeling at the time after meeting someone I didn’t expect to.
SUCH A BRILLIANT CONCEPT FOR A SONG! WHAT WERE YOUR MAIN HIGHLIGHTS WORKING ON 'APATHY'?
There were many highlights working on ‘Apathy’ but one overall highlight were the people I had the pleasure of working with. Watching this song go from a small demo made with Harry Parsons grow into a full visual story. For ‘Apathy’ I am releasing my debut music video which I am very excited to share.
WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE IT! WE ALSO LOVE YOUR SONG 'READY'! CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF THIS TRACK AND WHAT THE WRITING AND PRODUCTION PROCESS WAS LIKE?
Omg thank you! ‘READY’ was my debut single of 2021. The concept was inspired by a ‘friendship’ I was in many years ago and how their opinion affected my self worth. It follows the journey of breaking out of that mindset. I wrote this song in 2020 in the piano rooms at my university. Once I decided that I was going to release music, I was fortunate enough to work with my brother, Daniel Kelly, on this track.
MORE MUSIC ON THE WAY SOON?!
Yes yes yes! These last few months I have been writing my debut EP in hopes to be released later this year. This is probably some of the best I have written and I am very excited to share it.
SUPER EXCITING! WHO WOULD YOU SAY ARE YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATIONS IN MUSIC?
This is the hardest question ever! From a young age I have been incredibly inspired by singers with powerful vocals. These include Alicia Keys, Celine Dion, Adele and of course Lana Del Rey to name a few. Their ability to manipulate their vocals to enhance their songwriting has been a big influence.
WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE NZ ARTISTS RIGHT NOW AND ARE THERE ANY SONGS IN PARTICULAR THAT YOU ESPECIALLY LOVE?
I have been listening to a mix of NZ artists at the moment but 3 of my favourites would be Gin Wigmore, BROODS and Muroki. One song that I am thrashing is ‘Baby Blue’ from There's A Tuesday that came out very recently!
WE THINK THAT SONG IS AMAZING TOO! WHAT WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT NEW ZEALAND?
I am a sucker for the scenery around New Zealand! I recently spent my summer traveling around the North Island and went to this point in Mahia. Perfect for longboarding, snorkeling and jumping off rocks.
SOUNDS LUSH! WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST LESSONS YOU’VE LEARNT AS AN ARTIST, AND WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER ARTISTS OUT THERE?
The biggest lesson I have learnt as a young artist is that it is easy to feel swayed to make your music sound a certain way - this can affect your writing and your overall feel of the song. My advice for other artists is to remind yourself of why you’re doing it.
LASTLY, WE END ALL OUR INTERVIEWS WITH THIS QUESTION - IF YOU COULD SAY ONE THING TO EVERY PERSON IN THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
To be patient and understand others' differences. If it’s not harming them, others or ourselves, do we have the right to cast our judgment?
THANK YOU SO MUCH JUDAH! MAKE SURE YOU KEEP UP WITH HER ON INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, SPOTIFY OR APPLE MUSIC.
