Kenya Grace talks about her massive rise and embracing her “darker” side

Kenya Grace sat down with NME at Reading Festival to talk about her debut appearance at the event, her swift rise to the top of the dance world, and her new music.

At her set on Friday (August 23), Grace DJed and performed tracks from her debut EP ‘The After Taste’ – including her historic UK Number One ‘Strangers’. She also did mash-ups of nostalgic pop songs like Britney Spears‘ ‘Toxic’ and Imogen Heap‘s ‘Hide and Seek’, and covered Daniel Bedingfield’s ‘Gotta Get Thru This’.

The appearance featured two new songs that were much more distorted and bass-heavy than her other offerings.

Afterwards, Grace told NME that ‘The Aftertaste’ was “not that deep” when it comes to being a statement about her as an artist and that she’s ready to explore “heavier” and “darker” sounds.

Hi Kenya! How was your Reading performance?

“It was incredible. I feel like I’ve been watching so many videos from this festival my whole life, so it’s incredible to be here. So excited, honestly.”

You’re really on a roll and doing a lot of firsts – how is that?

“It’s been crazy. I sometimes think I’ve been just massively chucked in the deep end, but it’s been so incredible and I’m so blessed for everything I’ve done, honestly. I’m just very grateful.”

In your sets, you go between DJing and singing – why do you do that?

“I think I just like that sort of thing. I love making edits in between my songs or adding other songs to my set and obviously, I love to sing as well. And I use an MPC [Music Production Center] to play drum parts, which I love to do as well. I think it’s all-encompassing of me as an artist.”

You write, produce, and sing your own songs – what made you pick up all those skills?

“I started doing [studio] sessions when I was quite young, and I desperately wanted to be able to do it myself. I think I wanted to have the chance to do it when I’m by myself in my room or whatever. It just gives you the freedom to actually make stuff whenever you want and do your own sound. I just fell in love with production pretty early on.”

As an artist, you are recognised more for the music you make than for being able to do everything yourself…

“I love making stuff for myself but I definitely am so up for collaborating as well. I think my next chapter I want to do some collaborations and stuff. I don’t want to only do stuff for myself but I just love to do it.”

If you could think of three collaborators right now, who would you call?

“Always Lana Del Rey. I don’t know what kind of music we’d make, to be honest, but I love her so much. And probably Flume, he’s like just so incredible and probably Chase and Status.”

Are you going to try and grab Lana Del Rey backstage somewhere?

“I’d be too scared, honestly. I’d be such a fan girl over her that I feel like I’m just going to run away. But she is so incredible. I love her.”

From when you released ‘Strangers’ last year, you went from bedroom popper to main arenas and doing festivals – how have you adapted?

“It definitely changed my life instantly, which is so crazy. I was not doing shows. I did not do a show for years, then ‘Strangers’ came out, and it was very fast to big crowds – which was honestly terrifying, and I struggled a lot with stage fright. But I feel like the best way to get over stage fright is just to go through it and do it, and I did that, so I’m happy.”

Why do you include this pop element in your work as well and not strictly go down that drum’n’bass route?

“I love those songs so much. I feel like they’ve been a big part of my life, honestly. They’re huge bangers, but I always make them drum’n’bass or make them into my style, which I think is cool.

Most of the songs you include are fronted by women…

“Yeah, I didn’t even notice that actually. Yeah, slay, I love that.”

In dance music, there was once a time when we didn’t have many women being represented…

“I feel like it’s getting so lit, though, now. When I was growing up, when I was really young, I felt like there was no representation then. But now it’s like there’s a lot of really sick women, actually, and they’re slaying it. I love it.”

You dropped your first EP this year, ‘The After Taste’. What’s the statement you wanted to make with it?

“‘The After Taste’ is basically about the remaining feelings after having a relationship, no matter if it’s a friendship or a dating relationship. I wanted to create this body of work that encompasses all of that, all of the remaining feelings after it ends.”

What statement did you want it to make about you?

“I’d want people to know about me that I love dance music and the pop elements in the vocals… it’s not that deep.”

Are you working towards new music?

“Yes, I dropped two new songs in the set today, which I’m really excited about. And I’m going on a bit of a heavier dance music journey now, which I’m really excited about.”

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Who’s inspiring this new heavier sound?

“I’ve always loved it, and I feel like I’ve been too scared to do it before. Now, I’m gonna just go for it. I love the heavier drum’n’bass that Chase and Status do, or there [are] some really cool boys doing some amazing music. One is called MPH [a DJ-producer based in Kent] – I think he’s amazing, he’s so talented. But I feel like there’s a real resurgence of really heavy dance music now. I’m just very into it.”

So, are you working towards a new project?

“Yeah, I’ve been writing a lot, and I’m gonna do some collaborations, which I’m excited about. I feel like I’ve been very, very busy touring and doing lots of festivals, but now I’m ready to release some new music, which I’m excited about.”

Is there a concept around the music here or is it just free-forming?

“Not really, it’s in the works at the moment, but yeah, I’m excited.”

Moods, themes… 

“Definitely darker, I think. Darker, heavier, I’d say. I feel like most of my music, anyway, is quite sad and dark. Anyway, the lyrical concept is very sad. But I think the sounds of the synths and just the general vibe of the songs is more heavy and dark, which I love.”

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