Kaleah Lee is The Perfect Example Of The Future Of Music Artistry, and She's Making Sure We’re All a Part Of It
With an online community accumulated over the past few years, there’s no doubt that people are drawn to the personability that makes up Kaleah’s career so far - and it’s no doubt going to be a long one.
By Amelia Defeo.
Special thanks to Shak, Alice, and Rasheed at Thanks for the Luck.
All photo credit goes to Naomi Lee.
Kaleah Lee’s voice is one you may recognise from your social media timelines and, despite only having three songs out on streaming platforms, her covers of songs by the likes of Gracie Abrams, The Japanese House, and Bon Iver place her musicality on par with artists that we know, love, and find it easy to connect with on emotional levels.
As we move into a world which is so heavily reliant on the connections that we make online, there isn’t any surprise that the artists we feel such an affinity for are those like Kaleah. Those who are unafraid to bare their emotions through their words whilst also staring directly at us, sat in their bedroom, guitar in hand.
Ahead of the release of her new single ‘All At Once’ on March 29th, and on the back of her last single ‘Out of Body’, I spoke with Kaleah about her music, the community that she has built online, and her role as a rising star in the music industry.
With a proven talent to draw people towards her and her artistry, I asked Kaleah:
The community that you have built on social media has played a big role in your journey in music so far, and you seem to really facilitate this sense of belonging and community amongst your fans. Do you find there to be a certain type of person that gravitates towards you and your music?
The community that’s forming has been one of the most rewarding parts of all of this. This is interesting because it’s something that I’ve thought of a lot and noticed myself! I’m not sure I’d say there's a specific type of person that gravitates toward my music. They vary so much in age and whatnot, but they do all seem to share the commonality that the music resonates in some way. It’s like talking to different versions of myself at different stages and walks of life which sounds crazy, but it’s made me feel so much less alone and hopefully them too. I think that collective understanding and connection is a big part of why there's a community in the first place. They've all been so supportive and so special in their own way!
What is the storytelling process that you take through your music?
Most, if not all of what I write is based on an experience or feeling that I’ve had, and it’s a way that I cope with literally anything. I’d say the storytelling process I take is a cathartic one. It can start with a thought or emotion I’m experiencing at that current moment, revisiting a journal entry, playing around with a chord progression, or all three at the same time. Usually, when I’m at the point of making anything a song, the “story” has been fleshed out somehow, most likely written in my journal or just something that’s happened that has been living in the back of my mind, so connecting it to music is like the last piece. I try to express the experiences I’ve had as candidly and acutely as possible.
Social media likes to box people into certain aesthetics (soft girl, sad girl, etc...). Do you feel this, and is there any inclination in you to lean into any box to appease the categorization features of internet culture?
I’m aware that these aesthetics exist, but I wouldn’t say that I personally try to pursue any particular one. I make what I feel is right for me to make and if someone feels the need to fit it somewhere, maybe to help them identify how the music makes them feel or if it’s how they express their connection to the music, that’s great! But I also think that if it’s taken too seriously, being limited to creating on one plane of space can be restricting to the growth of an artist or person in general. It’s definitely not a goal or really even an interest of mine to be placed in any one particular place at all or to place others in one particular place at all. It’s important to make what you want to make!
Where do you draw the majority of your inspiration from? And what is the source of inspiration that people may be surprised by?
The majority of my inspiration comes from my personal experiences. I use writing to express the things I feel because it seems to be the only way I’m able to articulate myself exactly how I want to…I’m terrible at talking about how I feel hahaha. I’m not sure if this is surprising, but I also get a lot of inspiration from nature and its interconnectedness and how everything I experience seems to be intertwined with it or can be represented through it.
Is there something specific that you'd like to represent or stand for as a rising star in the music world? Personal or on a wider scale.
I feel like there are so many things I could say but something I stand for, and I’m choosing this one because it has become important to me now more than ever, is taking care of yourself. Especially on an emotional level. I’ve recently come to terms with the fact that I can’t fully be the person I’d like to be for others until I find ways to get help for myself first! It can feel daunting to reach out for help, and might even feel weird to do things for yourself, but it's scary how easy it can be to neglect your own needs with others in mind. Having a healthy relationship with yourself first is so, so important not only for you but for the people in your life that you love as well.
What should we be anticipating for the coming year from you?
I’ve got some new music that I’m working on that I’m very proud of, so I’d say more of that is coming for sure. Hope to do some more live shows too!
You can listen to Kaleah’s new single ‘All at Once’ on the 29th, but for now, please do yourself a favour and take a look at her Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube where she posts covers, vlogs, and gives us an insight into the life that inspires these songs.
