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Kelly Lee Owenss second album,Inner Song, centers around moments of release.
Thats what all good electronic music does, building beats toward ecstatic drops that can light up a room.
Owens earns her drops, pairing the synth and drum explosions with feelings in desperate need of exorcising.
Owens broke out in 2017 with a self-titled album of confident, intimate, ethereal techno-pop.
(She came into electronic music by meeting producers Daniel Avery and James Greenwood, a.k.a.
Ghost Culture, when she worked at a London record store.)
Thats been the healthiest thing Ive been able to do for myself.
The album is out in the world after months of delay.
How does that feel?Oh my gosh.
I feel exhausted in the best way possible.
It feels kind of beautiful.
Not just like,Oh, I have to make a second record.
Its like,Well, Id like to, but what am I actually saying?
What is needed now?
Youre talking about making this music for you.
But its all about the literal flow of the track for me.
I kind of am trying to understand, and we all are really, what Im here to do.
And my journey is about being of service to others by connecting with myself first.
The lyrics on this album are so well-thought and intentional.
The music is the first thing, its usually already been written and loosely arranged.
Its kind of like finding the pieces of the puzzle.
with these samples of ice skates and melting glaciers.
I knew I wanted to make a techno track and have a hard club moment in there.
What is that sound?Wales is known as land of song.
Like, I love a good chorus, [laughs] and I feel like thats no coincidence.
This is all happening through electronic music, which some people might see as a polar opposite to nature.
How do you think about that relationship?With synths, for example, its been made by humans.
Im always looking for the humanness in synths, when they go kind of wonky.
And Im always like,Yes, perfect, thats amazing.
Have you thought about how its going to feel to eventually play this for audiences?Yeah.
Its going to be amazing!
And then we can dance.
