Hey, thanks for talking to us here at AM and recording an Apocalypse Session for us! Could you start by telling us a bit about ‘In A Different Light’- why you chose it and what the song means to you!
This song is the title track of my recent EP. It was a song I needed to write to fully reflect on a “situationship” I found myself in and let it go. I cried a lot the night I wrote it and felt relieved when I went to bed.
How would you describe your sound and style to someone who might be new to your music and what are some of your biggest influences?
My sound and style are quite versatile, in essence I try my best to make music that moves people emotionally in some way, shape or form. I guess people would put in the R&B/Soul/Pop/Jazz categories. Some big influences: Sade, Bill Withers, Sting, Etta James, Sara Vaughan, Betty Carter.
How are you spending your time these days- have you been managing to stay creative during lockdown?
I’ve been enjoying the headspace and time to write and think about what I want out of life and the woman I want to be. I’ve been writing songs, thinking, loving, cooking, going on walks and growing a little herb garden.
Are you working on anything in particular at the moment?
Right now I’m working on writing the best songs that I can and thinking about how I want the visuals to support them.
What has been inspiring your sound recently?
I’ve been listening to Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway this week. It usually varies, but sometimes I get hooked on something and try to dig deeper into what makes the song great. Generally listening wise, I’ve been banging out Nathy Peluso’s ‘Calambre’ album and Delilah Montague’s recent EP. So killing ! I think no genre is the way forward haha !
What’s next for you musically- any plans for the future/releases on the way?
I’m going to go song by song for a little while so I can dig deeper into myself, experiment, work with different people until I feel I’m ready to put out a collection of work ( album or another EP).
Where can our readers find out more about you? (social media links/contact details etc.)
linktr.ee/kianjamusic // @kianjamusic on all socials // Join ‘The Real Ones’ Bandcamp subscription (for unreleased projects & demos) // Mailing List
Words by Hermione Kellow & Kianja
Photo © Kianja
