Exclusive interview with ‘KIEY’

Kiey, who was born in 1994, grew up loving and listening to US-UK pop music. Kiey is an independent artist who has complete creative control over every aspect of his music, from the lyrics to the production. He specializes in euphoric, ethereal mid-tempo electro-pop songs and primarily explores the themes of love, desire, and loneliness. Kiey aims to create a solitary, dark listening environment with his debut album “Night To Myself,” which begins with the funky “Drunk Black Cat.” Lana Del Rey, Britney Spears, Utada Hikaru, Bjork, Madonna, and Michael Jackson are some of Kiey’s favorite pop singers. Together, they contributed to creating Kiey’s distinctive soundscape, which marries gloomy melodies with pounding dance floor beats.

The second EP from the upcoming sophomore album “Sunday Sanctuary” is this one. The four watery-infused songs, chosen from the album’s twelve songs, perfectly capture the project’s fun side: quirky, sexy, and urban. Unashamedly sexy and overall just a catchy bop, the album’s opening track, “Make Me Insane,” features addictive brass, double bass plucking, and a steamy beat. The song was written as a naughty fantasy Kiey had while writing it and as a tribute to Britney Spears. The song that was the most enjoyable for Kiey to write and produce, “Insomnia,” is actually about his beloved cat’s nighttime antics! The EP’s third song, “High,” is a straightforward description of a night out partying with a partner and experiencing the heights of love. The album’s lone “ballad,” “Finally Happy,” is lo-fi, chill, and conveys a sense of total immersion in the ocean’s depths.

Kiey wanted to create an upbeat and euphoric album because the majority of the songs were written in 2020, a year of unrest around the world. The main concept of “Sunday Sanctuary” is also the opposite of that of Kiey’s debut album, “Night To Myself.” Check out his latest EP and the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how you got started?
KIEY: I am from Viet Nam, a southeast Asian country. I started to make and produce music around 2015 when I attended KCL in London studying Business Management. I got a bunch of studio equipments from Amazon, downloaded Ableton and started making pop music during my free time then!

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
KIEY: I studied Music Higher Level for International Baccalaureate, so in terms of music theory I have all the basics. When it comes to music production, mixing and mastering then they are self-taught throughout the years.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘KIEY’?

KIEY: A collection of US-UK artists such as Britney, Lana Del Rey, Sia, Troye Sivan, Years&Years. I am also a big fan of Joji! The name Kiey derived from my real name “Kiet” which is Vietnamese. I wanted something that looks nice hieroglyphically and “Kiey” just looks nice to me! J

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
KIEY: My personal distinct sound would be mid-tempo electropop. I think the best way to describe it is Lana Del Rey’s ish vocals on top of electronic soundscape! That’s the natural way in which my melodies usually come out when I compose something.

5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as POP?

**KIEY**:
I completely agree, it is a lot of learning and listening to other artists. Especially in the sound production aspect. Is the song loud enough? Does the vocal sit nicely on the track? Is the bass too quiet? I guess it’s a lot of training for your ears and you get better and better as you produce. In terms of style, I always knew that electropop is the genre I wanted to pursue because that’s the genre I listen to and love the most!

6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative and entertainment?
KIEY:

As an artist, my stance is more towards the latter. Music for me is an escape mechanism of fantasies, personal storytelling and artistic expression. I haven’t tried to inject political, cultural or social views in my art because I don’t have a particular strong views regarding them, I think generally I’m a moderate person that see both sides of an argument.

7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfilment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
KIEY:

The great fulfilment itself is the finished product that you are proud of. In terms of being popular with others of course I would like more fans to know and listen to the music. Like many other artists, of course, I would love to have more fans, and more sustainable income with my music career!

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

KIEY:

I usually started with the album concept itself, a planned thematic consistency with repetitive motifs running throughout the songs. In terms of making the songs, I usually start with the chord progression first, then the melody and lastly, lyrics. This process is the easiest for me so far. For my first album I made everything from scratch!. But for “Sunday Sanctuary” about a half of it was re-produced and re-mastered by 2-3 producers.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
KIEY: I guess I wish I should have started earlier. I kept my music to myself for a long time before releasing them and that made it somewhat late (not too late!). I had a great childhood but obviously there are some low points in which I want to keep it private!

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far? KIEY: The fact that I made my debut album from scratch and one of the songs called “Piccadilly” enjoyed lots of streams online and that made me quite happy! But I feel like this is just the beginning and there’s a lot more to come!