Kim Ven has returned with her latest hit single, Way That You Keep Me High and is our first taste of new music from Kim since moving to London. Way That You Keep Me High is a beautifully written, infectious song full of mesmerising emotion. Hazy Days Music would like to thank Kim for taking the time out and having a chat.
Could you share a little bit of your music history? How has it been since starting this solo project? And when did you move to London?
I formally entered the music industry in 2016, where I did some collaborative work with artists in the electronic scene. I was doing a bit of top-line work as well as featuring on tracks. I used that to segue into my solo project, and in 2019 I released my debut single, I Hate it When You Lie. It did quite well, getting some radio play on Triple J and added to playlist New Music Fridays and some other good ones on Spotify. So that was cool.
I moved to London like a year ago, literally like two days before COVID hit. So it wasn't the best timing, and I have been in Lockdown pretty much ever since.
But over Lockdown, I have done some of my best writing, writing that I am most happy with, and changed my writing process, looking from within and getting more personal. I recently released my latest single, Way That You Keep Me High which has been really exciting and a big highlight.
Your latest single Way That You Keep Me High is powerful and catchy. How was your experience writing this single and was it recorded before moving to London?
Way That You Keep Me High was recorded in Sydney a couple of days before I left and moved to London. I connected with my producer Ross James. We went into the studio intending to record a different song. But that sort of fell to the side as we started working on this one. Ross was playing the core riff to this song, and I started singing along. The song came pretty naturally, and I feel like that's when my best writing happens, being in the mood, in the room and naturally just jamming. We didn't spend that long on getting the framework of the song down. But obviously, moving to London a few days later made the process challenging. Ross finished off the song here in Sydney. We were sitting on this song for so long and released it like a year after writing. So it’s exciting to have it finally released.
In London - A lot of my backing vocals were recorded when I first got here in my wardrobe as I hadn't had a chance to set up my home studio setup. I was doing it in my room (like every other artist in lockdown). I moved here and didn't have any equipment. I bought a mic online, and my recordings were a bit unprofessional, but with a mix and good master, anything can sound great. I was still working with Ross virtually since moving here, sending over vocal takes and stems.
Do you have a music video planned for this single?
I have an acoustic video coming out for it very soon, it has been a bit hard with Lockdown going on.
How did you find writing and working on your music while being stuck in Lockdown?
Like everyone, to experience all these new emotions and feelings that sometimes we haven't felt before or could ignore. Being locked inside for so long can bring out a very unique side in all of us. I took those feelings and those emotions, and I put them into my music. Having all that time to reflect and look from within, I felt like I was finally writing music that felt like me, and I was comfortable and confident with what I was writing in this new writing process. That's probably why I have been able to write the music I am most happy with over the last year, and now I have it all lined up and patiently waiting to release it. I'm just waiting for the right time to do that.
Over COVID, I was doing a lot of virtual writing sessions with producers back in Australia. My set up at home still isn't very professional. I'm either singing into a corner in my bedroom or in my wardrobe. Doing like a million takes until you can't hear the background noises, haha. I guess it's made the process a bit more fun and interesting. It's still better to record in the studio with a producer, and I do prefer that, but we are making do, and I am learning a lot from this experience.
Have you been collaborating with other artists recently?
I am still doing a lot of top-line work. A bit of a freelance top-line artist at the moment mostly, with producers in Europe. It's very dissimilar to the music I make. I am enjoying writing for the electronic, indie/ EDM scene. I am open to writing and working with producers all over.
I collaborated with Melbourne producer MorningMaxwell last year on the single, Complications. It’s quite a groovy track. I love it.
Have you had much of a chance to connect with the London music community since the move?
It's interesting. I actually feel like London has been this weird place where I have fostered more relationships and connections in Australia more than ever. In terms of the Londons community. I have connected with a lot of artists over here who have been so helpful and supportive. It's a really cool community of artists over here, and I look forward to playing to a new audience. It's an exciting place to be for music.
What are your plans for 2021? With Lockdown finally easing in London, how keen are you to get involved with the music scene?
Since moving to London, I haven't really had the chance to go out and explore the live music scene. So I'm definitely keen to go out and play gigs wherever possible. The music scene over here is going to come alive once it’s allowed to run again. It's just going to flourish, and I look forward to joining in on the action.
Stay up to date with Kim Ven on Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.