Born in Lithuania, Klaudia Keziah is a vibrant multi-talented singer-songwriter who’s caught the eyes and ears of mini this past year. Her blissful essence of Afro-beat infused Pop music has attracted and garnered much support internationally.
This past year, she propelled her way to the top with her single “Little Bit,” which received a fitting remix from L2R a bit ago. The YouTube video currently sits a just under 100K views, making it one of her most successful songs today. Last month, she continued her heat streak with the release of “Watermelon Sugar,” another irresistibly catchy record for fans alike to enjoy.
In our latest interview, we spoke with Klaudia Keziah about growing up in the UK, translating her thoughts into music, and her viral single, “Little Bit.” Check it out below.
For anyone not familiar with your music, how would you describe it?
I would describe my music as 90s R&B meets 808s—mixed with a personal narrative—it’s always really important to me for my music to feel authentically ‘me’.
Walk me through your childhood, what was it like growing up?
I was born in Lithuania, and at the age of five, I moved to the UK with my mum and sister. Everything felt like such an adventure when I was little. At the age of eight, I moved back to Lithuania for three years to live with my grandma, to learn the language and reconnect with my roots. I feel like everything happens for a reason, so during my time back home, living with my grandmother, the closest school to her was a classical music school.
This was the start of my musical journey, and since the age of eight, I always had the same dream “to be a famous musician.” For the duration of my time at the music school, I was classically trained in cello and piano. I guess from a young age I learned a lot of discipline in music, because three-four hour cello practices daily was required.
In my teens, I found that I wanted to break away from the classical side of music and start writing and performing my own material. I only came to realize I wanted to sing when I turned 16! I returned back to the UK when I was 11 to a town called Northampton, located in the midlands. Where I continued with cello and studied music at college and university. I come from a small family, and it’s filled with super strong independent females, so that taught me a lot of my values and shaped me during my childhood into who I am today. I want to make sure that’s reflected in my music also.
What artists inspired you then and now?
I honestly went through so many different musical tastes. I grew up in the 90s with loads of MJ, TLC, Eve, Brittney and Christina played in the house. I feel like 90s music and fashion will always inspire me and I will always incorporate it in my creativity. My first vocal inspirations were the likes of Nina Simone and Amy Winehouse. I was always in awe of rich, deep and bluesy female vocals.
Some of my biggest inspos right now are Kehlani, Kali Uchis, Frank Ocean, Fou?hee, Daniel Ceasar. I like how they all don’t follow a strict set of rules in they’re creative process, and that reflects in their sound.
When it comes to songwriting, is it easy to translate your thoughts into lyrics?
I always start with melodies, and freestyle some ideas. I think that’s how my best songs are written, When it just naturally flows from within. When there’s no pressure, expectation or overthinking. I do feel a lot of the best songs write themselves. I always start with the hook, which usually describes the whole topic of the song, then it’s easier to go off that and complete the rest of the lyrics. So overall, I’d say it depends on how close the topic is to your heart. It’s the process of taking a raw subject and turning it into a metaphorical, musical journey for the listener.
Where do you go to for creativity and inspiration?
Inspiration is such a crazy thing, because you can’t “create it” or create the “perfect setting” to get inspired in. For me, inspiration comes in waves. I get inspired by a lot of different things like my friends, other musicians, artists I record at the studio or events in my life.
Your single “Little Bit” is a viral triumph, what’s the inspiration behind that record?
Thank you very much! In “Little Bit,” I wanted to describe a situation of falling in love and how it all feels right at the beginning of a relationship and how I like to keep my cards close to my heart right at the beginning and not show that I’m not liking the person too much until I’m really sure. It’s important for me to write relatable scenarios and situations
Any dream collaborations?
There’s too many to name. I’d love to collaborate with Khalid, Kehlani, or PARTYNETDOOR.
In terms of 2021, what do you have in store for your fans that you can share?
I’m really excited for people to hear what I’ve been working on. Creatively, I’ve really focused on making sure sonically and visually these songs are special and super authentic to me. I’ve got some great collabs coming up as well! I think we can all agree that 2020 has been a strange year for all creatives, but it’s also allowed me personally to really hone in on my sound and create what truly reflects me.
In other music news, check out our interview with rising UK rap star SYM.
