INTERVIEW: Love Keyyz
NOVEMBER 24TH, 2022 | BY TESSA BANNISTER
An up and coming artist, Love Keyyz, has hints of R&B, soul, and hip-hop scattered throughout her discography. Her debut album — I Could Be Dreaming, all of the songs on the album tell a story in consecutive order of a messy breakup; each one expresses infatuation and intense emotions that come along with being in love, whether positive or negative. It contains tracks ranging from soft love ballads (“Words Do Hurt”) to explicit upbeat break-up songs (“P.A.N.”). She is a queer, African-American independent artist who writes all of her music, hoping to continue to break barriers in the music industry.
What inspired you to become an artist and pursue music?
I started as a dancer when I was a teenager. When my dance coach moved away, there was no more dance for me. I loved music and used to play around singing. I used to make YouTube covers in my bathroom as a hobby, which led to friends making requests. My uncle saw my potential and asked if I wanted to get in the studio. That was the day I realized my life purpose. I fell in love with songwriting.
What was the process of finding your sound like? Was there anyone or anything that inspired the genre you specialize in now?
Finding my sound took a very long time. I started as an artist, not a musician. As I took interest in piano, music theory, and other instruments, I started to be able to articulate what I wanted in my music. When you don’t have that, it’s very difficult to find your sound because you’re left with whatever the producer creates (which isn’t always authentically you). You’re essentially toplining unless you know how to articulate your ideas in musical terms. I think the person who inspired me most was my first studio engineer, Young Ex. He taught me everything I know, and he was the first person to push me into co-producing and becoming hands-on in my sound. Because I was a teenager starting out, he pretty much trained me up to be the artist I am today.
How has your identity as a LGBTQ+ black female artist influenced your work and your journey as an independent musician?
I tend to be very transparent in my songwriting and also just in my expression so I think it’s had a large influence on my work and journey. I’m not ashamed of who and what I am. I wear that unapologetically and it’s what makes my music so authentic and relatable.
As an independent artist, is one of your goals to be signed sometime in the future? Do you wish to remain independent?
Honestly, I always said that I’d never sign to a label. I really do value my independence, I’m talking DEEPLY. I built my entire career and brand on it. I’ve done almost all the things I wanted without a label (except get a Grammy). But I say all that to say, it’s been a very tough and tumultuous journey doing it alone or with minimal help, so I’m open-minded these days. I have a solid resume with receipts so I know that whatever deal I do accept, it will be on my terms because I earned it.
What do you wish to accomplish within the next year or so, and what can your fans expect from you in the future?
I just released an album so the next few months will be continuing to push and place that music. After that, my fans can definitely expect a LOT more music. I’ve spent the last few years perfecting my craft and now that I’ve found my sound, I’m really proud of ALL the music I create. I want to get better at releasing things and not holding onto them and critiquing them for years. I also learned a lot of new instruments recently, so stay tuned for a LOT of new modes of expression. I have some really cool things being implemented in 2023. :)
On your debut album, “I Could Be Dreaming”, you wrote a lot about falling in love and the pain that follows a break-up. As someone who is passionate about the topic of love, what does this mean for your future projects? Do you anticipate taking a similar or different direction with the subject of your songwriting?
I feel like love and pain is the essence of not just relationships, but life in general. I’ll always write about it, but musically and creatively it’ll be a different approach. For example, I actually wrote a self-love song for the first time in my life which is crazy to say. There’s so much to be said, so much truth to be shared. I’ll be taking a lot of creative risks in the near future, but love will probably always be the center of my songwriting.