An Interview With Kelsey
Kelsey Jean is a locally based singer & songwriter, with a keen focus on making moody, folk, and fantastical music. She has been a part of Vibe Union from the beginning, partaking in a variety of shows, podcasts and releases. Currently, she is one of the managers for The Dusty Sessions, a showcase night dedicated to acoustic folk & indie artists in Melbourne.
Photography by Saskia McKippers
What made you want to become a musician?
I come from a big family of musically talented people, so it’s always been around me. Deciding to call myself a musician though was a big shift, and it was largely due to a few incredibly supportive friends around me at the time.
When did you decide to pursue music?
Relatively recently! I started writing my own songs towards the end of 2019, then started going to some open mic nights in early 2020. Once lockdown hit and I was out of work for a while it seemed like a pretty perfect time to get more serious about it.
What accomplishments do you see yourself achieving in the next five to 10 years?
I think putting out an album would be a pretty huge accomplishment for me, and it’s also been a bit of a childhood dream to play in a band! I’m starting to lay the foundations for both of those things now and I’m very excited to see what will come of it!
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?
The biggest ones are baking, craft, camping and hiking. I’m definitely someone who needs to be doing something physical or making something with my hands to keep stimulated and happy!
What strengths do you have that you believe make you a great musician?
I think a general open-mindedness is really important to have, especially when it comes to your own creation. It can be so easy to be hard on yourself when you’re in that space, but trying not to have expectations and bringing it back to what’s working for you can help break past that inner critic.
Do you have any weaknesses that you're actively working to improve on?
I definitely have imposter syndrome when it comes to working with other musicians. There are so many incredible people around me that I’ve had opportunities to work with and I still struggle to feel like I can be on their level. I’m trying to work on just messaging people as a start, rather than thinking about all the possible steps after that and how unattainable it seems.
Kelsey celebrated the launch of her EP ‘Through The Rift’ in February 2021, a whimsical journey across all aspects of humanity and the fantasy realms that inspire her works. Throughout this year, Kelsey has also been working on her new projects and releasing more songs that are tied to deeper, shared, and personal perspectives around the human experience, while also maintaining her signature style of wonder and otherworldliness in sound and lyricism.
Kelsey is extremely excited to be collaborating with a range of artists, once again evolving her style and range sonically. She hopes to be throwing a launch to celebrate this huge project when her upcoming EP is released within the next year.
What is it about music that makes you feel passionate?
For me, it’s a place where I can be much more vulnerable than I can normally be face to face with people. I’ve been able to connect with people through various songs that were my most personal, and it’s been amazing making those connections.
Describe your favourite and least favourite part about being a musician?
My favourite part would definitely be the community aspect! It’s been amazing meeting so many beautiful people over the last few years even during lockdowns because we’ve had this thing connecting us.
Least favourite part… that’s a real tough one! I guess my least favourite part is a sense of expectation that I have for myself to keep progressing and stepping up and feeling upset if I haven’t been as creative as I feel I should be.
What has being part of Vibe Union meant to you?
It has been so amazing for my confidence! There’s been so much support and opportunity from everyone across the board that I’ve really been able to grow and feel comfortable being myself on both a personal and a musical level.