Discover...KeepVibesNear
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Photo Credit: Alleycat Films
Love isn’t easy. But to be honest, no one said it was. KeepVibesNear, also known as, KVN shares the highs and lows of being in a relationship on his most recent release: “Gently”. WFA sat down to speak more about this as well his thoughts on Genre Labels.
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How’s 2021 been treating you?
2021 has treated me very well. It’s funny [because] as bad as lockdown has been for people, it was a pretty special time for me haha. I got a lot of things sorted out.
As the UK begins to ease out of lockdown, how have you found it reconnecting with the outside world?
I’ve found it pretty easy. I tried my best to keep connected during the lockdown so when things eased up I was first out the gates.
Let’s talk more about your latest single: ‘Gently’, you’ve alluded that the verses emphasise the dramatic build up in a heated argument with a partner, while the chorus represents making up. What made you want to put this juxtaposition into a song?
I feel that relationships are something I have had quite an experience with in my life and that juxtaposition is a common factor. I see a beauty in overcoming and something about that makes me think it’s an amazing topic for a love song.
How do you feel now that it’s out in the world?
I feel like I’ve been set free haha. Maybe it’s because I’m an extrovert or because I have a lot to look forward to but I spent a long time preparing for when things are open again. So it’s nice to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
You’re also working on an EP — can you reveal more about the subject matter you’re exploring as you piece it together?
My EP is going to be the sequel to a story I made a while back titled ‘When Will We Realise?’. The concepts stem around that journey of learning someone. “Now That We Know” is a bunch of songs I wrote in a fragile but overcoming stage in a relationship I had. But these songs brought me a lot of clarification of how I felt and reflected on that.
You describe your music as “Noir R&B” - where did this label come from?
The last few years I’ve always been asked: “How do you describe your sound?” by producers, A&R’s etc, and as much as I am “Alternative R&B”, [I am also] a some mashup of this and that. I never really ever liked my answer to that question. I started writing my next project after this one and think I found a pocket in my sound I can champion that is definitely best described as a somber/noir kind of R&B.
What are your thoughts on genre labels in music, generally?
I think genre labels are great but detrimental. Forcing yourself to fit in is a concept that is very jarring to me in any aspect. The best artists create genres for themselves and fixate themselves on their artistry to a point that everyone can’t help but recognise what they have developed.
Lastly, what does success mean to you?
To me success is comfort. It’s self gratitude. If I can get to a point that I can look back on my life and be proud of what I did for myself and the people around me.
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Photo Credit: Alleycat Films