Kelela

Have you seen any live shows lately that inspired you on that front ?
I feel some type of way about being like, I just saw Björk and it was really inspiring, but … it’s true ! I saw her a few months ago, and I saw how she approached that. And it was really impressive, and it was also really … touching. I feel like I just want my emotions to be at the forefront of my performance, and if anything distracts from that, I’m in trouble. What blew me away was how still her performance was. And also, there are times when I’m onstage when I just want to sing, and a lot of my body movements are just weird. It’s decidedly not-for-you. It’s not cute. I’m just singing, I’m going off. And there’s times when I really want to go … even more off. And Björk gave me permission to do that as much as I fucking want to.

Have you ever met her ?
Yeah, she’s come to a couple of the shows. About a year ago she came to Rough Trade and I met her before the show. It was really cool. She’s somebody that I feel awkwardly comfortable with. It’s like I’m out of my body and looking at myself and being like, “How are you acting so fucking normal right now ?” [Laughs.]

She’s also so inspiring in just learning how to be in the world. Like, how are you so mysterious and elusive but also so relatable ? How can you cultivate this mysteriousness without feeling cold ? That’s the intersection I’m always interested in. I am your homegirl, at the end of the day, but I also feel very … outside. So if you’re finding solace in feeling outside with me, then we’re good to go.

The Cut, mai 2015