Get ready for a sonic explosion that's about to shake up the musical landscape – Kelela is back with her third album 'New Avatar', and it's an unapologetic return to her indie roots. The 43-year-old trailblazer has been reworking the very fabric of R&B and electronic music, but this time around, she's drawing on a rich tapestry of formative experiences that have shaped her unique sound.
In a bold move, Kelela curated a playlist of early indie rock inspirations – dubbed 'White Bag' – to kick-start her creative process. The title may raise eyebrows, but it's a deliberate commentary on the industry's tendency to centre certain demographics within specific scenes. Kelela highlights how Black artists have been instrumental in shaping genres, yet often find themselves marginalised by marketing strategies that dictate who feels welcome and who doesn't.
Kelela Mizanekristos' musical journey began in suburban Maryland, where her mother's soul records and classical violin merged with a punk scene that drew her in like a force of nature. As the lead singer of indie band Dizzy Spells, she cites artists like The Fiery Furnaces and Metric as early influences – particularly Emily Haines, whose feminist anthems like 'Patriarch On A Vespa' continue to inspire Kelela's own songwriting.
But navigating those often homogenous indie landscapes came with a price. Kelela recalls feeling forced to 'eat shit', tolerating the discomfort of being one of the few Black faces in the crowd, just to appreciate the music. Her 'White Bag' playlist embodies both the excitement of discovery and the isolation that comes with it – a personal reckoning that informed her collaboration with producer Oscar Scheller on 'New Avatar'.
Make no mistake, this album is not just Kelela's vocals layered over indie rock beats; she's building intricate musical tapestries that occupy a space all their own. By merging R&B and electronic elements in innovative ways, Kelela believes she's creating something truly original – an intersection where neither genre fully dominates. And she thinks fans will love it, too, because many have had to set aside parts of themselves to engage with music they adore.