Judah Kelley: Apathy
Having recently relocated to Tāmaki Makaurau, the prodigiously talented singer/songwriter Judah Kelley hits her creative strides on her hotly anticipated latest single, ‘Apathy'. Aided by the slick production of Auckland artist/producer Harry Parsons, Apathy lets us in on Judah’s stream of consciousness as she sorts through her emotions in the wake of a romance that ultimately leads to heartbreak. Newzician caught up with Judah to talk about her new single, and to hear what's on the cards for the exciting young artist.
Photography by Cam Hay, styling by Estelle Schuler
I think it's quite funny that your new single is called ‘Apathy’, a track that feels like a whole bundle of emotions. Why did you decide to call the track Apathy?
The track is called Apathy, because at that point in time I was riddled with it. The song is about the wealth of conflicting emotions I was feeling when I met someone I wasn’t expecting to last year. Imagine having a crush on someone but having the inability to develop an idea of any future with them. That all in all, emotional unavailability is the deciding factor and Apathy won.
You worked on this track with a new group of people in Auckland, and having just moved there, do you think that this change of scene shines through on the track?
A hundred percent! The track was written with Harry Parsons last August in a session in Auckland. A huge part of the music industry is working with other artists and producers, which is an honour and privilege to be able to do at the moment. Each person has a different perspective, background, and musical influence, having multiple people in a room provides the opportunity to create something that sometimes one person could not have done alone. I think the sound that was produced really reflects that it came from two minds.
How do you think Harry’s influence as producer on the track has added to or extended your existing sound?
The great thing is that Harry is an artist himself, so he is already experienced with songwriting and experimenting with different elements. For me, what was different and exciting is that this song works with elements of rock that I have not dabbled with before. It was something that Harry wanted to bring to the track, and it created the perfect foundations for a big vocal chorus which I love.
Having made the big move up to Tāmaki Makaurau, do you feel like there is more on the agenda now for Judah Kelley?
Yes, definitely! I am actually writing my next project at the moment, an EP that will be out later this year. In the last month, I had my debut Auckland live performance and I’m booking more as we speak. [Being in Auckland] It's definitely been a lot busier, and has provided the opportunities I moved up for. I have been able to meet and build relationships with the most incredible people and having the accessibility has been a huge bonus.
And you received funding from New Zealand on Air for this single, how do you feel that expanded your opportunities creatively?
I was fortunate enough to receive funding for this single, which has been really exciting and sometimes stressful. It has enabled me to tap into bigger opportunities, one of those being a debut music video for Apathy which will come out on the 15th of April. The song is an emotional ride, but with flirtatious elements, so for the music video we are leaning into that aspect of it. I am filming with Director Taylor Mansfield, who is an absolute legend. I love working with people who are forward thinking about creativity, ideas and experimenting without limitations. From beginning to end of this project, I have had a great team of creatives to make Apathy as a whole come alive.
Big thanks to Judah for chatting to us! Make sure you check out the single and give it some love.
Instagram: @_____judah_____
Spotify: Judah Kelley