Words by Pankhuri Bhutani.
Photography // Kiesza by Paige Marguiles.
With the eccentric, rapid-fire vocal delivery topped off over the immensely pulsating beat production, there’s absolutely no doubt that “Tectonic” by Tommy Trash & Kiesza is yet another intoxicating summer bop that we all definitely will be grooving to.
Kiesza stormed onto the scene in 2014 with her sensational hit “Hideaway”, which has since then garnered over a billion streams whereas Tommy Trash on the other hand transformed into one of Australia’s biggest dance music exports over the past decade. The transcendental pair recently joined forces in a sonic melding of the minds for their first ever collaboration “Tectonic.” The track captivates the listener in such a way that we can very clearly witness the potential of both the musical geniuses’ abilities.
We recently had a really exciting conversation with the wonderful Kiesza in regards to the creative process behind ‘Tectonic’, how this iconic collaboration came to be and the plans Kiesza hope to achieve by the end of this year!
Hi there Kiesza! Thank you for joining us on Peachy! Lovely to have you. How are you doing amidst everything going on currently?
Thank you for having me! I was just having the most incredible time touring, but sadly we had to shut it down for now, due to covid. But I’m doing wonderful thank you, and am thrilled to have new music coming out!
I would like to start by talking about your upcoming track “Tectonic” with the talented Tommy Trash. Major congratulations on the track! What was the creative process like with this song? Did you face any sort of challenge during the production stage of the track?
This track had a unique journey. It came to me on my mothers piano during the holidays. As the idea was unfolding, my mom started trying to get me to set the table for dinner, the worst timing ever, but I decided to keep writing the song instead. When I get into a flow state, I have to get it all out, or else the idea may never happen, and this was feeling like something really special that was worth holding onto. My mom was really upset and literally yelled at me later on. Afterwards, I kept the melody and lyrics locked away in my voice memos, and kept coming back to it. I wasn’t sure how it should be produced or what project it would fit with. When I stepped onto the mic to write on Tommy’s track, the song popped out of my memory and I just started singing it over his beat. It was as if Tommy somehow knew about the song and produced it telepathically. The two literally fit together perfectly. Tommy then took what I had recorded and brought the production to a whole new level. It was so cool how it all unravelled. And I’m so grateful now that I stood my ground and didn’t stop writing it when the idea first sparked. I quite literally fought for this song.
How did this iconic collaboration with Tommy Trash initially come into existence? How was it like working with him on the track? Also, did your initial visualization of the track match up with the final outcome that you heard?
Tommy and I were connected after my collaboration with Deadmau5. He remixed our song and I fell in love with his music. I ended up sending him a message on Instagram saying I wanted to do more with him and that eventually led to this song. Despite being in different countries, everything about working with Tommy has been fun and effortless.
I literally love his work so much and every change he made or added, made the song even better. He’s such a gifted musician. I honestly could not have imagined the song sounding like this when I first wrote the melody and lyrics. But I am so thankful it came out this way. It was just waiting for the missing puzzle piece, which was what Tommy brought to it.
This track without a doubt showcases such a unique and exemplary vibe. If you could describe this song in your own words, how would you define it?
It’s a fusion of poetry and folk songwriting with house music. It’s such a unique mix of unlikely styles coming together in the most serendipitous way.
What’s the one thing that your fans should definitely know about you as a person which they might not get to know about you listening solely to your music?
I think this song is a good example of what a lot of my fans don’t know about me. I love diving deep into the lyrical process, but a lot of my more poetic lyric writing doesn’t make the dance/pop music I usually release, because it doesn’t always fit the style. I began as a folk musician and there are thousands of songs that will never make it out. But I do intend to release some of it at some point, maybe. even next year.
You have gained such a massive fanbase over the past few years. Do you think that having such an enormous support adds sort of a pressure to your future tracks, or is it something that you perceive as a personal motivation?
It makes me more motivated knowing how excited people are for the new music and drives me to step outside my comfort zone to bring them something fresh each time.
Who are the top three artists on your music playlist right now? Is there anyone on your radar who you would absolutely love to collaborate with in the future?
I’ve been into a lot of Australian music actually, Vancouver Sleep Clinic and Parcels are two projects I’ve been diving into. I’ve been listening to a lot of Beck again lately.
Have you set yourself any goals for 2021? Is there anything on your bucket list that you really want to achieve by the end of this year?
I have a really important project I hope to release by the end of this year. I’ve been waiting a long time to put it out.
Lastly, I would like to ask you if there is anything that you wish to convey to your fans reading this interview right now?
I just always want my fans to know how grateful I am for their love, support and enthusiasm behind every new release and I can’t wait to share all new music coming up in the near future!
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