With his latest EP, ‘allday package’ dropping at the beginning of this month, Birmingham-based Kea spoke to The Pit about what influences his sound, his creative growth and the ideas behind his distinctive artwork. Working alongside some incredible upcoming artists such as Puellae, KayFaraway and BINA., Kea talks about the importance of collaboration and keeping his music versatile.

Emily: What was the inspiration for your latest release, ‘allday package’?
Kea: My inspiration for the ‘allday package’ was allday, it mirrors my work ethic.

How did your collaborations with Puellae, KayFaraway and Ninioh come about and how was working with them on their features?
Well, as I’ve continued to make music over the past year and a bit, I have met a lot of individuals who make music themselves through mutual friends or social media etc. and these three are a few of them. But to be honest, they fit so well with the songs that I have them on. 

KayFaraway comes with his slick flows and smooth singing on ‘allday’; Puellae has that surreal, purple feel when you listen to her verse on ‘For Me’ and Ninioh gets the heads bobbing (no pun intended) with his grimey flow on, ‘Owe Me’.

How important is it for you to stay versatile in your production as opposed to finding a specific, singular sound?
Very important, personally I believe that being versatile can create further opportunities and it really shows your ability to adapt or to grow as an artist. I mean, you can do something similar all the time if you really want to, but over time it can sound repetitive and boring to listeners. Also, as an artist it’s just very good to try new things; we are all experimenting and trying new things because we wanna have fun and actually enjoy the craft. Well, I do anyway.

Your music has a very collaborative approach, how important is collaborating to you and do you feel it helps you to grow as an artist?
I don’t think my music has a collaborative approach generally but this package does. It allows me to sit back and really appreciate how great someone else is as an artist. I really like seeing and learning new things and the best way to do so is to listen/look with an open mind and heart. But collaborating is important as it helps you venture into different worlds and experiences and it also helps you gain connections and sometimes good friends, it’s cool.

What was it like creating ‘Stigma II’ and how do you think your sound has grown from then?
Stigma II was an amazing process. It took me a total of six weeks. I was really going through songs to put in the EP and it was all trial and error, creating the music and choosing which songs to put in the EP and how to order the EP, so the listeners are excited and expect nothing at all. I’m very happy with Stigma II to be honest and it has grown in a weird way, my songwriting has improved but with ‘allday package’, the music flows better sonically, there is a specific electronic-esque sound.

How was working with BINA. on ‘Diamonds & Pearls’?
It was amazing. I found the beat online and was very amazed. I knew I wanted something amazing to fit in the transition and I knew BINA. was the perfect person for that. Her music feels serene and she brought that vibe to ‘Diamonds & Pearls’.

What is your creative process like and how do you choose to work?
I don’t have a specific process, it all depends upon me as an individual. Sometimes I have written songs and changed the beat, sometimes I have changed the lyrics because of the beat - there is no specific answer. I just go with the flow but have one thing in mind - that I got to work hard.

Your first project dropped last year, ‘Stigma’. What was the process of creating your first project like and what did you want to convey on the EP?
Stigma was more or less an introduction to me as an artist and I just wanted people to listen and they did. It was more or less my first stepping stone and as ‘Roses’ was on the ‘UK Rap’ Spotify Playlist, I was very excited and a bit confused but I must admit that the song is cool.

Where do you draw inspiration from for both your production and your lyrics?
My inspiration for everything is my everyday life, whether that’s my personal experiences to what I know someone else is experiencing. Life imitates art and I really think as an artist you need to be honest and open with yourself.

Who do you work with on your artwork and which has been your favourite, so far?
All of my artwork has been done by devszallday apart from ‘Sweet Ting’ which was a collaboration between him and Kamal Renelle Lewis. My favourite has to be the ‘Stigma’ cover, but I do like the simplicity but complex look of the ‘allday package’. I like all of it, it's too hard to choose.

Who are five artists that you are currently listening to and would recommend to our readers?
I am currently listening to and would recommend: KE4T, Ace2Bait, Puellae, KayFaraway and Kea.

What’s coming up for 2020?
2020 will be an interesting year, it will consist of more everything!