A Quick Chat with Kirklandd

What inspired your new single ‘OTHERSIDE’?

OTHERSIDE was my second time working with Taka Perry. We were at his studio in Surry Hills in November, 2020, and we started playing through Slowthai, Rage Against the Machine and Blink 182 tracks. We were forming a pretty hype energy around what we were about to create. OTHERSIDE was then made in 2-3 hours, and the overwhelming feeling in creating it was empowerment. As I started listening to the track and tweaking it more and more, I realised it was becoming an anthem of strength: the song was written during the first year of the pandemic, the most challenging year I’d been through personally. But I felt like I was beginning to get back on track, and OTHERSIDE almost soundtracked that journey: the feeling of being on the other side of a difficult experience, knowing you’ve done the work you’ve needed to, and you’re finally starting to feel the benefit of it. 

Your music has been described as “genre-bending”, can you tell us more about your inspirations and creative process?

My style comes firstly from hip hop. I’ve been writing raps since I was 8; the energy, history and culture of hip hop is deeply engrained into how I approach music and write songs. The first artists I started listening to were Big L, Nas and Lupe Fiasco. Now I resonate deeply with really dope, more abstract art that’s super authentic. Artists like Jean Dawson and Genesis Owusu inspire my approach – I’ve been pulled towards doing something left of centre that speaks to who I am and what isn’t being done in music yet. I’m not trying to reach any one genre of listeners, I’m tapping into different energies and styles simultaneously that allow me to express what I need to. And in the process I’m figuring out who I am and what I’m here to say.

Tell us about working with Taka Perry, how did it come about?

Taka and I both grew up in Canberra, so that connection was always there. I remember we linked in 2017 once in the early days of Taka being in Sydney, and then we organically crossed paths again at the tail end of 2020. I met Taka at a time where I was building the early vision of where I wanted my music to head – I’d recorded a strained, emotional acapella over a Corbin instrumental which I showed him, and we made ANOTHER that day. Two weeks later OTHERSIDE happened and it was clear we were finding something pretty unique. We made OUTSIDE over Zoom in lockdown in a few hours mid last year. The energy and workflow with him is always super easy. 

Do you have any weird talents or facts that people might not know about you?

Nothing weird springs to mind. I like meditating, I’m a film geek, I played cello for 6 years when I was younger. I also consider myself an elite table tennis player. Ask Citizen Kay about my pong game. 

If you were an instrument, which one would you be and why?

A harp, placed in Jean Michel-Basquiat’s apartment in the early 80s. 

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Detach from external outcomes and draw fulfilment solely from the process. You won’t get as caught up on things outside of your control and you’ll be happier as a result. At least that’s the aim.

What show are you binging at the moment?

I’m back onto watching Entourage for the millionth time. I’ve been considering a Lost rewatch, but I’m scared of admitting it wasn’t worth the time commitment the first time.

If you could have any three people over for dinner, dead or alive, who would they be and why?

Robin Williams, Jon Bellion and Kenneth Lonergan. I would soak in so much energy, creativity and wisdom from all three.

Who’s an Aussie musician you can't get enough of right now?

Pete Murray. The melodies in So Beautiful slap. Also Agung Mango’s new EP, Who Shot Scott, Lucy Sugerman and Parcels – I think I’ll be rinsing Tieduprightnow til the day I die.

You’ve got plenty in the works for the rest of the year, what are you most excited about?

I’m finishing production on my first full body of work, my debut mixtape. It is the weirdest, most expressive art I’ve made. That’ll be released next year, but in the meantime we’ll be previewing all the tracks from the tape on the tour we’re about to announce. Then the tape will be alive and in the world next year.