From Lofi to R&B: The Art of Genre Fusion in Kevitch’s new EP “Secrets”
By Zoe Blakeman
Lindsey Kevitch, better known by her stage name “Kevitch,” has released her latest EP titled Secrets. The lo-fi pop artist has over 200 million streams on Spotify, and other streaming platforms, and plans on continuing this pattern with the new EP. Secrets can be described as a lo-fi, chill, California vibe album that makes running on the beach at night feel like a movie scene. Secrets emerges as a perfect embodiment of the lo-fi pop genre, an experience that effortlessly transports listeners into the sun-drenched realms of California.
Kevitch talks about her musical journey and the creative process behind this EP. She unveils some of the secrets of “secrets” and touches on the inspirations, collaborations, and emotions behind each track. Her unique blending of genres makes her music stand out with the gritty mystery behind the music of Kevitch.
Read the Q&A below on the behind the scenes making of Secrets with Kevitch!
ZB: Can you tell us more about your EP, Secrets, and how it reflects on the themes of love and relationships?
LK: I feel like throughout the songs you can definitely hear the happy point of when you first meet someone. It’s the giddy feeling and all of the excitement from being in the moment. I liked that I played on that theme but then with “Hate Me (ft. Yaeow)” being last, I kind of played on the post “honeymoon phase.” I wanted to show the difference between when you’re in the moment compared to after when that phase is over.
ZB: Your single “Sunshine” describes the euphoria of being in the honeymoon phase of a relationship. How did you capture that feeling in the song’s production and with the lyrics?
LK: My music always has one or the other. They either have darker lyrics with a happier vibe or vice versa. This one had more of a happier feel to it, I’d describe it as happy and joyful, and it has a very hopeful and free production energy. The vibes were good while producing it so it only made sense to keep the song feeling good and vibrant outside of the studio. It really made sense to just match the production with the lyrics, so we just bounced off of that. We usually start with production so it kind of went hand in hand.
ZB: What was your favorite song to write? Which one is your favorite on the EP?
LK: That’s such a tough question to answer! I definitely liked working with an artist. The ones I did with Yaeow were fun because it’s a different experience than just working with a producer. After all, we’re both artists. It was a very different but fun process of writing those songs! But they were all fun! I like meeting people and working with their different energies. It’s all just so much fun.
ZB: In “Hate Me (ft. Yaeow),” you collaborated with lo-fi indie artist Yaeow. Can you share the creative process behind the song and the story it tells?
LK: We honestly work so organically together. We wrote “Hate Me” and “Don’t Let Go” in probably one day or even just a few hours. We recorded it all that day! We had such good musical chemistry together and we’re so similar in how we write music and in the production styles we like. I think he played something, I went and did melodies, we wrote to the melodies, he did melodies and we wrote to those. We threw in random words and sounds and created a cool little vibe.
ZB: How long did it take to record the entire EP?
LK: Some of the songs were from a while ago. I’ve kept a lot of work private and hadn’t released anything in a while so some are from even years ago. Some of the songs I made this past year so it’s very all over the place with the EP. It was more about picking what made sense together and not a start-from-scratch kind of thing.
We built an idea from what I had, not the other way around. I think the first song I put out was more chill R&B, and more recently my songs have had a more pop energy. I was nervous about what would make sense together, but I like that it sounds different while still maintaining a cohesive sound throughout.
ZB: Your music combines elements of lo-fi, R&B, and pop. How do you approach blending these genres to create your unique sound?
LK: I think every session I would have I would describe it as like mainstream lo-fi or lo-fi pop because in pop you have that one-line catchy hook. I feel like whenever I listen to lo-fi music, it’s very continuous. I just take the elements and production of the lo-fi music and add a catchy hook or beat to it. Sometimes with the melodies, I incorporate more R&B melodies or more pop melodies. I just love combining different genres to make it sound mainstream-ish but also to make it sound like me. I like to take elements from each genre and blend them into my own type of genre.
ZB: Your song “Don’t Let Go” evokes a sense of unconditional love. Can you elaborate on the emotions and experiences that influenced this song?
LK: When I was writing all of my songs it was definitely when I was first meeting someone and starting a new relationship. It’s that exciting feeling of being with someone and not wanting to look toward the future, but focusing on the present with that person. It was loosely based on that experience.
ZB: With your song “Secrets,” you explore the idea of keeping secrets in a relationship. What led you to make that decision, and how does it impact your creative process?
LK: That one was from the beginning days as well. It was based on the idea that when you meet someone and you’re not sure where it’s going [romantically] but you’re questioning, could this keep going? It’s what I think about after just meeting someone right off the bat. I also like to create what I like to call “movie scenes.” I like to create more of a picture out of an idea.
This idea was about meeting someone out of the blue and very random but having an amazing fun night with this person. It keeps escalating until your whole day is gone because you’ve just spent it with this random person. It’s that giddy feeling of meeting someone new and telling them all of your secrets. Just vibing with this person.
ZB: Your identity and artistry have been kept mostly private. What led you to make that decision, and how does it impact your creative process?
LK: I’ve always loved the idea of mystery behind an artist. Today, you have access to so much on the internet that it can sometimes take away from the cool character in a sense. It’s also a combination of me wanting to keep more of that personality for myself, and I’m also shy.
It was kind of a combination of the two. I also love artists that when you look at them visually, they’re so specific and such a brand you can get lost in that part of them which I really like. I think now it’s a bit harder to be private because of TikTok and everything along those lines. The content stuff can sometimes take away from the creative process and side of me, but it can also be fun if you’re doing cool visuals. I try to keep my visuals gritty and vintage-ish looking and do that in my own way. I am making content but keeping it mysterious with the Polaroids and the blurry pictures.
ZB: How has living in different cities, like Philadelphia, New York, and Los Angeles, each influenced your musical development and style?
LK: I grew up in Philly, lived in New York all of my college life, and then moved to L.A. for music. I’ve gone through so many different phases of my vibes of music and what I create, from moodiness to visuals. I feel that I’ve always been inspired by being in cities and just the life that cities bring.
Lights, graffiti, and the magical aspects that cities tend to bring. There is something about
L.A. that has always called my name. I’m very much inspired by an 80s Miami Vice and palm trees. Just the California lifestyle of being free and frolicking on the beaches at night. I’ve always loved anything at night, just nighttime vibes for sure.
ZB: As a self-described “reluctantly lovesick romantic,” how do you use your music to express vulnerability and emotion?
LK: I think because I like to create more of a scene it’s not necessarily a singer-songwriter process. I usually take an idea or a feeling and then create a scene out of that. It’s vulnerable in the sense that I’m still creating something and putting it out into the world, but it’s cool because I’m creating a story from my ideas instead of just one small bit of writing.
ZB: You’ve gotten a lot of support from various media outlets and playlists. How do you feel about the reception of your music and the growing audience for your work?
LK: I’m excited but it’s also scary. I am still a new artist and I’m putting out so many songs and I still get nervous if people will like it and how they will perceive it. I’m learning that everyone likes different things but it is nice to get support when you put new music out into the world. Getting it playlisted or having people write about it is always reassuring me and making me feel like I’m doing something right.
ZB: With full creative control over your music, how do you ensure that your authentic self and artistic vision shine through in your work?
LK: I’m so adamant about doing everything my way and I like keeping everything gritty and not overproduced. Even just putting out music I like to keep it within my chill vibe and have it relaxed with editing it on iMovie. I still feel I’m keeping a cool and low-key vibe.
ZB: What do you hope your listeners will take away from your music and the experience of listening to your debut EP, “Secrets”?
LK: I just want them to get a new insight into my vibe and sound. I want them to keep learning about my music as I keep evolving with my sound and finding myself within my music. Of course, I also want them to chill and vibe. It’s my ultimate goal for people to feel something with my music. I’m not doing any crazy deep writing but I’ve always wanted to give people some sort of feeling. So, if I can do that, it will make me happy.
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Biography:
Currently based in Venice, California and hailing from Philadelphia, Kevitch is the musical pseudonym for Lindsey Kevitch. Kevitch attended New York City’s The New School and majored in jazz studies, but her music career was quickly detoured by a career in modeling.
In January 2020, Kevitch dropped “Sunrise,” amassing over 24M streams on Spotify alone. She then followed up with the single “IDC” in October 2021, which has garnered over 2.4M streams and was featured on Spotify’s Chill Vibes playlist.
Now with 140K IG followers and solely focused on music with a team of producers, Kevitch is set to return with a cadence of chill pop / sad anthems, which includes a feature collaboration with UK-based alt-pop singer/producer Yaeow. Kevitch’s debut EP is scheduled for a summer 2023 release via Nettwerk.
Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kevitch/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevitch/