I’m happy to share my next artist interview which is with multi-instrumentalist and singer Keli Woods. Keli has been on a journey of self discovery and this has reflected in his upcoming single Skies. Read on to learn more about Keli and the story behind his latest release.
How did your journey into music begin?
There are pictures of me on my 1st birthday playing various instruments around the house. Guitars, pianos, pots and pans… obviously I was too small to even comprehend what I was doing, but the inclination was always there. It was just play to me. I think my mother bought me a plastic drum-kit that I used to proudly smash with some light weight plastic drum sticks to my heart’s content.
My first instrument was the drum kit. My brother, who was also a drummer, used to let me play his kit at home whilst my parents quietly tolerated the noise in the other room. Some of my favourite artists are D’angelo, Nat king Cole, Ray Charles, The Fugees, Thelonius monk, Jimi Hendrix…etc I’d put these records on and play along for hours on end until I mastered each beat and meter.
As well as being a singer, you’re a multi-instrumentalist. Which instruments do you play?
My main love is the guitar as it’s such a perfect instrument for writing songs with.
The piano is also good for composing but doesn’t inspire me in the same way as the guitar does. I also play the drum kit, Mridanga (an Indian drum), Cajon, silver flute, Ukulele, Harmonium, Bass guitar, Sansula and a variety of percussion instruments.
How much time do you give to practicing each instrument?
I used to spend hours daily practicing, but now my practice is done mostly at events on stage. I try to at least play something on an instrument every day and I am now beginning to find my practice flow again. Ideally, I’d love to spend 2 hours a day with any given instrument. That would be a luxury for me!
Which is your preferred instrument to compose with?
The guitar lends itself so well to songwriting and the piano is perfect for composition. The piano is laid out in such a clear way whereas the guitar is a little less intuitive for the more theoretical stuff. I feel like the guitar allows me to evoke any mood I want. Whether it’s passion, nostalgia, remorse or joy. That being said, there is nothing that I find more absorbing than an acoustic Piano! An electric keyboard could never come remotely close to that sensation i get from hearing a string resonate through the carefully constructed wood of a piano. I hope one day to have both the money and space for my own.
You’ve recently released the single Skies. Can you share the story behind the single?
I found myself feeling lost in life. I had just moved to London, which felt like an overwhelming metropolis compared to the humble seaside city of Swansea in south Wales. Furthermore, I’d spent 5 years living the simple and renounced life of a traveling monk. I now needed to find a positive way forward in a ‘materialistic’ world. As I was sitting on a London underground tube one stormy morning, I reached into my bag and opened an ancient book on yoga philosophy to a random page and landed on a question. What happens to somebody that takes to the spiritual path and then falls away, to be again consumed by their old habits or self sabotaging ways? I vividly remember looking at the grey clouds above me out of the train window, and hearing a familiar yet new song in my head. Im not sure where it came from, but it was an answer for me! It is a song of solace and hope.
Do you feel there is a definitive connection between music, mindfulness and minimalism?
Someone once told me that the difference between a pro musician and an amateur is that an amateur feels the need to play everything they know all of the time. Whereas a pro has the maturity to know when to play and when not. Space gives context. Space gives us time to consider. Space gives us an opportunity to fully appreciate what is filling it.
Any teasers of your forthcoming projects?
Well, I have recently assembled my own band. They are all incredible musicians in their own right. Since the first day we played together, there was an undeniable synergy between us all. We are currently working on some new material to start recording in the studio and take onto the stage. There is one song that I’m super excited to share with the world which is called Easy Life. It’s about not praying for comfort but praying for the strength to deal with the difficulty. Because as you know, it’s the struggle that makes us strong. It’s the obstacles in life that form us into the best version of ourselves.
Thanks so much Keli for your time and for sharing your musical journey with me! Keli’s latest single Skies releases today 18th October 2023.
Jem Girl at the Piano 