Tag: Kezra

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Fortress” – KEZRA

People speak a lot of teen angst, but I think for many people their 20s are more tumultuous. It’s a time when you’re expected to be an adult, but you’re still trying to figure so much out. You have more freedom than you did in your teen years, but that gives you so much more space to make mistakes. You might grow from those mistakes, but they can also sting. Music can be a salvation during those challenging years, both for artists and their listeners. That time might be far behind me, but I can’t resist music that explores an artist’s coming of age. KEZRA’s new EP Fortress is a beautiful collection of songs that charts her personal journey of self-discovery.

“The EP is all about navigating through my crazy twenties, in failures, loss, heartache, hope, new love, and finding my strength between all of that,” she said. “Working with my producer, Mark (Zito), helped all the songs tie together with this theme of nostalgia in reflection of my early 20s, with the old tape-recording sounds and distorted electric guitars. I feel this EP represents myself as the artist I am today, just a girl who loves to write poppy chorus hooks and heart-breaking melodies with a guitar in hand.”

The songs unfold like the pages of a diary, with KEZRA’s confessional lyrics and emotional vocals sharing snapshots of her recent experiences. We open on the title track, a song of strength and vulnerability that introduces the EP so beautifully. The singles “Back Home” and “Insane” come next, one quiet and reflective, the other a breezy indie pop bop about a perfectly imperfect relationship. The EP takes another left turn with “Morning.” Like “Back Home” it draws you in with its gentle opening and poignant lyrics, then builds to a sonic and emotional crescendo that makes it one of the most memorable songs on Fortress. “With You,” a gorgeous acoustic love song with some of the most poetic lyrics on the EP is a beautiful closer. It’s the kind of song that leaves you still, processing for a few moments before you feel ready to rejoin the world.

Fortress is such a wonderful EP. If you’re navigating your 20s, I know KEZRA’s songs will strike a chord with you. And if like me they’re behind you, they’ll make you a little nostalgic for a time gone by. If you love what you hear, make sure to see KEZRA at Bar Open in Naarm/Melbourne on September 22.

Images used with permission from Good Intent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

KEZRA Celebrates Being Crazy in Love with “Insane”

If you love the indie-pop sounds of acts like Phoebe Bridgers and Maggie Rogers, Naarm/Melbourne talent KEZRA will be right up your alley. Her latest single “Insane” is a super catchy track that isn’t your traditional love song.

“‘Insane’ is that exaggerated fight you had with your partner that gives you internal rage, and fills you with emotions and questions such as ‘why the hell am I still living here?’ You then realise that both of you are just as crazy as each other, and that’s what makes it work,” KEZRA explained. “We need people who can keep us on our toes, push us to the edge of the unknown and completely drive us insane – at least for a little while.”

KEZRA will launch “Insane” with a hometown show at The Gasometer on March 24.

Image used with permission from Good Intent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

KEZRA Wows Me With “Back Home”

Take a moment to stop what you’re doing and listen to “Back Home,” the latest single from Naarm/Melbourne singer-songwriter KEZRA. This is a song that deserves more than becoming the background of your workday or late lunch. It demands your full attention so can catch every lyric, every emotion, every note. I’ve got chills.

“I started writing this song on the floor of my living room, strumming along on my guitar, but feeling very uninspired during lockdown. So, I plugged in my vocal harmoniser pedal, in the hope that it would give me some inspiration and help me write in a more creative way. It first began with the slow paused chord changes on the guitar. Then the lyrics – ‘I was taken back to the house where we met’ came to me whilst using my harmoniser and this instantly set the tone for where the rest of the song needed to go,” KEZRA explained.

“There was something special about the imperfect and mechanical sounding harmonies, that made these lyrics hit deeper. The guitar pauses are almost echoing that feeling of being stuck, reminiscing on the past, replaying old memories in your mind and not being able let go. Towards the end, the strumming is so aggressive with distortion, building up with anger, kind of like a cry for help by the end of the song.”

I’m pretty excited about this song. It’s truly special. I’d almost forgotten that I wrote about KEZRA’s music before the pandemic, but she’s definitely back on my radar after hearing this.

Image used with permission from Good Intent; credit: Corey Adams

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Kezra Strikes an Emotional Chord With “Missing You”

Kezra bowled me over with her debut single “Better Place” last year. She proves she’s no one-trick pony with the release of her latest song “Missing You,” a track that’s every bit as compelling as the first.

Kezra is such a special artist. Her voice is so angelic and pure, her lyrics so intimate and exposed. I love the way this track builds to such an emotional crescendo. The song explores the lingering grief we have when we lose loved ones, especially when we’re enjoying success and moments we wish they could share.

“This would have to be one of my most personal and vulnerable songs I have released and I’m so happy to share a little bit of my heart and soul with you,” Kezra said in a statement.

Kezra will launch “Missing You” at The Grace Darling in Melbourne on January 18.

Image used with permission from Beehive PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Kezra Transports Us To Another World With “Better Place

Melbourne singer-songwriter Kezra wears her heart on her sleeve with her new single “Better Place.”

Kezra’s vocals in this song are right on point, fragile yet strong with an angelic quality that draws you in. The song’s gorgeous lyrics imagine a lush, natural landscape which comes to life in the film clip, shot at Cape Woolami.

“It was a secluded beach with amazing landscapes and nobody around,” Kezra explained. “When I was there, I felt like if this ‘Better Place’ existed, this location would be it.”

Kezra sold out her recent single launch at Melbourne’s Ontop Bar, so expect big things from this talented Aussie.