Kelly Lee Owens: The musical ups and downs of my life

Available for 28 days

Kelly Lee Owens shares the pivotal moments that have made her the artist she is today. Talking to Nemone, who combines her roles of DJ and qualified psychotherapist, Kelly dives deep to share her story and the songs that have moved her and sound-tracked the ups and downs of her life. The Welsh electronic musician and producer also reveals how personal experiences and emotions are woven through her own work. At age 19, Kelly moved from Wales to Manchester to work at a cancer treatment hospital. While working as an auxiliary nurse, she would use her paid leave to help run local indie festivals. It was the patients who would ultimately urge her to pursue her music career. The energetic, enigmatic electronic artist released her self-titled debut album in 2017. Since then Kelly has racked up an incredible set of career moments - DJing in Ibiza with Charlie XCX, Romy and Shygirl last Summer, Glastonbury, and her own legendary Boiler Room set. Kelly has gathered an enviable set of producers for her hypnotic, euphoric fourth studio album ‘Dreamstate’ which was released to rapturous reviews last October. It’s a deeply personal album, one of self-discovery, healing, and transformation. Kelly reflects on the importance of dreaming, particularly for fans who come from a similar world to her. “When you come from a world where nothing is handed to you, it’s more important than ever to dream bigger and give yourself permission to pursue the impossible”. Kelly has always attracted an impressive array of collaborators, from Daniel Avery, who first encouraged her into the studio, to John Cale and actor Michael Sheen, who respectively sang on and starred in the video for her 2020 single ‘Corner of My Eye’. Kelly’s latest album was self-produced, with additional production and programming from George Daniel, BICEP, and The Chemical Brothers. In this episode Kelly explores her memories of childhood, what she learnt working as a care worker in a hospice, her family’s spiritual leanings, and how she’s honed her own musical craft. In this series Nemone also talks in depth to musicians Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream, Beth Ditto and Sharon Van Etten. If you need support with some of the issues in this programme visit bbc.co.uk/actionline.