Kelly Lee Owens

Kelly Lee Owens is a London-based producer, songwriter, and singer known for shadowy but resonant techno-pop. Making her debut as a vocalist by contributing to releases by Daniel Avery, she began issuing her own productions in 2015, leading up to her acclaimed 2017 eponymous debut album. She subsequently collaborated with or remixed Björk, St. Vincent, Jon Hopkins, and John Cale (who appeared on Owens’ second album, 2020′s Inner Song). Her more ethereal, experimental LP.8 was released in 2022.
Following a move from her native North Wales, Owens interned at XL Recordings, played bass in the History of Apple Pie, and worked in a string of record shops, including Pure Groove, Rough Trade, and Sister Ray, where she soaked up influences and learned more about the inner workings of music-making. While at Pure Groove, she worked with Daniel Avery, who sought her vocals for the Water Jump EP (2012) and Drone Logic (2013). For the latter, Owens appeared on three tracks, one of which she co-wrote. In February 2015, she self-released her debut 12″ single, featuring “Lucid” and the Arthur Russell-inspired “Arthur,” in a small run of 200. The songs were also made available for download. Within a few months, Seb Wildblood & Apes’ “Noshi” was issued with Owens as lead vocalist, and Jenny Hval released Owens’ swift, rumbling club remix of her “Kingsize.” That August, Owens’ “Uncertain” 12″ reached area shops in a similarly small private pressing and was out digitally as well. Her third single, “1 of 3,” was out as a download the following March. Seven months later, Owens made her Smalltown Supersound debut with the Oleic EP, a prelude to her first full-length.
Led by “Anxi.,” a collaboration with Hval, Owens’ self-titled album arrived on Smalltown Supersound in March 2017. The full-length was met with praise from critics, and a deluxe edition, with three additional tracks, appeared later in the year. Owens issued several non-album singles, including a cover of Aaliyah’s “More Than a Woman,” 2018′s “Bird” (backed by a 17-minute Prins Thomas mix), and 2019′s “Let It Go” and Jon Hopkins collaboration “Luminous Spaces.” Her second solo album, Inner Song, was released in 2020, including guest vocals by John Cale on the track “Corner of My Sky.” Owens was asked to write music for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup; her composition, a theme titled “Unity,” appeared in October of 2021. LP.8, a full-length inspired by Enya and Throbbing Gristle, was issued in 2022. ~ Andy Kellman & Paul Simpson