Q&A: Rising Synth-Pop Duo CLAY AND KELSY Talk Creating With Intention in Debut EP, ‘I am’
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY FAITH LUEVANOS ☆
Photo By @aceofla
AS THE FIRST EP OF THREE, CLAY AND KELSY’S DEBUT EP, ‘I AM’ – takes listeners on an otherworldly journey through topics of vulnerability and emotional resilience. Creating with intention has always been the goal of the synth-pop duo as they begin their first chapter together on the complexities of identity and what it means to be vulnerable. Through multi-layered production and ethereal, heartfelt vocals, the duo invites listeners to mentally transport to another world: a world of understanding and learning.
Not only are they a musical duo, but they are also life partners, a dynamic that deeply enriches their artistry. It’s easy to feel their love for each other as well as the music shining through each song, carefully crafted and intimate. Each song on I am feels like an intimate conversation with oneself, bringing listeners into their shared journey and the universal emotions that unite us all.
As I am unfolds, listeners are guided through emotionally-charged soundscapes that feel expansive, yet personal. The duo’s ability to blend hauntingly beautiful melodies with introspective lyrics perfectly balances strength and fragility, which allows listeners to confront their own emotions and experiences. The EP serves not only as a collection of songs but also as an immersive experience.
Luna received the opportunity to chat with CLAY AND KELSY about their creative process, the musical influences that inspired I am, and their goals for the upcoming year. Read the full interview below.
Photo By @aceofla
LUNA: Your music is described as a world where vulnerability is sacred and charming. Can you elaborate on how you’ve created this space?
CLAY: One thing we believe is crucial is curating the space with intention. Until we send our music to our mastering engineer (with the exception of our small team), it’s just us and our energy shaping the sound. Even when we work with other artists on their projects, their music and art are sacred, and the space should reflect that care. We never force the process - if we’re not feeling it, we step away. There are always a million other tasks to handle. But the hands-on decisions we make, whether for our own work or someone else’s, need to come from the right intention.
KELSY: As women and as queer artists, creating a safe and inclusive space in the industry from the ground up is especially important to us. That sense of safety and care is something we build into everything we do, and it translates into our music and instruments, whether or not people consciously recognize why.
LUNA: How did you meet and how did this project get its start?
CLAY: We met at a young age, right before college. Kelsy was a singer, and I had just started the home studio we have been building together for the last 13 years. Over time, the songs and ideas we worked on started to take on a life of their own. We started an instrument company and kept writing songs, and the duo just appeared from the music.
LUNA: How did you pick this batch of songs to create the EP?
CLAY: I’m not sure how much we picked as much as they found each other. It really was us taking a step back and realizing there was already a story being written in the music.
KELSY: Of course, there is an element of our own experiences, but crafting a narrative was the thread that unraveled the world. We felt we were stepping into an important story of the human spirit.
LUNA: What does the process of creating a song look like between you two? Do you work together in the same room most of the time, or are pieces of each song done apart?
CLAY: I think they all start with just one of us, either Kelsy gets an idea or I get an idea. We get as much as we can down before we show the other, and then it really blooms into this beautiful third thing.
KELSY: When it comes to starting the production we both sit in the chair and are very hands-on with every single step. We run the studio together, Clay is just better at it. She’s the one that blows my mind every day, I’m the better singer though.
LUNA: Who or what are some of the influences that inspired the EP?
KELSY: Musically, we drew a lot of inspiration from opera and theatrical works, especially Dido and Aeneas. There’s something hauntingly beautiful about how those stories are told through music. When we were writing “Memories of Me,” we were taking a step away so we could think of a bridge. When we stumbled upon an iconic old recording of Klaus Nomi singing “Didos Lament,” in some club in NYC in the 80’s — it brought us to tears. We instantly felt that agony was I am. That's how we went down the path of Dido, and her story resonated on a whole other level. Visually, our album started to come to life and we knew we were telling a theatrical-style show through our own electronic pop lens.
CLAY: We come from a background of experimental electronic music, with long-time influences like Aphex Twin, Autechre, Daniel Lopatin aka Oneohtrix Point Never, Tove Lo, FKA Twigs, Stimming, and Modeselektor. Outside of music, the process of self-discovery and descent — like in Dante’s Inferno, David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, and The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell — have been guiding lights for the EP. It’s not just an album for us; it’s a reflection of that deep, and honest exploration of who and what we are.
LUNA: Your cover of “Three Little Birds” took off after being shown on Apple TV, what was that moment like for you? Did it change the way you approached music at all?
KELSY: No, it hasn’t changed how we approach music, it honestly felt like confirmation from the universe. We had been working all year crafting these three acts, during the planned release of our first single “Insecure,” we found out Three Little Birds had aired, and in your words, it took off! We took it as a sign from one of the greatest spirits that ever walked the earth, that everything was going to be alright.
LUNA: Who are some artists you’re listening to at the moment?
CLAY/KELSY: Alina Baraz: just re-listened to her entire body of work and she is absolutely incredible. Others would be Chappell Roan, FKA Twigs, Charli XCX, Ca7riel, and Paco Amoroso.
LUNA: The EP explores themes of personal enlightenment and self-transformation. If you’re comfortable, can you share any particular moments that fueled these songs?
KELSY: My experiences growing up in a conservative Christian household and navigating the separation I’ve felt both politically and spiritually as I live my life authentically as a proud queer woman have deeply influenced these songs. Sharing my life with an incredibly beautiful trans-woman has also brought clarity and purpose to my journey. I only bring this up because when I first wrote these songs, I was processing my anger and what had happened to me. But over time, as I turned my healing inward, I started to hear the music differently. I realized I wasn’t talking to “them,” I was talking to myself.
As someone who has dealt with self-hatred and grew up in survival mode, I can say these songs have healed me in ways I didn’t expect. They’re not just an expression of my transformation; they became the transformation.
LUNA: Your production is very complex and powerful; what do you envision when you see the songs performed live?
CLAY: We see a full sensory experience – live instrumentation layered with electronic textures, theatrical lighting, sets that evolve with the music and visuals that help tell the story. I have always had a passion for creative engineering. If it feels thought about, has that extra bit of magic, and most importantly reflects the music, then it could be a damn good show.
LUNA: Is there a song on the EP that’s your favorite? If so, what’s your favorite line from the song?
KELSY: “Memories of Me” is definitely a standout for both of us. It came from such a vulnerable place, the song just poured out of Clay. In many ways, it became the foundation for the rest of the EP, because she wrote it solely, in response to the rest of the songs on the album, it truly captured what I couldn’t say… that feeling of being lost and hoping to find meaning amongst the chaos. “So are we enemies? Will you still remember me?” I think that could be one of our favorite lines.
LUNA: What are some goals of yours for the upcoming year?
CLAY/KELSY: Our biggest goal is to bring this three-act story to life. To finish recording, create visual content, and develop a first run of shows. Beyond that, we just want to continue to make art, connect with our audience, and grow in ways that feel authentic to us.
