Bio Kelz's debut 5am and I Can't Sleep gives us a frothy dream-pop introduction to the mind of Vietnamese-American producer and multi-instrumentalist Kelly Truong. Written and recorded in her Orange County, California home, her songs tell a nostalgic yet hopeful story. For kelz, carefully looping beats, tinkering with synthetic waveforms, and interweaving guitar picking serves as a meditation--a mode of processing emotions and the inevitable passing of time. Front and center are her airy vocals, recorded in a whisper so as to not wake people in the other room late at night. Each song folds in on itself like a wave’s undertow, reorienting infectious melodies from tracks previous. kelz reflects on the process as “feeling like running towards something” but not knowing what it is. Escape with kelz on a long night drive with her effervescent electro-pop tracks.
Venues The Observatory OC, Mohawk, Hotel Vegas, The Chapel, Soda Bar, Morrocan Lounge, House of Blues SD, Lodge Room, El Cid, CIRCUS Tokyo
Supported No Vacation, Gold Panda, Last Dinosaurs, Jerry Paper, Kaina, dj poolboi, Sean Nicolas Savage, Niia, Hannah Jadagu, Harmless, A Beacon School
Highlights SXSW 2022, Spotify Fresh Finds Class of 2022, KEXP, KCRW, Under the Radar, V Magazine, Post-Punk
Photos by Diane Lac and Christian Kim