Kelly Lee Owens on Raving With Charli XCX & Her Genre-Busting New EP: ‘You Don’t Get to Put Me in Any Box!’

Kelly Lee Owens has one of the most distinctive signature sounds in modern British electronic music, singular for the way she conjures shades of tranquillity and healing through surging buildups, layered organic samples (from laughter to a melting glacier) and wordless cooing. Her live shows make display of just how dynamic this mix can be, offering fans the space to not only hear and feel but tangibly connect with the music; to move together, unselfconsciously.

When the Welsh producer hit the road last fall in support of her fourth studio album Dreamstate, she would see this manifesto come to life during one particularly transcendent moment in her set. As the chorus of “Melt!,” a track from her 2020 LP Inner Song, began to descend, Owens would routinely point at one bright-eyed audience member on the barrier and cry out: “Girls love techno!” The floor would erupt in response.

“People felt part of a special moment each time I did that,” she recalls, speaking to Billboard U.K. over Zoom from her grandparents’ home on the north Welsh coast, where she is recuperating from a busy festival season. “The idea of community is really important to me – I want to be able to live it out in the work that I do.”

Owens is preparing to release new EP KELLY (due Nov. 21) via DH2, a dance-focused Dirty Hit label imprint headed up by The 1975 drummer and producer George Daniel. The project – which sees Owens swap Dreamstate’s gauzy, multi-coloured synths for a mix of murky bass and ambient pieces that drift, flow and cascade – was first teased at Glastonbury Festival this past summer, where the San Remo stage played host to a DH2 takeover featuring Owens, Sampha, Daniel Avery and more.

The backdrop to Owens’ midnight set was a revolving door of star power. Daniel and his partner Charli xcx stood by the DJ’s side, while eagle-eyed fans spotted actors Jenna Ortega, Paul Mescal and Harris Dickinson make fleeting appearances on stage. At one point, Lewis Capaldi told Owens that he loved her music, she remembers, before adding that she sent Gracie Abrams a ‘Girls Love Techno’ t-shirt following that fateful night: “She’s super sweet!”

In May, Owens doubled down on her commitment to making her shows a safe, collaborative space for both artist and audience alike. In order to help protect the live ecosystem, she became a patron of the Music Venue Trust, and her ongoing advocacy has seen her commit to capping ticket prices and performing at smaller venues (including those off the beaten track, such as Bethesda’s Neuadd Ogwen), for an upcoming U.K. mini-tour, alongside using her platform to speak out on the issues that matter.

Owens self-described mission is to “not stay quiet when there’s a problem,” and push for better protections surrounding independent venues in the U.K. Here, she talks to Billboard U.K. about her work with the MVT, cherished Glastonbury memories, and the joy of her ongoing ‘Girls Love Techno’ campaign.

Take us back to the DH2 Takeover at Glastonbury, which gave impetus to this new EP. What was so special about that night?

It was wild. I was finishing the EP that week about 20 minutes from the festival site, and at the time, I knew I was working towards testing out these new demos at Glastonbury. As a DJ, it is always a privilege to get to test these things out and see the reactions of people.

When it got to the DH2 Takeover later on, I just couldn’t believe the energy. It felt like everything the label had been working towards had culminated in that moment; it couldn’t have been a better representation for what we wanted to do and achieve. The backstage was crazy, too. I was getting texts like, “Can you come and get Lorde?” I think Jenna Ortega was there, and obviously Charli [xcx] came from her set to support us. All of this just cemented what we understand and feel to be the family energy surrounding this project.

KELLY feels a little darker, more ambient in some moments. Why did you decide to explore that sonic direction?

My first album was self-titled because that was going to be the purest thing I’d ever made, without expectation: I was just creating freely, in its purest form. But I would say, as a woman in music, you can rise and get to a certain point and then people will knock you down. As an artist, people have certain expectations of you, so what I like to do is switch things up. Dreamstate was pop-facing, and when you’re sort of an ‘underground darling’, not everyone is going to like that. 

But you don’t get to put me in any box, I’m just gonna f–king make whatever! I’m really quite angry at the moment, actually, so let me just go ahead and make some Prodigy-esque sounds that reflect how I feel, and sort of say, ‘F–k you.’ That’s why the project is called KELLY, because there’s still a question of, ‘Who the f–k is Kelly?’. I don’t think there’s one answer to that; I’m still exploring and trying to understand who I am as an artist.

Your ‘Girls Love Techno’ t-shirts have a rallying point in the scene. Why did you first decide to create them, and what do they signify for you personally?

I got a little bit tired of people creating merch for the sake of creating merch. I don’t necessarily feel it’s the most interesting thing to have my name on a t-shirt; however simple it sounds, “Girls Love Techno” is a statement. People often say, “Why are we still talking about women and girls liking techno, making music, being producers?” Well, I’m sorry, but we have to, because the needle hasn’t shifted as far as it needs to. 

For me, it comes down to someone who gets to see the front and the back end of things, in terms of fees and payment. It is about people putting their money where their mouth is. As far as I’m concerned, for people who are performing at the same level as me, if they’re a guy, they’re likely to be paid more for the simple reason that they’re a man. I wanted to make a statement that allowed people to feel included in something.

How else do you see the phrase “Girls Love Techno” functioning as the EP campaign rolls on?

We headlined Venue MOT in south London with an all-femme lineup, and it just felt like such a beautiful, positive space for the night. We’re trying to reinforce this by touring small underground clubs, and making sure that the support acts feel safe. Also, recently, I did a Foundation FM show, and we had debbiesthuglife [London DJ Debbie Ijaduola] as the opener, following a competition I ran. I have to be the one to set an example of changing things in a small way. There are still issues surrounding live music and accessibility, but I am doing my part.

I hope it becomes a statement that creates an idea of inclusivity and makes people become aware of women’s experiences in this scene. You know, I look back to my early career and realise that I had to become more masculine in how I dressed and acted in order to be taken seriously. I have a curvaceous body, but when I first started out [as a DJ], I felt like I had to cover it up. It makes me sad to think about that time, as you can look however you want to look and still be a great producer. It’s just so obvious to say this, but unfortunately a lot of bias still exists in the music industry.

Small clubs form the route of your upcoming mini-tour. How do you see your work with the MVT linking to the survival of those spaces?

I’m someone who’s always been action-oriented. I think that’s due to where I come from: in Wales, you have to fight for what you believe, and you have to put yourself forward to create real, meaningful change.

The MVT works to find aid for venues to be genuinely protected in the sense of the law. Fundamentally, we can talk about the effects and the beauty of the community, but at the end of the day, there are certain people who only talk in a specific language, and so if that’s how they speak, then we meet them there. 

I think that’s really empowering. It reminds me of coming into this industry over 10 years ago and learning the business first. I knew that, without understanding the business and the law of something, you can’t be protected. The work that the MVT does is so vital for our current times.

What kinds of structural reforms do you think could actually make a difference in this current, fractured climate for live music?

I think the venue levy is wonderful, but once again, why is it back on the artist to put the money back in? When you become a bigger artist, you should give back, so I do. But where are the booking agencies whose jobs rely on artists to tour? How are they reinvesting? Or ticket companies? None of these people have a job without us artists – it really, really riles me up. 

This power imbalance is so disturbing and I’ve had enough of it. I call upon booking agencies, management companies, publishers, record labels and bigger corporations to reinvest in the future of artists. Otherwise, you’re not going to have future headliners in this country, except for perhaps people who – and this is another conversation – come from a wealthy background. The industry itself needs to show us that they care about the future of artistry.

How have your own experiences of touring informed your sense of community, and who gets to partake in the culture?

From ticket prices to my production, I have invested so much money and lost so much money over the past decade. Prices of my live show are actually going to rise because I can’t pay the people who are doing it without that – it’s something that naturally has to happen. But then when that does happen, you cut out a whole wave of people. Usually, it’s kids that suffer here, as they may not be able to afford to go to shows.

Once again, this comes back to the government and having people reinvest in the industry, so that a certain amount of tickets can be covered at reduced price. If everyone could agree to that, we would see a difference locally. Maybe that’s controversial, but I know that a £35 ticket wouldn’t have been accessible to me when I was 18. It’s about us helping each other with these burdens and strengthening the local community. Obviously we know these things are quite hard to implement, but I think we need to at least be having conversations. 

So how do you stay optimistic about the future of live music in the U.K.?

Artists are resilient people. A lot of us have already been through a lot, and through that have created something beautiful. That’s what we do. We always have hope, and we have this way of transforming things and speaking the truth. There’s a strength there that can’t be broken somehow.