Keelan Mak is going through the motions of breakdowns, breakups and breakthroughs. One to watch in the alternative pop landscape, the Naarm/Melbourne based artist has brilliantly navigated a tumultuous two year period through the five-song EP, Brave Face. "Brave Face is a collection of songs that centre around my life in Sydney, freshly moved in and falling in (then out) of love.... Being a 20-something is the most turbulent experience. I feel like every year I’m a completely different person than the last. Brave Face talks about the experiences I’ve had and the lessons I’ve learned.” We spoke to Keelan about crafting the EP and his sonic/visual landscape:

We loved listening to Brave Face. Tell us all about the creation of it. We’ve read you were living in Sydney while writing it - what happened here to fuel these songs?‍

"At the time, I was a few days out of a gruelling break up. Basically, got dumped and left in the house on my own. It was a really strange time for me and filled with a lot of introspection. I spent a lot of my time drinking and thinking back on our relationship; what went wrong, what I could’ve done better. Brave Face was more or less a summary of my head and heart at that time. I spent a lot of my time holding this brave face and trying to focus on their needs over my own. Definitely a hard lesson to learn but we got there eventually!"‍

What were you dreaming of as you were deep in the process of creating it? ‍

"If we’re being literal, absolutely nothing. I rarely dream. Mostly close my eyes and stare into the black. Haha. If we’re taking figuratively, I was creating this idea of myself running away and starting a new life in a different setting. Which I ended up doing a little while after. Quit my job, ended the lease, packed my shit and went interstate."‍

Who did you work with on the EP?

"The EP was pretty much just me in my bedroom; apart from “Forever Ago” which started in a session with Devin Abrams. “Forever Ago” didn’t feel like “me” at first but it eventually morphed into this green-light anthem that kind of just ended the EP journey honestly. I wrote it last so it made a lot of sense as a chronological telling of my experience."‍

What did you learn about yourself both musically and personally while you made Brave Face?‍

"I learnt a lot about my perception of the situation. A lot of the time when I’m writing, I’m trying to say the truth of my experience but in a way that’s succinct. There were a lot of moments where I’d be deep in thought, reflecting on what happened and I’d be like “oh shit, that really happened didn’t it.’ – the line “sometimes I feel like I’m searching for a motive because my brain can rest with hate over sadness” was a big self-realisation. Kind of clocked myself being toxic because it was easier than accepting the truth and being hurt."

What do you hope people take away from listening to the EP?

"I hope they feel something with it. It’s tricky because sometimes I feel like the songs are too on-the-nose with my experience for someone else to relate. If someone can see themselves in the song then I’ve done my job right."

You’ve been compared to some of the best artists around right now. Who inspires you musically/sonically?

"I draw inspiration from a lot of different sources. In making the EP I referenced a lot of pop music like Sam Smith and Charli XCX but also drew inspiration from James Blake, Matt Corby and Jack Garratt. A lot of these artists have varying things in their work that I’m drawn to, whether it’s production or just the vocal phrasing. I usually just make a playlist and add a bunch of things in there and then listen through it before I jump into creating."

Who is on the Keelan Mak dream bucket list to work with?

"Hmmmmmm. I don’t know how many more times I can say this publicly before it becomes weird but Matt Corby has been a consistent for me since I started out. Maybe I’ll just keep saying it until it happens... I’m a big fan of Oscar Görres; his production is impeccable, the perfect blend of alt and pop."‍

Manifest! We love your visuals, too. Which visual artists are you into that inspire this side of your world? Or any style icons?

"My visual influence constantly changes. I think my main goal is to create something striking and appealing to the eye. I think Tyler The Creator is a great reference, but less stylistically and more conceptually. My biggest ick is when I watch a music video that feels like a waste of time. I need a visual to communicate to me. You know how sometimes you watch something and it’s just a collection of shots where they sing to camera and do random shit? That’s the ick I’m talking about."

What’s something other than music that you’re passionate about, something you’d like fans/listeners to know you care deeply about?

"I’m a big time cook. Like, life goal is professional at-home chef kind of energy. I got big kicks out of hosting dinner parties."

What’s next?!

"Honestly who knows… maybe an album? Maybe 5 more EP’s. For the next little while I’m just going to focus on experimenting with my sound and writing style. Playing bigger shows is another big one. We need some backup dancers also."

Listen to Brave Face HERE.

@keelan_mak