Starting at just 15, the Belfast-born music producer Jack Kelly began his journey by remixing the hits of the moment and uploading them to Soundcloud.
Fast forward to the present, and Kelly has coined his own distinct sound: a modern and futuristic style of deep house music coupled with melodic lines and indelible toplines.
His last single, ‘Backwards’ and the former ‘Driving’, earned him an impressive 5 million streams globally, fans in Nicky Romero, R3HAB and Sam Feldt, and radio support from BBC Radio 1 and KISS FM.
With an upcoming release on Selected with Tobtok and Betty Bloom this December, Kelly is undoubtedly on the trajectory to becoming his nation’s brightest rising star.
To mark his latest single ‘See You Again’ on Perfect Havoc, we caught up with the unstoppable talent to talk about working with vocalist James French, his forthcoming debut at Ministry at Sound and making New Year’s resolutions:
Thanks for joining us, Jack. Where are you in the world right now, and what have you been up to over the past week?
My pleasure, thanks for having me, guys! In London currently, I’ve been busy this week with content-making and editing for the new single, as well as in the studio, adding the finishing touches to a lot of exciting projects.
Let’s begin with your latest single, See You Again, with James French. How did the pair of you come to work together? The guy has got some serious pipes! We saw some nice synth work from you on Instagram.
I’d been wanting to work with James since I first heard his music in late 2021. Earlier this year, I discovered we had mutual friends, so I was able to connect and set up a session and See You Again was born! He’s, without a doubt, one of the best male vocalists in dance music right now, so to have him on the record is amazing.
PS. We may have done another record together as well 😉
Your last two singles, Backwards and Driving – both on Perfect Havoc – made quite the impact on radio, streaming platforms and DJs alike. Do you think you’ve ‘found’ your style on these releases?
Yeah, I’m incredibly happy with how both these records performed. My team at Perfect Havoc really smashed it. Backwards gained me my first BBC Radio 1 spin as well as DJ support from A-list artists, all of which was a first for me. These records really gave me the confidence to create and pursue a style and sound that is unique to me and one my listeners could connect with. Not every record sounds the same, of course, but certain elements and musical ideas can be heard across all my music, letting the listener know it’s a Jack Kelly track.
Your first foray into music production was remixing the hits of the time and uploading them to Soundcloud when you were only 15. Do you remember which remix it was that really gave you the bug and the drive to pursue this career?
Like many other artists, SoundCloud is where it all began for me. The remixes from when I was 15 are hilarious to listen back to now. The first remix I did was of ‘Bastille – Good Grief’. It was one of my favourite tracks at the time and was a massive hit, so I thought, why not give it a go? I remember it was the first time I’d worked writing to vocals, and I guess that’s what made me fall in love with producing instrumentals and writing songs to go with them.
We understand you live in London now after growing up in Belfast. What do you miss most about your hometown?
Of course, I miss my family and friends most back home, oh and the dogs. I also really miss driving a car and having everything close by, which is the complete opposite in London, haha, but I can’t complain!
Speaking of London, you’re playing at Ministry of Sound on 24th November for the Perfect Havoc takeover in room 103. Are you looking forward to it? What tracks are you guaranteed to drop?
Couldn’t be more excited! Ministry’s been one I’ve wanted to play since I moved to London, so it’s going to be nice to be in the booth in the 103. I’m looking forward to spinning one I was sent recently, SIDEPIECE – I NEED YOU (feat. ZOI). 10/10 banger!
Congrats on your label debut on Selected – a collaboration with your Perfect Havoc label mate, Tobtok, landing in December. What can you tell us about that track and the making of it?
Thank you! I’ve been working towards this one since I started making music. I’ve always been a huge fan of Selected’s music and their brand in general, so it feels nice to have a release coming there. Betty Bloom and I wrote this together on Zoom at a Unified Songs online writing camp. It started with a really simple arrangement of the chords and some drums. When Betty sent through her angelic vocals, all the ideas came to my head, which I was able to turn into a full demo. My management heard the demo and thought Tobtok would be a great collaborator on it. They weren’t wrong! Tobtok worked his magic and turned my idea into the track it is now, which we can’t wait to release on 1st December.
How was Amsterdam Dance Event for you this year?
ADE was, unsurprisingly, class. It’s one of my favourite weeks of the year, meeting with so many artists, labels, and brands and attending some incredible events, mixers, and parties too of course. What’s not to love about that?
What do you have planned for Christmas and New Year?
I’m planning to have a relaxing and quiet break back in Belfast over Christmas and New Year, spending some time with family, friends and the dogs! However, if any New Year’s parties come up, you’ll know where to find me.
And with 2024 not far off, will you be making any resolutions?
Yeah, actually, I’m going to try and read more. I recently finished the Avicii autobiography, which has motivated me to make more time for reading.
Thank you, Jack. Massive luck for what’s coming next.
A massive thank you for having me, guys.
‘See You Again’ by Jack Kelly & James French is out now on Perfect Havoc. Stream / buy here: https://perfecthavoc.lnk.to/seeyouagain
Jack Kelly plays the Perfect Havoc takeover at Ministry of Sound, London, on Friday 24th November. Tickets from https://www.ministryofsound.com/club/
Jack Kelly
https://www.instagram.com/musicbyjackkelly
https://soundcloud.com/jack-kelly-980915906
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1qXQAJC0HsasWQhGI8P1QC