Landing the cover of NME, getting Michael Sheen to star in the music video for Corner Of My Sky – all after a deep dive into the world of spiritual and physical healing; welcome to the world of Kelly Lee Owens, the Welsh techno/dream-pop sensation rapidly catching on as one of the most exciting names in British music. And with her excellent sophomore record Inner Song now out, Headliner grabbed a covid-safe conversation with the singer-songwriter, producer, DJ and bonafide star.
Having been locked down in London, Owens is feeling a little homesick, and her plans to pop home and see family have been scarpered by Wales imposing a local lockdown.
“I was just going to nip up to see my family and check in with your grandparents,” she says. “Help out a bit, and also just feel connected to nature again. I feel very blessed that I can go home and be in the forests next to my mum's house. It's a place I can sort of disconnect from everything and reconnect to myself. But alas everything is quite unpredictable these days.”
I remind Owens what an exciting time it is for her – she’s recently been the cover star of British music bastion NME, she’s featured in an advert for Corona (the beer, not the other thing) on a Welsh beach, and of course, there’s the appearance of Michael Sheen in her latest music video.
She notes that “it sounds pretty good when you say them all in a row! [laughs] I feel very blessed. It feels like a combination of all the hard work and slog and all that stuff kind of coming together. And with NME, my 16-year-old self was just thrilled to be recognised in that sense, and getting a five-star review as well!”