Artist Spotlight: [ K S R ]

Shot by @akashkhadka

Manchester’s genre-bending star [ K S R ] is the latest in a long line of preposterously talented musicians to emerge from the North this year. With silk-laden vocals, rich instrumental tapestries, and deeply personal lyricism, the young soulster has garnered critical and public acclaim for his chromatic concoction of alternative R&B, hip hop, soul and DnB. 

The producer, singer, songwriter and instrumentalist has recently signed for First Word Records, joining collaborators and industry sweethearts Children of Zeus on the esteem roster. Together with the renowned label, [ K S R ] recently unveiled his third EP, the profound, resonant and stylistic ‘Peace + Harmony’. With turns from the Zeus boys as well as hotly tipped R&B songstress Ayeisha Raquel, the project is a showcase of vibrantly nuance musicality and penetrating emotional maturity.

I caught up with to [ K S R ] to dissect his new brilliant EP, reflect on his impressive collaborations, and ponder what is to come.

Who has been influencing you lately?

This year I have been listening to Jasmin Sullivon, Mac Ayres, Juls and Zeus.

You’ve just signed with First Word Records’. How has the settling in process been?

Smooth and easy to be fair, through working with Children of Zeus I knew of the ethos behind the label and how they worked. Just been super excited to jump in and get it going. 

I know you’re from Manchester, how do you feel breaking into the industry outside the capital differs from being from London? 

I have always worked with and collaborated with Southern artists but it has always been on my mind to cement Manchester as its own hub of creativity and to push artists based in the city to compete with LDN. 

What is the R&B scene like in Manchester? Anyone to have on our radar?

You know what in the last two years its actually started to pick up within the R&B in Manchester with a few artists I can mention coming up like Akeimi Fox, The KTNA, Victoria Jane, July 7, Layfullstop, Fliss, Abnormal Sleepz, just to name a few. 

Your sound, showcased on the new EP, is so eclectic and diverse, yet so coherent. How do you bridge styles together so successfully?

 ‘By the power of God‘ - I get asked a lot about this but I genuinely just trust my gut instinct first of all, but having the likes of Dom Porter to guide me through the process and having a healthy relationship with him has allowed us to be totally honest with each other in a critical way when deciding on musical elements and putting together the EP. 

I loved your work with Children of Zeus on your recent single ‘CGWY’. How did the collaboration come about and how was it working with them?

I was due a verse from them the day I touched stage with them for the first time, all jokes aside the process was fairly easy but it all started with my verse but I couldn’t think of a chorus. The only thing in my head was the chorus from their 2020 single  “Get What’s Yours”, Dom sent me a drum based beat that I then laid over my verse and the Zeus chorus on and then he added loads of elements and melody. Dom has never heard Zeus’ original track so he made this one from scratch with absolutely no influence at all which is insane, the whole song was finally coming together so you showed Konny first and his nonchalant self said yep this is absolutely fine. 

Tyler was on board too, and added his verse and that is when it really started gluing together and becoming its own record.

I’m a big fan of Dom Porter’s production work, it’s very cool that you’ve been working with him. How has the creative process been like working with him? 

I actually started working with Dom back when I was working on my second EP he produced ‘My Lady’ which was one of the singles!

We are two different people, coming from two very different backgrounds was definitely strange at first but I just kept on learning new things every time I was with him which was needed for me to develop as an artist. 

His skill in the studio matched with his calmness makes everything feel very easy, we actually wrote this EP in an unused office of his fathers company GENO who allowed us to set up a studio when their employees moved to working from home. I cant thank them enough for this offer as it allowed us to live and write in the same building for days on end.

‘Peace & Harmony’ is such an assured and impressive project. How do you feel about finally releasing it?

Feeling overwhelmed with the fact that it's an open book of my life and has very personal issues that I have tackled throughout  the record and now its going to be out there for people to digest how they like. 

Talk me through the recording process?

During this whole process we were actually in and of lockdowns so we were constantly adapting how we can keep on schedule and also be authentic rather than just doing everything over zoom. Which led us to meeting up between lockdowns and recording in Leamington Spa and staying there for prolonged periods. 

The writing is really personal and autobiographical for much of the EP. Why did you opt to write this way, do you feel it allows the listener to understand you better as an artist?

Yeah I agree with that a lot, something I realized in the past is that not a lot of people knew me for me. I had a story to tell more than just a guy with a great voice, I wanted to delve into who I actually am. Who is Roosevelt rather than just [ K S R ]. The issues that I have had and been working through for the last year and a bit all rolled into 6 tracks. 

What are the main concepts and ideas behind the project?

I guess it was finding the common thing that brings me peace, keeps me happy, sane, and ticking. What makes me feel grateful to just be here, alive and moving forward, what I define as my peace may be different to yours but that doesn’t mean it is wrong.

The Harmony side of the project was based on the feeling that you get when you connect with people, for example attending a show and feeling the harmony between fans and artist on stage. I have never found anything that makes me feel like that, if  I could bottle that feeling up I would. 

If you were introducing yourself to a new listener who had never heard of your music before, what tune would you put on?

‘Given’. It’s one of my favourites off the new project, wait until you hear Ayeisha Raquel!

What’s next for you?

I am off on tour with Pip Millet for three days down south in January and a Jazz Cafe show with the First Word Family on January 14th. There is a Headline Manchester show in the works so keep your eyes peeled!