Electro-pop duo Clay & Kelsy have been playing music since they were kids. “Kelsy [Kemper] recorded her first song when she was 11, and I grew up drumming in jazz groups before getting deep into production. We met as teenagers and have never stopped making music together,” says Clay Burton. “In the last few years, we realized the music we were making wasn’t just for us anymore—it had the potential energy to be something bigger than us.”
They describe the sound as, “cinematic and immersive.” “Our latest EP, I Am, leans heavily into dark, electronic influences,” Burton says. “The next record shifts more into our songwriting roots, mostly with piano, drums, and raw vocal takes.”
The most recent release is the “Mirror” single, from the upcoming EP Somebody (Act II). “The song takes you on a personal journey with identity, doubt, and the struggle to see yourself clearly when everything feels distorted,” says Burton. “Sonically, ‘Mirror’ is a shift from the heavy electronic production of I am.”
For Clay & Kelsy, “DIY” means building their own world. “We produce everything ourselves—our sound, our instruments, our visuals,” Burton says. “Even the way we release music, it’s all in our hands. It’s not just about doing it alone, though. It’s about having the freedom to create exactly what we want, the way we want, without waiting for permission from dangerous corporations that are only interested in profits.”
The pair are aiming to “follow their bliss” in 2025. “We’re launching our YouTube channel to document the process of finishing the last two albums in this series. Beyond that, we’re focusing on growing Clay and Kelsy Instruments, our software instrument company, and hopefully getting more of our sounds into the hands of other creators. And somewhere in all that—playing live, making more art, and figuring out where this journey is taking us next.”
For more information, visit clayandkelsy.com
