Kae I have Tempest: desire for all of these forms
The poet and playwright discusses their new album, their desire for connection and coming out as non-binary
KAE Tempest has finally accepted the fact we are all going in circles.
“We keep finding ourselves in these positions where things happen geopolitically or in society,” they say on video call from their studio, sheets of paper inked with half-written poems pinned to a board in the background.
“We say, ‘I thought we would have learned from this. How can we be back here again?’
“Every single time we’re shocked at the fact that we endlessly repeat. But I’ve got this fascination with ancient stories. I’ve always had it. The old stories. Because they’re so familiar to me, because we do endlessly repeat.
“And actually, I find it deeply comforting, because it takes the pressure off this idea of progress.”
Tempest, who came out as nonbinary in 2020 and adopted they/them pronouns, addressed the theme of repetition on their last album.
But 2019’s The Book of Traps and Lessons was about the harmful cycles of behaviour we get stuck in.
The Line Is a Curve, however, is about letting go of that shame, anxiety and isolation – a useful ability given the litany of bad news we face every day.
Tellingly, the album cover for the first time features a portrait of Tempest, shot by German photographer Wolfgang Tillmans.
Raised in south-east London, the prolific artist is the author of various plays, a novel and six collections of poetry including Brand New Ancients, which won the Ted Hughes Award in 2013.
Despite touring the world, they always return to their native patch of the capital. “I can’t really imagine feeling at home somewhere else,” they say with a smile.
Tempest’s music, which sets spoken word to all manner of beats, manages to make the artform accessible in a manner only currently matched by the work of George the Poet.
In August 2020, Tempest came out as non-binary in an Instagram post and explained they would be changing their first name to Kae and using they/them pronouns.
“Names are important,” they offer. “We take new names at important times in our lives. Like when we get married, we have a new name.
“If we reach a religious milestone, we might take a new name. If we attain a certain level of professional expertise, you might get ‘doctor’ in front of your name.
“Suddenly these requirements are important. In other cultures you take new names at different points in your life as you develop. So I think it is powerful.
“When I took Tempest as a name I was a teenager, my rap name. It’s mad because I didn’t intend for it to become such a huge part of my identity.
“I didn’t really know then that Tempest would suddenly grow into this dominant force in my life.”
Tempest admits they are still sometimes blindsided by questions about their gender.
“Taking a new name and coming out has been a great relief,” they add.
“I feel like I’m going through a journey that I’ve been on since the beginning of my life. But I begin it right now. And I’m really glad to be where I’m at. And I’m looking forward to where I’m going. And I’m feel excited about the future.”
The theme of The Line Is a Curve is connection and Tempest made this a literal part of the recording process by having someone in the booth with them.
They performed the album three times in one day to different generations – a man in his late 70s, a person of Tempest’s own age and three teenagers huddled together.
“Being alone in the booth is one thing, and you can get very deep into the technicalities of the flow or the words or the imagery,” they explain.
“But actually talking to someone does something to your body – the sound of your voice, where your voice is coming from. It’s real. I’m actually communicating.”
It is also a collaborative record, featuring the likes of Lianne La Havas and Grian Chatten from Fontaines DC, and a step forward in terms of its production, with regular collaborator Dan Carey back at the faders.
Some of this newfound confidence in the studio emerged during sessions for Tempest’s last album with superproducer Rick Rubin.
“Working with him has given me a bit more confidence in how I approach my voice and how I think about the best way of getting my performance on record,” they reflect.
The track No Prizes, featuring fellow Londoner La Havas, is an observational critique of the way artists have to monetise their music to stay afloat.
“All of the characters come from life and these are real concerns that press down on us all,” they explain.
“I grew up with lots of people that were also making music. That was how I established my friendships and it’s how we hung out and it’s what we were excited about.
“It is what set us apart from other friends of ours that had less creativity in their lives and were maybe more destructive.
“There was a moment in time I remember where it was like, ‘Which way are you going to go?’
“So all of the people that I’m around now that I’ve known for 20 or 30 years, a lot of them are fantastic musicians, great artists, have huge amounts of creativity, but have been unable to make it the central focus of their lives for whatever reasons.
“Maybe they had families young or they just couldn’t do it, they needed other jobs. So this constant wrestling with that is something that’s around me quite often.”
Tempest’s music may receive the most attention, but it is only one bow in their quiver, and their restless creativity continues even between album cycles.
“I get relief from the the rigours of the endurance that is working on something as challenging as a novel or a play from switching my focus and diving into a poem,” they reflect.
“Or I get relief from the formal structure of poetry by jumping into lyricism or throwing myself into a scene, a character description.
“I feel like I need them all. I want them all. I have desire for all of these forms.”
❐ The Line Is a Curve is out now. Kae Tempest tours the UK throughout April and May visiting Liverpool, London, Cardiff and more.