Kelsey Lu

HOME TOWN: Charlotte,

North Carolina SOUNDS LIKE:

Soulful strings with otherworldly vocals FOR FANS OF: FKA twigs, Kelela, Dev Hynes LISTEN TO: During pensive moments at home alone with a large glass of pinot noir MAJOR MOMENT: Headlined this year’s most-hyped festival Afropunk in Brooklyn, New York, alongside Janelle Monáe and

The Internet STANDOUT TRACK: Morning After Coffee THE CONVERSATION: Making the classical cello cool is an impressive feat, but it’s one that Kelsey Lu does with ease. The 27-year-old instrumentalist and singer is arguably the coolest new musician on the planet right now. Having grown up in a Jehovah’s Witness family in small-town US, surrounded by music, Kelsey began studying classical composition at six years old. ‘I grew up with a pretty strict religious background,’ she says. ‘But when I left to go to school, my life flipped upside-down and it all changed. I questioned everything and that’s when I started writing songs.’

She is now based in Williamsburg, New York, and in July Kelsey released her first EP, Church, recorded in a Brooklyn church with a loop pedal. Inspired by artists Alice Coltrane, Nina Simone and Billie Holiday, her sound still uses haunting strings from the cello but brings in echoing vocals to create songs with a potent emotional punch.

She already boasts some high-profile fans; having played with Dev Hynes and Kelela, Kelsey opened for Florence And The Machine’s tour earlier this year. She also soundtracked designer Grace Wales Bonner’s first runway show in spring.

Performing is everything for Kelsey. ‘I did my show recently and the front row was mainly composed of women of colour and I was like, “The universe has answered my prayers.” It was such a beautiful and diverse mix of people. It was electrifying.’

For now, she’s finishing her first full-length album and is looking forward to working with more women. ‘It’s a world full of men and being a female in music, it’s exciting to feel a part of something,’ she says. ‘It’s so important for our voices to be heard.’