Judah Kelley & ‘Apathy’

Words by Hannah Powell. Images by Cam Hay.

Yo Vocal had a chat with indie artist Judah Kelley. Off the release of her third single, we talked ‘Apathy’, Auckland, and how she got into music.

Raised on a hearty diet of musical family members, Adele and Alicia Keys, music was Judah’s pantry staple. And she was sure to rise. “[Back then] it was never an aspiration of mine to become a recording artist,” Judah said to me over the phone. “It was just like, ‘I want to be able to sing, have a huge voice, and I just want to be a great singer”.” Fast forward through years of choirs, musicals, gigs, and festivals, something changed. Judah graduated at the end of her degree and decided to take a year to explore music.

Now, the solo artist is recording and residing in Tamaki Makarau Auckland, finding her sound. A recording artist she is, and loves it she does. She’s just released her third single, too.

Having spent most of her life in Dunedin, she says Auckland is a welcome if not “necessary” change. Leaning into indie pop and rock, Judah is finding her genre is more well suited there. But having played in Juno Is, with so many musical friends, she’s got fond memories of the Dunedin scene.

“It was so epic, and knowing everyone [made it] such a supportive community,” she says.

The adjustment from music and uni to music and full-time work has been hard. “Getting into the routine of not just being a performing artist but a recording artist [means] expectations tend to be a lot higher,” she says.

Judah’s biggest battle is with self-doubt. But growing from her past experiences, she knows it’s worth it, and there are plenty of people out there who listen. By the end of her degree, fans were asking where to find her music. During her gigs, Judah says she’d catch people in the audience who would cry. Her songs touched others, and for her, it was magic to be able to create space for people to process and feel.

Her latest single, ‘Apathy’, continues to render that. A song about a crush with nowhere to go, ‘Apathy’ explores lust, longing, and the inner conflict that comes with it. With a lack of interest, enthusiasm, and concern, ‘Apathy’ is a realisation that the feeling won’t go any further. With kickass cover art styled by her good friend Estelle Schuler and a dreamy music video directed by Taylor Mansfield, think ’90s elegance, red wine, and a femme fatale.

With big plans on the horizon, Judah hopes to release an EP this year. Her next track will come out in a couple of months. She’s also on the lookout to have a live band that’s all women.

“Something that I’m really wanting to do is actually create a full women band, so all the people who will play with me will be wāhine or non-binary,” she explains. When it comes to female or non-binary instrumentalists, she says they just don’t get the same attention or hype like guys do. She’d like to change that.

As a new artist, Judah has been trying hard to raise her voice. She tells me it can be easy to succumb to loud men in the studio and dampen your own flame. She’s even noticed it a few times with herself. But going forward, that’s not something she wants to represent.

“It’s important that we speak up and we stand with our words,” she says.

Judah’s ideal music industry is a diverse, inclusive community that supports each other. It’s accepting of how people do and say things differently and appreciative that everyone has their own way of sharing stories.