Biography

Since Kay Young debuted in 2019, her music has existed as a place of communal exchange; where the listener finds space and solace within aspirational tales that centre identity, love and the pull of home and community. Born in South London to a musical family, Kay eschewed the rigidity of academia, absconding to music tech rooms at school to make beats on a whim. Kay went on to teach herself to play drums and experiment with technical software, quickly becoming a self-styled producer in her own right. Kay’s early demos caught the attention of Jay Z and the Roc Nation contingent, solidifying her transatlantic appeal as an artist on the rise. Her debut EP ‘actually.’ and follow-up ‘Middle Matters’, released in 2019 and 2020 respectively, brought moody introspection and programmed chronicles of bruised ambition to the fore. On 2021’s ‘This Here Feels Good’, Kay further honed her knack for merging autobiographical detail with broader social-political commentary. In 2022, Kay featured on the Blue Note Re:imagined II compilation, putting a syrupy neo-soul spin on Marlena Shaw’s jazz classic ‘Feel Like Making Love’. Kay found inspiration on the road, supporting Corinne Bailey Rae and opening for mentor Jay Electronica at the Jazz Café across 4 sold-out nights. This year, Kay Young comes into her own as an artist. Free and emboldened, Kay expands her sound beyond the confines of established convention, and what people might expect of her.