After the release of his hazy new single ‘Left Alone’, we caught up with lo-fi producer Kit Hepburn to find out what makes him tick.
Hepburn’s latest song was entirely self-produced during 2020’s lockdown and is a delicate and dreamy mixture of ambient atmosphere and chilled electronica.
It captures all the intensity and isolation that any listener is sure to have felt over the last year. To accompany ‘Left Alone’, Hepburn made an appropriately moody video clip, produced in collaboration with Lucas Haynes.
Hepburn offered insight into the themes of the song, including heartache and desire: “I was living on my own during lockdown, which was a blessing in some ways and a curse in others,” he said. “I wasn’t able to see any friends or work, so I’d just spend my nights driving around real late.
There’s something about driving around late at night on empty roads that feels otherworldly, particularly at that time. I think that feeling is in the song for sure…this song is an expression of wanting closeness, but also having walls up.”
We caught up with the Melbourne-based artist as part of our popular Get To Know series to which you can read below.
How did your artist name come about?
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Pure luck! I think I always wanted to have a cool alias that was separate, but it turned out I was pretty bad at coming up with cool names. I spent ages trying to figure it out but the names I was coming up with always felt a bit corny. Anyway, one day I was scrolling through Facebook and came across a pornstar name generator. I gave it a spin for the meme, and then it bounced back. Thus Kit Hepburn was born.
How would you describe your music to your grandma?
Hazy, melodic, ethereal, nostalgic. Like a warm Autumn evening.
Tell us about a few of your tracks; their titles and what they’re about?
So the most recent track I have out is called ‘Left Alone’. It’s a downtempo track which draws from lo-fi, electronic and R&B elements. It dropped earlier this month and was recorded when I was living alone during lockdown last year.
I was recording music pretty much all the time, and this track in particular was inspired by the feeling of driving around, late at night through empty city streets, as well as some heartache I was experiencing at the time. It was such an otherworldly feeling, and I wanted to capture what those moments felt like texturally and lyrically.
Another track that’s been out for a minute is called ‘5am’ – it’s a song I wrote about that feeling of having been out late at a party, and those early morning reflections that often come as you’re leaving, knowing that the sun will be rising soon. It’s a guitar-driven track that builds with electronics and ambience over time.
I’ve also got a stack of unreleased music that I’m finalising at the moment, so I’m really keen to share those songs too!
What do you love about your hometown?
Being so close to nature! I grew up in a really small country town in regional Victoria and there wasn’t really much around, so I was outside a lot of the time growing up. I had all of this open space and interesting landscape to explore and get lost in, and I think that really shaped who I am now. Don’t get me wrong, I love the city and being able to go to 7/11 whenever I like, but there’s something about being out there in those more wild places that inspires me a lot.
Career highlight so far?
I think the release of my latest track has been a huge highlight for me so far. I worked super hard getting that song sounding just the way I wanted, so it’s been so good to share it with the world and to see the awesome reception it’s received. This song existed in my bedroom for so long, so to see it being featured and written about in places like Rolling Stone feels pretty surreal.
Fave non-music hobby?
Hmm, hard to pick! I work as an actor and writer, and have produced and toured my own work interstate, so that’s always been a pretty big part of my life. Outside of that I’m into fashion, movies and adventuring to places I haven’t been before. I love driving, and have big dreams of flying around in 90’s sports cars in particular.
I also reckon having a few bevs and laughing at horrendously bad movies with friends is high on my list. If you haven’t seen Birdemic: Shock and Terror, do so immediately – you will not regret it.
What’s on your dream rider?
Endless beers. A loud Gucci tracksuit with my initials on it. An old upright piano. A framed portrait of Christopher Walken. All of my friends backstage, to help drink the beers after the gig.
Dream music collaboration?
It’d be really cool to work with Damon Albarn/Gorillaz. I think the way that so many different sounds and artists are brought together on their various projects is incredible. Demon Days was also the first album I ever bought: it opened me up to so many different styles and it was a big part of my childhood, so it’d be like totally going full circle.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I mean all things going to plan, I’ll be releasing music and playing huge shows, living in different cities and doing everything I currently am on a much larger scale. I’d love to at some point start my own label and work with other artists in that way. I’d also hopefully be somewhere warm, surrounded by my favourite people. Possibly on a yacht.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
‘Nights’ by Frank Ocean, easy. The amount of car rides I’ve spent shouting the lyrics of that song I couldn’t even say. It’s just such a cool song in the way it sounds and is structured, one of my favourites for sure!
What’s on the cards for the future?
Right now I’m making finishing touches on an EP I’m planning to release later in the year. I’m also getting ready to start playing live shows with a whole new set and stack of songs, so stay tuned – there’ll be heaps more coming soon!
Check out ‘Left Alone’:
