Chicago’s Kelsey Montanez has never followed the comfortable trail. She won a high school talent contest and signed her first record contract, leaving home at 17. Her star rose quickly — and it’s no wonder, with self-assured performances that feel just as comfortable in a rock arena as a honky tonk — leading to a collaboration with Chance the Rapper. But Montanez stepped away from the grind of the music business for a time, reconnecting with what made her pursue it as a teenager to begin with.
Montanez’s recent single “Rolling Stone” showcases the intriguing textures on the low end of her voice. The song documents her decision to leave home while she’s still young, hinting at some of the tensions in the moment. In our interview, Montanez discusses why she never wanted to be conventional.
Who are some of your musical influences?
The Beatles, No Doubt, Alanis Morisette, Fiona Apple, PJ Harvey, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Tegan and Sara, Ani Difranco, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Elliott Smith, Nirvana, Pixies, Spice Girls.
Name a perfect song and tell us why you feel that way.
I was just listening to “Playground Love” by AIR the other day and I was thinking how that song is excellent on so many levels. The airy (no pun intended) production, the lush strings, grooving bass and melancholy saxophone solo, the sweet, nostalgic lyrics all lend itself to such a dreamy atmosphere that makes that song so unique and pleasurable to listen to.
Do you have any songwriting tips you can share?
One thing I’m trying to implement in my own songwriting practice is finishing the first draft of a song, even if the lyrics or melodies are just placeholders for the time being. I think just hammering out the basic structure of a song can be a really useful tool in figuring out if you really have something worthwhile or not. The lyrics and melodies can be re-visited later if you have a general idea of how the song should move and how the parts lock in with each other.
How do you feel your queer identity ties into your performance style or music?
When I think of what it means to be queer, it’s this idea of existing outside of the hard lines society has created for us that line out what is safe, what is expected, how to take the paved road that was already thoroughly traveled and charted out by many others. It’s like there’s this manual on how to ease through this life and get to the finish line with the least amount of bruises as possible. It tells you the appropriate way to perform gender and relate to your sexuality, the correct style of partnership, the pre-approved selection of careers to choose from, the acceptable type of family unit, etc.
That’s all fine and dandy if you naturally fit into the box society deems acceptable and safe and you don’t mind ignoring that nagging intuitive voice telling you there is so much more beyond the charted course to explore. I think the people exploring their queerness are the ones who have accepted the risk of deviating from the paved road and are exploring what is out there in the wilderness of existence. I think I’m somebody who has always lived an unusual life. The circumstances of my life don’t check too many of the acceptable “society” boxes and never have, so coming out as queer in highs chool didn’t feel like much of a deviation from anything, honestly.
I think that feeling of “otherness” lends itself in my music because I’m already familiar with the feeling of being different or misunderstood which makes it easier for me to take creative risks in my music. I guess that’s a fancy way of saying I don’t have much to lose by being different, making unusual choices or charting my own path because in many ways I’ve been doing that my whole life, personally, professionally, and creatively.
What would you like to say to people who are currently questioning their identities?
Self-discovery is a lifelong process and I don’t believe there is ever a finish line you can cross over and confidently say you’ve finally figured yourself out and understand all the layers of your existence. But that’s part of what makes life exciting. I think the best thing you can do is try to be okay with your ever-changing journey and love yourself to the best of your ability through all the countless stages of growth, development and discovery.