We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelly2face and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelly2face, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I wanted to make a place for artists to express themselves without worrying about being excluded based on their genre. I love communities that emphasize collaboration and camaraderie, so being in a city like Nashville has really helped me thrive. Coming from a small city in South Carolina I got to see a lot of small businesses but there were none tailored to the type of career I wanted to pursue. Being the son of an entrepreneur I saw my dad build a business that gave back to my community, and this inspired me to do the same in the music industry.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I would describe my art as lyrically experimental. I try to focus on creating a concept or story displayed through my lyrics and who I collaborate with. I try to tailor my approach to music. I find a lot of artists tend to stick to a sound that comes natural to them. They will stay in a comfortable lane and avoid stretching themselves musically instead of trying out different things and to seeing what else they can achieve.

I started my musical journey playing the trumpet in middle school. I stopped playing once in high school, but music never left my presence. In my freshman year I was introduced to music production by my cousin, who dabbled in producing himself at the time. After he introduced me to the program Garageband, using it became a part of my daily routine and inspired me to pursue a career as a producer. I started attending Belmont University 4 years later, and it was there I was able to see the possibilities of a career in the music industry. I’ve met most of the members in my collective, FEAR EAR, while at Belmont, as well as some other great music business professionals that will be running Nashville in the next 10 years.

As for the future I plan to release a lot of music in the next year. I’ve spent the last 2 years working a project with SymbaSyd, Matt Betts, Israel Naor, and a many others. I’ve also been finishing a project that will shine a light on a lot of Underground Nashville artists that are currently in the circuit. As for myself, I released a project last year titled: “Too Strong Tape”. This album allowed me to developing my sound as an artist, not just a producer.

Now that I’ve stepped into the realm of becoming an artist and working towards making music that I will one day be able to tour, Im hoping to show growth with this new material. I have an upcoming project with Chicago artist and producer Disc2 coming later this year that will intentionally show off my range as an artist.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take them to different shows that are happening while they are here. Places like The Blue Room, Flamingo Cocktail Club, Analog at the Hutton Hotel, and The East Room to name a few. I love visiting different venues and see local acts around the city. I feel that is the best way to get the vibe of Nashville and understand why it’s called music city.

I would also take them to the African American Music Museum on Broadway. They have amazing exhibits that really capture the essence of black music as well as hosting a ton of great events. They’re just a prime example as to why I say there is more to Broadway than just “Broadway”.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shoutout everybody apart of the Fear Ear team. My artists Symbasyd, Matt Betts, and our management Cidney Grady and David Bean. We all met in college at Belmont University and decided to work with and support each other. What we are currently building is something special and will be studied in the future. It’s only a matter of time until the world sees what a small community already knows.

Instagram: @Kelly2face, @Fearearent

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@fearearent

Image Credits
Zachary Vaughn, @call_me_zil Victor Reed, @victorjreed

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