Cellist and singer Kelsey Lu‘s experimental, labyrinthian music has spellbound listeners and earned her admiration and collaborations with some of biggest names in pop and R&B — Solange, Sampha, Florence And The Machine, Dev Hynes, and more. Lu’s latest track, released today, is technically a cover, but her version makes you forget all about the original. Lu’s version of 10cc’s yacht-rock classic “I’m Not In Love” is gorgeous and sprawling. It’s a showcase for Lu’s voice, which is excellent, and sometimes under-appreciated amid the praise for her cello wizardry. Lu co-directed the dreamy, DIY-aesthetic video for the song with artist Alima Lee.
Lu also chatted with friend and collaborator Dev Hynes in V Magazine today, contextualizing her new music and sharing her experience working on her upcoming album. Lu told Hynes that someone she worked with on the album (she doesn’t name names) was incredibly egotistical and difficult.
I started working with someone, and I put most of my trust, and most of my budget, into them. This person ended up scamming me, basically.
I saw it in the beginning, I noticed the ego. Because it was big; it was taking up the room. Other male egos came into play and I was like, I will just work through it, instead of sticking up for myself. I didn’t listen to my gut. That literally cost me money. My lesson was to speak up when that happens. But sometimes in a creative situation you are like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to f*ck up the flow.’
Lu said that she learned from the experience (sometimes it’s worth “f*cking up the flow” to make the art you want to, the way you want to) and that for the sake of the record she is “thrilled that that sh*t didn’t work out.” If “I’m Not In Love” is any indication of what’s to come from Lu this year, her new stuff is sure to be incredible.
Listen to Kelsey Lu’s cover of “I’m Not In Love” above, and read her full interview with Dev Hynes here.
