Keli Holiday is the Jesterman

We caught up with Aussie musical chameleon and all around legend, Adam Hyde of Peking Duk, to chat his genre-blurring new solo EP

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Image credit: XingerXanger

It’s been two years since Adam Hyde stepped out from Peking Duk and introduced us to Keli Holiday with his debut solo album, KELI. While still keeping busy with Peking Duk, Hyde has found time to showcase his development as a solo artist with a fresh EP that channels everything from 90s Britpop, new age disco and grungy alt-rock, deliciously whipped up into a very danceable five track collection, JESTERMAN.

While a solo EP at its heart, JESTERMAN saw Hyde team up with some extremely talented friends, including Twin Shadow (Alt J, HAIM, Lady Gaga, Flume, Billy Idol, The Drums) who co-produced the record, while the likes of Kirin J Callinan, blackpaw, and Dante Knows all helped out on individual cuts.

A legend both in front of and behind the scenes, Adam recently took to his Instagram to post a video addressing the ongoing problem regarding domestic violence against women, with men needing to start doing better and calling this behaviour out - check it out here.

To celebrate the release of JESTERMAN, we checked in with this truly energetic, humorous and thought-provoking artist to chat following up his debut album, juggling multiple projects, tips for collaborating and more!

It’s been two years since the release of KELI - what’s your relationship like with your debut album now?

Solid questch. I feel like the majority of that record is a broken man crying out to the winds about a broken love which is nothing new. I’m happy I got it off my chest but moving forward it feels I have more to say that comes from an authentic place of positive inertia.

What’s been keeping you busy since the release of KELI?

Jesterman EP. Some cheeky feature//collaborative projects. Keli holiday album 2. Peking duk.

How do you juggle multiple projects?

I love it. To be honest it feels like a privilege to have multiple streams of dreaming to dive into.

How does the new EP differ from your last album?

It’s less mopey, more dopey. Less cry, more high.

You’ve collaborated with some big names and very talented people - what’s your approach going into a fresh collab?

I like to listen. Conversate and contemplate and see where we both fit in the funky picture show. I’ll normally get in with people that are friends of friends so the interests align and then we get cooking.

You posted on social media “Some ideas are ugly. Some are beautiful. But most of all they are to be authentic. It feels different now. More truthful to who I am and what I want to say.” How hard was it to come to this realisation and accept this?

It was funny because it hit me like a lightning bolt that for a lot of my “career” as a “musician” I was just going through the motions. I had a formula that wasn’t necessarily conducive to happiness. If it’s real and you feel it then put it down and out that way. There’s no losing if you play the game like that.

How are the tracks from the new EP feeling live?

They have been met with joyous reception to say the least. There was a woman in newcastle on the alex cameron tour screaming out her own ad libs on “doyoulikeitornot?”.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?

I love you pilerats.

What have you been listening to lately?

Labi Siffre. Misfits. Johnny Thunders. Future.