Photo shot by Ural Garrett for Okayplayer.
Kadhja Bonet (pronounced “Kad-yah Bo-nay”) is a modern-day vessel, channeling the voices of an era’s past with Blue Note grooves, Stax vocals and the like. The Los Angeles creative is relatively new to the music industry, yet has endeared herself to a growing crop of buzz-worthy acts. We have covered her numerous times on this very site, enamored by her smooth and steady, never wavering vocal prowess. With a background that boasts a healthy knowledge of classical string arrangement, Kadhja Bonet has leveraged her skill set to create a wonderfully idiosyncratic sound that comes to life on her debut EP, The Visitor, which you can listen to here.
After breaking through into the public’s consciousness with “Tears For Lamont,” the breathtaking artist exposed us to her cinematic, yet psychedelic soul-fueled music. Impossible to pin down in any sort of category, it is impressive to note that Kadhja performed all of the string parts (violin, viola and guitar), the woodwinds and handled all of the intricate arrangements. Courtesy of her musical childhood, Kadhja is a powerful orchestrator with a beautiful future ahead of her. As you’ll see in this exclusive chat with the soul-smothered singer-songwriter, Kadhja Bonet doles out more and more of herself as we dig deeper into her thoughts + motivations.
With that said, witness this stylistic, above-average musician who has a sunshiny-bright future ahead of herself. This week’s First Look Friday floats above each question, introducing us to her visceral and dream-like energy, while discussing her thoughts on the L.A. music scene and offers a message to the people that is important during these trying times. Enjoy her latest offering, GENESEA, and learn more about Kadhja Bonet in our interview below!
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Okayplayer: To music snobs the world over, you’re making an impact on both sides of the country. What is it that those in Los Angeles are seeing and hearing that the rest of the world has yet to discover?
Kadhja Bonet: Los Angeles is a dirty, ugly city, so it launches one’s mind into fantasy mode. Or better yet, escape mode. If the place was aesthetically pleasing perhaps the music here would be more boring.
OKP: Your song, “Honeycomb,” is extremely dope and has placed you on the radar of music snobs who have a heavy presence within the industry. Can you talk about how your life was while developing as an artist? How did you react to your first bits of press?
KB: Like everyone else in L.A., I have been scraping by for years, barely making it to the next month more often than I would like. You get by because you have to. Making endless personal and financial sacrifices for your music is a part of the deal. You do what you have to do to make time for your music. [Laughs] My family thinks that I am a bum, I’m pretty sure.
OKP: What have been the most definitive obstacles that you’ve overcome in your career thus far?
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