Norwegian indie rock/post punk band Bravo Papa vocalist Kjetil Rønningen is branching out on his own path with a new solo career, under the moniker of IN Kelly. Even if you’re new to Kjetil’s work, IN Kelly’s music is well worth checking out – particularly new single, Thought I Was Your Sidekick. Find out more about the project below!
By Jane Howkins
You recently released a new single titled Thought I Was Your Sidekick. What can you tell us about the song?
The song is the second single from my album Under the Birch Tree. The song was written on an acoustic guitar last spring, and while recording, it felt very natural to add electric guitar parts and some piano and string sounds to it. I chose this as a single as it feels like a pop song to me, it has a more commercial vibe than the rest of the album. I can hear Bret Anderson from Suede singing the chorus, while the verse may be a bit like early Coldplay, even though I haven’t listened to the latter since their debut album in 2000. I think the song is laidback, yet it’s almost like an anthem at the same time, so it has a bit of a conflicted identity in that way. The lyrics started with the title of the song, then I wrote a story around that, picturing two characters. I’ve left room for interpretation as I think the story can fit many different contexts depending on the listener’s projections.
How has the reception to Thought I Was Your Sidekick been so far, and where can it be purchased?
It’s been really good. TJPL News called it “the dream pop anthem Norway didn’t know it needed”. Unfortunately, a lot of the things that is written about indie artists today seem to be Chat GPT generated, so there is inflation in big words about its importance. So, when someone writes something a bit different, for example something about the lyrics, where it’s obvious that they’ve listened and understood the music, I’m really thankful. You could always purchase it on Apple Music for example, or you could stream it for free on your favorite streaming service.
Do you have any more singles planned for release soon?
I’ve already released the third single from the album – Back to Rome. I released that song on the same day as the album. This has more of the post-punk references that have also inspired the music of my band Bravo Papa. It’s faster and ‘cooler’ than Thought I Was Your Sidekick, with references to Johnny Marr’s guitar style.
Do you have any plans to release an album or EP in the near future?
I just released my debut album Under the Birch Tree on April 12th – 10 tracks for you to dive into.
You’ve also worked on a few other projects. Do you have anything else on the go at the moment?
Yes, my band Bravo Papa have released five albums since we started playing together in 2009. We’re still playing, but we don’t have any plans for new material at the moment. But we released an incredible album Photographic Memoirs in June last year – you should really go and check it out. And if you like that, I’ve made a playlist on Spotify called This is IN Kelly and Bravo Papa – featuring 60 tracks to dive into.
Your music has an indie-rock sound. What/who are you most influenced by? What have you been listening to recently?
I’m influenced by a lot, but for some reason it’s what I listened to in my youth and early adulthood that has the most impact when I write. You’ll hear references to The Smiths, The Cure, The Strokes, Nick Cave, The Beatles, Patrick Duff, Bob Hund and electronic stuff. And here and there, there may be details inspired by Bjork, PJ Harvey, Pixies, Tricky, Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo and other alternative music from the 80s and 90s. Recently, I’m primarily listening to newer stuff like Diive, Wolf Alice, Alvvays, Mitski, bdrmm, Fontaines D.C., Beach House, The Smile, Susanne Sundfør and many more amazing artists.
You’re from Norway. What is the local music scene like in your area at the moment?
We have a great music scene in Norway. You may have heard of Aurora, Susanne Sundfør and Sigrid, who all seem to do well internationally. There has been a great electronic scene here with artists like Todd Terje, Bjørn Torske, Lindstrøm and Röykosopp. There’s also a big hip-hop scene for artists who rap in Norwegian, and a great jazz scene. The government and the municipalities are doing a lot to help indie artists develop and be heard, as they look at that as a good investment. For example, when you hire a rehearsal room in the center of Oslo, you’ll get a mirror in every room as they think you should be aware of how you look on stage, even if you are a shoegazer. The State radio channel are promoting undiscovered artists who can send in their music, there’s a lot of things like this. I think a lot of Norwegian artists have studied music through higher education, and become technically good at their instruments and singing abilities. I am definitely not in that group.
Do you have anything else exciting coming up over the next few months?
As I’ve just released my album, there will be a while until I have something new. But I’ll continue writing songs with Bravo Papa, and hopefully my band will release something at some point.
Do you have any tour dates lined up for the UK?
Unfortunately, no. Not in the UK or any other places. I’m playing all the instruments on the album, so I don’t know how I could do that live.
Any last words for the fans?
Thank you for listening. If you like my album, be sure to also check out the world of Bravo Papa.