Kelly Lee Owens is having the time of her life

Kelly Lee Owens is having a better summer than you. And me. And everyone else, for that matter.

Over the last few weeks, the prolific Welsh DJ/​singer/​producer has played at Glastonbury; hosted a free party in North Wales; and played at The Warehouse Project in Manchester. Then, yesterday, she dropped a brand new single, Love You Got, and announced a forthcoming album, Dreamstate. This weekend, she’ll join Charli xcx as part of the line-up for her PARTYGIRL Boiler Room set in Ibiza, alongside Call Super, Romy and Kettama.

​“I’m actually DJing at Pikes on Monday as well, poolside,” Kelly says over the phone, laughing. ​“I’m really getting the full Ibiza experience!” In other words, a true Brat summer. Now, England just needs to win the Euros…

But back to Love You Got. A euphoric, bass-heavy track with ​’90s house influences and a clear pop edge, it ushers in a new era for Kelly. This is also the first track to be released via dh2, a sparkling new sub-label of Dirty Hit, which has artists such as The 1975, Beabadoobee and Pretty Sick on its roster. Spearheaded by ​’75 drummer George Daniel (also Mr. xcx, who’s making his own foray into electronic music), Kelly is the label’s first signing.

​“George and I were introduced by mutual friends and had long been in touch about writing music together, but then the pandemic happened,” Kelly says. ​“I’ve been ready to collaborate with someone for a while now, and I wanted to take my music to the next level. Then I think I DJed at some 1975 after-party, which is where we spoke properly about it. I feel privileged that I get to be the first artist on his label! There’s a really energising, mutual trust there.”

Elsewhere on Dreamstate are producer/​writer credits from Bicep, The Chemical Brothers’ Tom Rowlands and George, too. Using Love You Got as a jumping off point, it promises to further bridge the gap between pop and electronic music – something that’s surely been in this year’s musical air.

​“I was really interested in my early roots of being super into pop. I’m so glad that dance music is the most ​‘pop’ it’s been for a long time. Björk has been such a huge inspiration in terms of that, bringing techno beats into traditional songwriting and really fucking with genres. Then when the whole superstar DJ thing was popping off in the 2000s… I’d love to see those kinds of songs in the charts again.”

What’s a bad habit you wish you could kick?

I’m always on. I never switch off. I’m not good with boundaries when it comes to work. It is my entire life. I think that my friends and family suffer because of that. I always want to give everything I have, which sometimes comes at the expense of myself and my inner world. This record is about finding those moments of stillness and groundedness. Just being able to switch off in all ways is harder than ever.

What’s your method for getting away from non-stop work, then?

It’s very simple, but walking. In London, we’re pretty blessed with green spaces, so heading towards the nearest park is a good one. Movement, putting my headphones on… My poor ears, they never get a break!

Love, like, hate?

I love connecting with people via sound. I like working. I hate working.

What’s your phone’s screensaver?

It’s actually just black… I’m not sure what that says about me. I tend to go minimal because I need that space in my brain where I’m like, I don’t want to look at anything. Last week, it was a photo of me, Romy, Shygirl and Robyn at Glastonbury. Little Kelly wouldn’t have believed that. I needed to remind myself that it actually happened.

Favourite song of all time?

This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) by Talking Heads. I’m never not in the mood for it. It’s so beautiful and it takes me back, but it also could’ve been made today. Stop Making Sense, their live album, was one of the first I bought on vinyl. It was so ahead of its time.

What do you think about in the shower?

Vocal melodies.

Would you call yourself a bathroom belter?

Yeah. Lots of vocal melodies come to me in the shower – people say it’s because there’s more oxygen, the water… It’s a very good place, if you’re struggling with an idea or whatever. Also, there’s the whole meditative aspect which really helps. And the acoustics tend to be fantastic. When I’m on tour, sometimes I’m like: I’m going to bring a mic into the shower. Some artists have done that in the past, I think.

What’s your favourite thing about what you do?

I feel like my purpose is to hold space via sound. I used to think that my favourite thing was to be in the studio, creating. But the whole point of that is to gather as many people together as possible in one space and to share those moments. I feel so incredibly privileged to be able to do that.

What can artists do to help save the world?

These are big questions. I think they can keep creating and inspiring other people to find that within themselves, whatever their soul connects with. There’s so much emphasis on the nine-to-five [and] school as a specific framework. It’s aspirational, but in the wrong direction –that’s all about gaining power.

100% Any tips for having a Brat summer?

Be yourself, listen to Brat on repeat and give yourself permission to enjoy every moment.

Love You Got (dh2) is out now