TRENDING

Keelie Walker's debut EP "The Girls Night" is upbeat, relatable and full of energy—just like the singer-songwriter herself. Full of catchy tracks and danceable jams, Keelie's EP dropped on February 19 and features eight new songs that are perfect for any party playlist. We were so excited to chat with 17-year-old Keelie about making the EP, her musical inspirations and advice for GL girls.

Girls' Life: Can you tell us what it was like making the EP?

Keelie: So the process of it took a long time, I'm not gonna lie. Ever since COVID-19 hit, it slowed everything down. But we started in January, and we recorded in three different places—Chicago, Nashville, and Los Angeles. It was my first time co-writing on every song of an EP of mine. I had a lot of fun experiencing that. It was hard work and I'm really excited for it to be out.

GL: Do you have a favorite song on the EP?

Keelie: If I had to say, it'd probably be "Girls Night," just because I started with that. And it's such a fun song—no matter what I'm doing, I feel like I just have to get up and party. It's the absolute girl party anthem, and I like it a lot.

GL: How would you sum up your sound and style of music?

Keelie: Pop with a little bit of R&B. I came from dancing, so I want my music to have a little vibe to it. It's just super groovy. 

GL: So you're a dancer too! What's your favorite style of dance?

Keelie: I started dancing when I was 6, and I've always loved hip-hop.

GL: What inspires your music and your songwriting?

Keelie: Whenever I write, I try to think about real-life situations that I've gone through and just pull from that. Or I'll ask my friends if they're going through anything and if they want me to write a song about it. Or I'll make up scenarios in my head about how I'm feeling. I really just pour my emotions into it. 

GL: What messages do you want listeners to come away with after they hear your songs?

Keelie: With this EP, I wanted to make sure that everyone could relate to it and actually understand what I'm saying. I wanted it to be very conversational. And I want them to have a favorite song on there to jam out to with me, whether it be "Girls Night" or "Gemini" or "Snake." 

Keelie's Current Faves:

Hobbies: "I play soccer! And I hang out with family."

Favorite fashion trend: "I would say streetwear. I love sweatpants and stuff, but [I like] when I see people dress it up with Jordans or a tight crop top."

Last thing she watched on Netflix: "Vampire Diaries! That is my favorite series. This is my third time watching it, and there are eight seasons!"

Favorite artist right now: "Justin Bieber. He just came back and he's been coming out with music. I think he's a really good role model and is super real, and I love that. And I watched his YouTube series and documentaries." 

GL: What advice would you give to GL readers about following their passions?

Keelie: My advice would be just to keep going. Because anything you're tied to, obviously there's going to be times where it gets hard, and you're going to want to stop and just do something else. But if that's truly your passion, and you love it so much, you can't stop. Just keep going no matter what. And find motivation and people that'll support you, keep you going and help you. Just never give up. 

GL: Do you have musical artists or other role models you look up to?

Keelie: Ever since I was little, I was a super fangirl of Taylor Swift. And I was obsessed with her. As I got older, I looked up to Beyoncé and J.Lo. I watch their performances all the time. Just seeing them doing it is like, "I want to be that." So they inspire me a lot.

GL: You post on TikTok! Do you have any favorite TikTokers?

Keelie: I follow Danielle Cohn—I love her videos. I collabed with Jadah [Marie], and her videos are really cool. We made up a dance to our new song, "The Chase." And we posted it on TikTok and we're trying to make it a new dance trend for people to do to our song.

GL: Anything else you want to add?

Keelie: Jadah and I collabed on a song called "The Chase." It's on the EP as well, and the money from it is going towards the oceans in Brazil and helping the turtles. I was super excited about that, and it's really cool how it's a donation.

Listen to Keelie's debut EP on Spotify, and follow her on Instagram and TikTok to stay updated on her new music!

Image credit: Sara Kiesling. Interview was edited and condensed for clarity.

by Ariane Faro | 3/1/2021