Rising Persian-American artist Kean Farrar has already earned acclaim from the likes of Complex and Wonderland, and his debut single “Heartthrob” has to-date accumulated more than a million streams on Spotify. Earlier this month, he released his EP ‘Suite Bittersweet’, a collection that reflects very much on his upbringing in Berlin, and is a testament to his commitment to create the best work he can. PopWrapped caught up with him to talk musical and artistic influences and what’s next for him.
What’s your artistic, musical background like? How did you get into making music?
I have always been into music. I played instruments and sang a lot while I was young and then in my early teens I started writing songs. After uploading some records to Soundcloud and getting positive feedback, I began taking it more seriously.
Your music blurs the lines of alternative R&B with elements of pop thrown in there – were you surrounded with this style of music as a child or was it something you grew into?
My mother would play me everything she liked from Earth, Wind & Fire to Led Zeppelin. My older brother got me into Rap music. So when I was young I was surrounded by all kinds of styles. I feel like I grew into R&B because of the style of singing and how it suited my voice. My main inspirations do not really come from R&B artists.
You’re quite the all-rounder: singer, songwriter, producer; you even learnt the guitar, piano and violin at a young age – were/are the rest of your family as musically inclined as you?
No, not really. But my parents thought music was very important and were very supportive of my brother and me. My grandmother was part of a singing group in the States and would sing at church, but unfortunately I never got to see her perform.
Your debut track “Heartthrob ” has almost hit 1 million streams on Spotify alone. Having uploaded demos to Soundcloud prior to that, what made you choose that track as the first official release to introduce you to the world?
When I made “Heartthrob”, I just knew that was the one. Anyone I played it to would have a great reaction, so that confirmed my feeling.
A few years on and you’ve just dropped your debut EP ‘Suite Bittersweet’ – does it feel like it’s been a long time coming?
For sure, I feel like I put a lot of pressure on myself to come out with an actual project, not just a single. It seemed like it took forever to get to a finished project. But I am happy I was patient because before this EP I would not have been ready to release something like this.
‘Suite Bittersweet’ consists of 4 sublime R&B soon-to-be classics. Which is the earliest track you wrote for this EP, and how far back does it date?
You flatter me. I cannot actually remember whether “City Life” or “Get Enough” came first. I created both with my producer RIP Swirl last summer during that brief period in which the pandemic did not seem to exist here in Berlin. “Other Love” and “Plz Don’t Go” are more recent records. So the tracks were pretty much created in the order they are presented on the EP.
‘Suite Bittersweet’ feels quite conceptualised – do you consider yourself a concept artist? Where does your creativity usually bloom from?
I definitely do consider myself a conceptual artist. Creativity comes and goes for me. I usually find I am most creative when I am talking to people about things that interest me. I also feel more creative when I am experiencing something novel. That is why I enjoy nightlife — you never know what might happen or who you might meet.
You’ve said that ‘Suite Bittersweet’ is heavily inspired by Berlin nightlife, so which hotspots in the city would you recommend people check out?
I can’t tell you that! Every good spot in Berlin ends up becoming too popular at some point. So I need to keep some for myself.
As a 22-year-old who takes full advantage of the city’s nightlight – hence writing an entire EP around it – how did you occupy your time over the last year and a half when this suddenly wasn’t possible?
The last year was rough. I spent a lot of time reflecting and so. I watched a lot of movies too. In one way I actually appreciate the amount of time I had to spend alone, as my writing style has matured a lot.
Now that the EP’s out there in the world for everyone to enjoy, what’s next on the to-do/bucket list for you?
A lot of new experiences and writing. Hopefully a lot of performing too.
Check out the video for Kean Farrar’s latest single “Plz Don’t Go” below and to keep up to date with him, give his page a like on Facebook or follow him on Twitter and Instagram. ‘Suite Bittersweet’ is out now.
