Kae Tempest

Kae Tempest is the pseudonym of Kae Esther Calvert, who grows up and remains based in South-East London, UK. Tempest begins as a rapper and spends several years touring the spoken word circuit before also working as a poet and playwright. Their work moves across music, poetry and theatre, with a catalogue that includes albums, poetry collections, plays and a novel.

Music

Tempest first releases Balance with their band Sound of Rum. They continue to make music alongside spoken word work, including collaborations with producer duo letthemusicplay on Our Town and with Speedy Wunderground on Hot Night Cold Spaceship. Tempest also collaborates with Sinéad O’Connor, Damien Dempsey and Bastille.

In 2014, they release the debut solo album Everybody Down on Big Dada and Ninja Tune. The album is produced by Dan Carey and is nominated for the Mercury Prize. They later release Let Them Eat Chaos, which appears both as an album and in book form through Picador, and is also nominated for the Mercury Prize. In 2019 they release The Book of Traps and Lessons, their fourth studio album.

Tempest’s song People’s Faces is used in a Facebook commercial created by Droga5.

Poetry and theatre

Tempest publishes Everything Speaks in its Own Way, their first collection of poems, through their own imprint, Zingaro. It is issued with a CD and DVD of live performance. Their second poetry collection appears through Picador in autumn 2014.

Their long-form poem Brand New Ancients wins both the Ted Hughes Prize for innovation in poetry and a Herald Angel Award. It is published by Picador, tours nationwide, and receives wider attention after a sell-out run at St Anne’s Warehouse in Brooklyn and a strong review in the New York Times.

Tempest also writes for theatre. Their work includes GlassHouse, a forum theatre play for Cardboard Citizens, and the plays Wasted, published by Methuen Drama, and Hopelessly Devoted for Paines Plough.

Books and other work

In 2016, Tempest publishes their debut novel, The Bricks That Built The Houses, through Bloomsbury. It becomes a Sunday Times bestseller and wins the Books Are My Bag Best Breakthrough Author Award. They are also commissioned to write for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Amnesty International, Barnado’s and Channel 4 Television.

Tempest has performed at Glastonbury and at major UK festivals, and also appears internationally. They sell out the Old Vic Theatre in London for the launch of Everything Speaks in its Own Way and appear many times on BBC television and radio performing poetry.

Recognition and curating

Tempest is nominated for Best British Female Solo Performer at the Brit Awards in 2018. In 2016 it is announced that they will curate the 2017 Brighton Festival.