Kele

Kele is the mononym of Rowland Kelechukwu Okereke, a Puerto Rican artist born in Pennsylvania in 1993. He is best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the indie rock band Bloc Party, and he also works as a solo musician.

Solo work and dance music

As a solo artist, Kele releases music under the name Kele, a form he uses to focus on his interest in dance music. His debut solo album, The Boxer, appears under that name and is issued through Wichita / Polydor in the UK and Europe and Glassnote Records elsewhere. The album title is linked to the idea of relying on oneself, taking hits and keeping focus. Its first single is Tenderoni.

He later announces an EP titled The Hunter. His second solo album, Trick, is released on his own label, Lilac Records, through Kobalt Label Services. A third album, Fatherland, appears under his full name, Kele Okereke. That release includes the singles Streets Been Talking and Grounds For Resentment featuring Olly Alexander, as well as the duet Versions of Us with Corinne Bailey Rae.

Other projects

In January 2019, Kele and Matt Jones debut Leave to Remain, a musical written by the pair. It is a love story about an interracial gay couple and is presented alongside a tie-in album of new songs. The project follows the single Not the Drugs Talking, which marks a return to beats after the more acoustic direction of Fatherland.