Kels

Kels is the stage name of Kelsey-Maree Eckstein, a singer-songwriter from New Zealand who later moves to Australia and then to Los Angeles. Her work is associated with pop, R&B, rock and glitch hop, and her music is described as dark pop with urban influences. She begins performing at a young age, studying dance from the age of three alongside acting and singing.

Early life and training

She starts with ballet, tap and acrobatics before moving into jazz, hip-hop and contemporary dance. Raised in a musical family, she also studies drums, flute and piano, and serves as captain of her school band for four years. Alongside music and dance, she takes part in acting and comedy and shows an interest in circus performance.

Kels appears in several musicals and plays and also features in national commercials. At school, English is her strongest subject after music, dance and drama. She writes stories and performs them for other students, and her creative influences include dark fairytales and Tim Burton. She also says that her older brother, who has special needs, and her parents are major inspirations.

Career

After graduating from high school, she moves to Los Angeles to pursue performing as a career. Her first music video, for the single “The Revolution”, is released in June 2012. Her image is shaped by her interest in dark fantasy and fairytales, and her persona is described as a “Rebel Doll” with the tagline “RebelLove”.