Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1270964
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 19 JULY 2020 4 THIS WEEK MUSIC Having cut her teeth performing with prominent local indie bands including Brikkuni and Plato's Dream Machine, singer-songwriter Kim Pepe speaks to TEODOR RELJIC about launching into her solo act, KYM, with her debut single 'Kun' having hit the online airwaves earlier this month Composing for genuine Could you tell us a little bit about your musical background? When I first attended vocal lessons I was chosen to sing opera due to my vocal range. However, after some time practising songs sung by Patricia Petib- on, I found myself singing a live acous- tic mashup of Adele songs at the end of year music school concert. I also spent years gigging in bars and festivals sing- ing pop and blues covers. Although that gave me a lot of confidence, I always felt that it was not enough, and that I needed to find my original musical per- sonality. I started learning some piano chords and composing four years ago. In 2016 I sang as a guest singer with Plato's Dream Machine and in the same year the operatic elements of my voice found a very fitting place in Brikkuni's songs. Now I am experimenting with these elements and working on differ- ent interpretations further in my pro- ject. When did you first realise that you wanted to make music in a more con- sistent manner? I guess it was listening to bands like Brodu and actually being part of Brik- kuni that inspired me the most, espe- cially when it comes to writing songs in Maltese. What led you to craft the KYM musical persona and go ahead with this project? KYM is a project which mirrors my personality and temperament. I had been trying to form my own band ever since I was 16 years old. Ten years later, I now realize that I have to work on my self-esteem and take the plunge. However, I would not have done it without having my close friends insist- ing that I should just do it. Their con- stant encouragement is what led me to actually start. I would also like to mention that this