V Kelly on “I Don’t Miss You”and Returning to Releasing Music
If you don’t know V Kelly yet, it’s time to familiarize yourself with this Nashville-based
singer-songwriter and artist. V Kelly’s ethereal voice delivers lyrics that cut to the chase in her
new single “I Don’t Miss You,” co-written with Sydney Matlock. I had a chance to sit down with Kelly and hear more about the story behind the song, recorded by V Kelly and producer Fraser
Watts.
Alt Revue: How long have you been making music?
V Kelly: I have been making music probably since college was when I started making my own
music… with a producer from my hometown. We (collaborated on) an EDM song.
Alt Revue: This is your first release in three years. What has it been like to return to the process of releasing music?
V Kelly: It’s been good, definitely kind of nerve-wracking, because I feel like I’m in such a
different place three years later than I was. (I’m) noticing that I’m in a different place and am a
different person since the last time I recorded music. I worked on (this song) when I moved to
Nashville but I wrote it… probably (in the) beginning of covid.
Alt Revue: I love the way this track was produced and recorded. What was that process like?
V Kelly: Someone I know from college is a producer and a musician himself and he produced “I Don’t Miss You” and “Better.“ We kind of just took the voice memo recording and built a track for it and then started recording vocals and adding what sounded good.
Alt Revue: What was the writing process like for this song?
V Kelly: Since it was during covid, I was back in my hometown and thinking about past
relationships, so I wrote it with that kind of feeling of being back home and what that was
bringing up.
Alt Revue: This song reminds me a little bit of Kacey Musgraves or Lizzy McAlpine. Did you
have any artists or songs in mind when writing and recording “I Don’t Miss You?”
V Kelly: I love their (Musgraves and McAlpine) style of music, and this one was a little more
country leaning than I’ve done before, so that was interesting. And I also feel like originally we
wanted to make it sound like Noah Kahan.
Alt Revue: What is the story behind this song?
V Kelly: I brought the song to Sydney Matlock (Kelly’s co-writer for “I Don’t Miss You”), and she
kind of helped iron out some of the song. (The song is about) nostalgic feelings of being back in
your hometown.
Alt Revue: I know you’re from the Boston area in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts and you live in
Nashville now. How has either place influenced your sound, if at all?
V Kelly: I think being from Boston… I did a lot of gigs in Boston that were acoustic (guitar) and
voice, and that influences my style and how I want my music to sound. I don’t want it to sound
overly produced. Since moving to Nashville, I really love country music now. V Kelly attributes
the country influences in “I Don’t Miss You” to her Nashville residence.
Alt Revue: What activity is best paired with listening to “I Don’t Miss You?”
V Kelly: I feel like it’s a good song to listen to in the car or when you’re going on a walk, because
it’s kind of calming but it can also be a little bit upbeat as well.
Alt Revue: What do you have coming up that you’d like to share with our audience?
V Kelly: (I’m) thinking about releasing an EP with the same producers, (of songs with) more of the same sound - we’ll see!
Listen to “I Don’t Miss You” on all streaming platforms now and stay updated with V Kelly’s
music on her Instagram @vkellymusic.
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