Quinn Blalock and Maximillian Smith, known as True Nature & KELILA, have established themselves as prominent figures in the electronic music scene, captivating audiences with their distinctive style and unique sound. They have already gained a strong reputation and are considered artists worth following.
KELILA, a classically trained DJ and flutist, has been collaborating with music producers and performing live sets at various venues and events. While she is at the beginning of her music production journey, her focus lies in creating music that showcases traditional ethnic cultures and merges ancient vibrations with the modern era.
True Nature, comprising Max and Quinn, originally met while working as pro”True Nature and KELILA: Exploring Music, Inspiration, and the Journey of Creation”
ducers in Los Angeles for the pop music scene. Despite having worked on songs for notable artists, they found themselves yearning for a project that aligned with their true passion and intentions. This realization led to the formation of True Nature, a collaborative endeavor that pushes the boundaries of electronic music. Their songs are deep, thoughtful, playful, fun, and cinematic, breaking free from the constraints of traditional genres.
KELILA’s style of music is deeply influenced by her ethnically focused approach. She incorporates the flute, often using pentatonic scales reminiscent of Middle Eastern music, blending it with her DJ sets and produced tracks. Her music encompasses various house subgenres such as Tribal, Indie, Melodic Techno, and Progressive. Ranging from soft and sensual to powerful and primal, her compositions incorporate a wide array of ethnic cultures, including Balkan, Mediterranean, Oriental, Afro, Latin, Russian, and more. KELILA’s affinity for traditional ethnic female vocals, chants, and tribal drums with penetrating bass further adds to her unique musical style.
True Nature’s music and production aim to facilitate a reconnection with the soul and a departure from limitations. Their style is an amalgamation of worldly sounds, groovy drums, sexy basslines, and eclectic melodies. Their performances span different genres such as house, tribal, deep house, disco, and minimal, providing a diverse and immersive experience for their audience.
Both KELILA and True Nature draw inspiration from various sources. KELILA finds inspiration in cultural rituals, traditions, dances, prayers, and the natural world. She views humans as pack animals, similar to wolves, with an inherent need to connect with one another. Music, to her, is a means of connecting and communicating without the need for words, allowing for instinct and intuition to arise. True Nature draws inspiration from dancing, nature, and sharing moments with loved ones and friends. They also find inspiration in different forms of culture, art, film, and fashion from around the world, always remaining open to new influences.
The importance of music in society cannot be overstated for KELILA. She believes that music is one of the most natural and ancient gifts humans possess, transcending cultural boundaries and serving various purposes. It is a tool for expression, celebration, healing, and unity. Music allows people to communicate their emotions when words fail, creating a profound connection among individuals. True Nature views music as a universal language that facilitates connection without the need for shared spoken language. It provides a safe space for authentic expression, allowing for the release of suppressed thoughts and emotions, leading to personal growth and healing.
In terms of their creative process, KELILA finds early mornings to be the most conducive time for music creation when her mind is clear, and creativity flows freely. True Nature, on the other hand, thrives during the evening and night, feeling most inspired, creative, and focused at that time.
When it comes to musical influences, KELILA draws inspiration from artists who infuse ethnic sounds with house music. Some of her influences include DJ Dali, Teklix, Billy Esteban, Alar, and Alessa Khin.
True Nature draws inspiration from a diverse range of artists. Quinn’s early influences include Jimi Hendrix, Quincy Jones, Rick Rubin, and Freddie Mercury, while Max discovered music through George Harrison, Kurt Cobain, and Mac Miller. Within the electronic music scene, they find inspiration from artists like Armen Miran, Malone, Dennis Cruz, Damian Lazarus, and Black Coffee.
For KELILA, the most challenging aspect of being a musician is balancing the deep yearning for music with other responsibilities and obligations in life. While music feels like a separate world where time ceases to exist, the reality is that they still need to navigate schedules and commitments.
True Nature believes that the most difficult part of being a musician is getting out of your own way and removing the pressure from the creative process. It can be challenging not to judge your own art and fall into a cycle of overthinking, which hampers the natural flow of creativity. They emphasize the importance of not taking themselves too seriously and reminding themselves that creating music is about expression and having fun.
One significant career highlight for KELILA was opening for Monolink, which marked the beginning of her musical performance journey. At the time, she was a flutist and hadn’t learned how to DJ yet. Since then, she has had opportunities to DJ with her flute as an opening act for Themba, Calussa, and the Kimonos.
While True Nature finds it challenging to pinpoint a single standout moment, they thoroughly enjoyed performing alongside artists such as Chus, Justin Martin, The Magician, and Shiba San. Their most cherished performances took place in their hometown of Saint Pete, Miami, and Tulum, with memorable crowds.
KELILA’s latest release features her flute in a track called “Primal Flow,” produced by Dropkick and released by The Gradient Perspective Records. True Nature’s latest release is titled “Root,” a 20-minute soundscape designed for grounded meditations. The track incorporates singing bowls, live sounds of nature, and organic elements.
Cafe De Anatolia holds a significant connection for both KELILA and True Nature. For KELILA, Cafe De Anatolia served as the catalyst for her DJing journey. Listening to their music under the sun, she felt a profound love for music and ethnic sounds, inspiring her to learn DJing and share these captivating sounds with the world. True Nature has been deeply inspired by Cafe De Anatolia since the beginning of their music careers. They appreciate the label’s representation of different cultures, styles, and talents. Their song “Omnist” holds a special place in their hearts, making Cafe De Anatolia the perfect fit for their ethnic and tribal-influenced track.
KELILA is currently collaborating with several artists, providing them with customized flute samples. She finds joy in witnessing the magic of collaboration, considering her flute as the paint for artists to create their masterpiece.
True Nature is always working on new forms of expression, and they are particularly excited about some upcoming unreleased songs. They have collaborations planned with artists and labels they admire, with releases scheduled throughout the next year.
KELILA has recently moved to Israel and has upcoming performances planned in Tel Aviv and Egypt, with details to be announced soon. True Nature’s next performance will be at Four in Palm Beach, Florida, USA.
The best piece of advice KELILA received from another musician is to realize the power of music in moving energy through people. By observing the audience and their movements, she allows their energy to influence her performance, turning it into a collaborative experience between the artist and the crowd. True Nature received advice to write as much music as possible without becoming too attached to any single piece of art. This advice helps them remove internal battles and self-judgment from their music.
When it comes to dealing with performance anxiety, KELILA sees the butterflies as reminders of being alive and celebrates the vibrancy of life through music. She focuses on breathing, stopping overthinking, and allowing the music to take her on a journey in collaboration with the audience. True Nature echoes KELILA’s sentiments, perceiving performance anxiety as a sign of caring deeply. They have learned to embrace and transmute that energy during their performances, taking a moment to connect with the audience before diving into their music.
COVID-19 had a significant impact on the music industry. It led to a greater emphasis on remote work and communication tools, making it more accessible to collaborate with artists worldwide. KELILA found herself producing music and networking with artists through social media while spending time at home. She discovered that while the world around us was restricted, music allowed for exploration within ourselves.
For True Nature, COVID-19 abruptly halted their work as producers and audio engineers in a Los Angeles-based platinum-winning record studio. With venues closed and everyone working from home, they adapted by continuing to write music and seeking inspiration through travels across America. They explored national parks, learned about sustainability, and connected with friends and family. Despite the challenges, they discovered the positivity within the situation, forming new habits and realizing that they could work from anywhere in the world, drawing inspiration from new places and focusing on the music they love.
Aspiring musicians are advised to persevere and embrace the journey. Practice leads to improvement, and experience provides opportunities for learning and growth. Recognizing that self-doubt is a natural part of the creative process, KELILA shares the advice she received from Tasha Blank, a successful artist who experiences self-doubt every day. Music can be a vulnerable experience, but it also holds the power to free us and help us discover ourselves.
True Nature suggests aspiring musicians play as much as possible and avoid putting excessive pressure on themselves. They emphasize that music should be fun and encourage following one’s curiosities. Embracing the journey of both music and life, they outline their “steps for creation” checklist: intention, preparation, authenticity, action, faith, and surrender.