A Quick Chat with KSMBA

Your latest single, ‘With You’, explores vulnerability, intimacy and genuine human connection. What inspired the track, and what did you want listeners to take away from it?

I was reading Jia Tolentino’s ‘Trick Mirror’ at the time, which really got me thinking about how obsessed we’ve become with how we’re perceived, often at the expense of genuine connection. ‘With You’ is about letting those defenses down and the freedom that comes with allowing yourself to be truly seen. I wanted to capture that feeling of surrender and the joy of connecting with someone without fear or expectation.

You’ve described ‘With You’ as the resolution to your previous single, ‘Touch’. How do the two tracks connect, and what does this progression say about where you’re at creatively?

I think of ‘Touch’ and ‘With You’ as two sides of the same story. ‘Touch’ explores that tension between wanting intimacy and being afraid of what it might mean to let someone in, while ‘With You’ feels like the release of that tension. It's about what happens when you stop resisting that connection and allow yourself to surrender to it. There's a sense of freedom, lightness and almost euphoria that comes with letting your guard down.

I love the idea of making music that's physically intense but emotionally vulnerable, where something like techno can hold something tender and human. I've always been drawn to that contrast, and more and more I am enjoying exploring this, both sonically and lyrically.

You recently wrapped up your September residency on triple j’s Mix Up, following ‘Touch’ receiving a first play on Home and Hosed. What was that experience like, and how has radio support helped you connect with a wider audience?

Being the Mix Up resident for September was very special and such a bucket list experience ! Radio is such a different experience than performing live, so i leant into the chance to play things I might not necessarily drop during a set.

I loved waking up each Sunday to messages from people who might not necessarily come to a show, but connected with my music or what I was playing in my mixes. It definitely has got me thinking about how I can create experiences around my music outside a typical club/festival setting.

You’ve had a huge run of live milestones recently, including DJ sets at M87 in Melbourne and Mode Festival in Sydney. How have these experiences shaped you as a DJ, and what have you been enjoying most about playing to different crowds?

One of the things I've been enjoying most when I play live, has been noticing how when I show up with all of myself, and really put everything out there on the table, I am met with such openness and receptiveness. It has been making my heart burst to look out at a dance floor and everyone has a smile on their face or is lost in movement.

The lesson I keep learning is that when you have the confidence to put all of yourself into something and really put yourself out there- this tends to reap beautiful rewards..

From being named Mixmag’s Artist to Watch for 2026 to appearing on the cover of 10 Magazine Australia’s Music Issue with Chanel, there’s been plenty of exciting momentum around the project. How does it feel to see your work being recognised across different parts of the music industry?

When you are on the inside it can be hard to see the progress or take time to acknowledge recognition. I’m still so early in the life of KSMBA , and I have very big goals, so I feel like I am always looking at the next thing. When I do have brief moments of enjoying reaching a certain milestone, it just makes me hungrier to push myself further, to become the best musician I possibly can be, to tell my story as honestly as I can. Any small win at this stage goes straight back in as fuel to keep going !

You have such a unique musical background, from studying classical saxophone at the Royal College of Music to producing, singing and DJing. How does that training influence the music you make today, and what are you hoping to explore next with the KSMBA project?

I think the biggest influence my training in music has on me is that it has left me with quite strong musical instincts. Writing music feels relatively intuitive and funnily enough after having studied music for so long, what I enjoy most now is being able to break the rules I was taught. This is where I’ve really begun to find my voice within music. As for what is up ahead.. You’ll have to stay tuned ;)