![]() These bodies we’ve spent lifetimes living in. “I don’t understand how my body, our bodies, became a territory for war. Trans people are used in these weird ways to express people’s deep fears about other things obsessed over by people void of humanity … ” Eyes damp, their pain is palpable. ![]() “It’s difficult talking to you,” Tempest admits. That doesn’t mean the adjustment is straightforward. “For the last couple of records,” they say, “I wanted to disappear completely from the front-facing aspects of the industry.” There was a genuine desire to let the work speak for itself constantly grappling with the fact that as a writer their output was enough, yet putting out music meant being public-facing. Tempest spent years simultaneously desperate for the spotlight, and hugely uncomfortable inside it. It’s a sign, they say, of wanting to invite listeners in, in a way that previously felt difficult. Each track goes in deep: “I can feel myself opening up … I’ve stopped hoping, I’m learning to trust let me give love, receive love, and be nothing but love.”įor the first time in eight years, Tempest’s face is emblazoned on the artwork, too. Musically, The Line Is a Curve is certainly a more introspective and personal affair than what has come before Tempest’s lyrical and performance prowess, however, remains consistent. It’s reaching for something beyond what the others have been.” “But it’s starting to hit me how different this album is from everything else,” they say, “how far it could potentially go. Tempest has already written three plays, a novel and six poetry books and last year published On Connection, their debut work of nonfiction. Their first two albums received Mercury prize nominations. Next month sees the release of their fourth solo album, The Line Is a Curve. Tempest is on more solid ground expressing themselves through their work, and their latest offering is no exception. “If I hide, and I’m ashamed of myself, it’s I’m ashamed of them.” “I think of my community, and how much strength I’ve got from people telling me I don’t have to go through this alone.” Tempest feels the power of visibility. “Trans people are so loving, so fucking beautiful,” they say. And I have this twin life beyond my friends and family.” I don’t understand how our bodies became territory for war “It’s hard enough to say: ‘Hey look, I’m trans or non-binary,’ to loved ones. ![]() “A beautiful but difficult thing to do publicly.” The process has been fraught with pain and uncertainty. “Coming out has been huge,” Tempest says, tentatively. And this is a first step towards knowing and respecting myself better.” Beyond this statement, however, today is one of the first times they have publicly spoken about their experiences. This hiding from myself has led to all kinds of difficulties in my life. ![]() “I have tried,” they wrote at the time, “to be what I thought others wanted me to be so as not to risk rejection. They announced their name is now Kae (pronounced like the letter K), and explained that, going forward, they would be using they/them pronouns. In August 2020, in an Instagram post, Tempest came out as non-binary. But when it comes to discussing more personal topics during our interview, they cut themselves off – lots of pensive staring. Tempest has an excited energy when recounting each passion project and career high. Hide and seek … Tempest has taken nearly two years to talk about their decision to come out as non-binary.
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