Beth Keeping is a UK based singer/songwriter with a captivating voice and eloquent flair for storytelling. With colourful pop melodies and empowering themes, her honest and wistful songwriting has connected with people around the world, with self-worth and sincerity being at the forefront of her music.
Inspired by artists such as Lauv, Julia Michaels and John Mayer and with a Taylor Swift-esque style, Keeping has gained global attention, travelling to Singapore, Ireland and the USA to lend her writing skills to other artists. After receiving an allied response from fans and critics for some of her previous releases, and gaining close to a million views on TikTok over the pandemic, Keeping felt inspired to start focusing on her own music as an artist.
“I’m not looking for a friend” is the vibey new single exploring situationships and self-confidence. With influences from electro-pop producer Zedd shining through, the liberating track is flushed with airy, uplifting melodies and playful synths, creating a dance-worthy, sing-along anthem. “It’s about being clear on what you want and intentional about going after it.
It recognises that friendships can gradually develop into something more, and this process can be complicated and confusing, but you can’t sit in that space forever – eventually you have to make a decision either way.” In modern dating, we can get so preoccupied with acting cool and casual, and not wanting to show our hand, however the new track challenges people to be more intentional and open about what they want.
Keeping’s desire to champion and empower women is evident not only through her song lyrics, but also in her initiative ‘Write Like A Girl’, which shines a light on female songwriters. Having only been founded in 2018, it has grown exponentially with two UK tours and sell-out writers round shows in London, Newcastle and Bristol. These successes, along with her music gaining places on prestigious Spotify playlists such as New Music Friday and New Pop UK, is just a taste of what we expect to see from her in 2022.
Tell us about your story as an artist
I grew up in Surrey (UK) and I was always writing songs and stories, but I only started doing music seriously after I graduated from university and moved to London. I began as a songwriter writing for other artists, I travelled to lots of different countries doing that and spent a lot of time in Nashville writing country music.
When I met my producer Kaity Rae I realised what sort of music I wanted to make as an artist – we both loved catchy pop melodies and the storytelling lyrics you find in country music, so we started combining these and suddenly we had all these songs that I was really excited about! Most of them were released during the 2020 lockdowns and I got a really great response despite not playing any live shows. I got so many messages from fans around the world who resonated with the songs, and a few of them went viral on TikTok, so I decided to throw all my energy into telling my own stories as an artist and here we are today! “I’m not looking for a friend” is the second song from this new chapter – I feel like I’m finally making music that feels authentically me and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.
What do you think is the most important aspect of your life right now?
My music career is what I’m channeling most of my energy into right now, but the pandemic taught me a lot about valuing rest and community, so I’m trying to keep my feet on the ground and invest in daily rhythms and friendships whilst still working as hard as I can!
What makes this song special in your opinion?
I think it’s touching on something that so many of us have experienced – the blurred space between friendship and romance where you’re waiting for the other person to say something or make a move and you feel a bit powerless. I wanted to write a song that met people sitting in that space and remind them (and myself!) that we’re worth more than sitting around waiting to be chosen. It’s ok to ask someone to make a decision, and it’s ok to walk away because you deserve better. I also just love how wild the production is and takes you on a journey through dreamy romantic synths and fierce drops.
What inspired this track?
My personal life…as always! I was in a situation where someone were acting like they were interested in me, and when I challenged them they denied that there was anything more than friendship. I sat down at the piano and wrote some lines about all the romantic things I’m not looking to do with a friend, and the idea was born. I brought it to my producer Kaity Rae and we built the song and the track from there.
What are some of the core messages here?
That boundaries in friendships are good! And that it’s not “uncool” to be intentional and clear about what you want. I feel like nowadays we’re all so focussed on being laid back and playing it cool that we don’t want to admit that we like someone and that we’re looking for a relationship. I’ve wasted so much time being afraid of putting people off by asking them for clarity. Romance can take time and patience to develop, but if someone is being unclear with you then they owe you a conversation and ultimately a decision, because you deserve to spend your time and energy on someone who appreciates you and knows what they want.
How do you think tik tok and social media are contributing to change an artist’s career?
I think social media is an amazing opportunity to share the personal side of our music and connect with people all over the world we’d never have reached before. I had a TikTok video go viral last year because thousands of people connected with a song I’d written about seeing an ex at a wedding. It was amazing to hear people share their own stories and how the song spoke to them! But I do think it’s become too much about the numbers and has become oversaturated – it’s much harder to reach people on those platforms now than 2 years ago when the pandemic started.
What excites you about your life?
I’m really excited about the music I’m creating at the moment. I’ve got to a stage of my life where I know who I am and what I believe, and that’s driving a new confidence to write songs about topics that I’d previously shy away from. Working with my producer Kaity is such a dream – and I think the songs we’re making at the moment are really special.
What are some of your core values as a human being?
I’m a Christian so everything I do in life flows out of those core values. I know that my identity is grounded in my faith and my worth isn’t based on what the world thinks about me, so that’s what gives me the inner strength to push forward and stay hopeful in whatever situation I’m in.
What are your projects for this year?
We’ve just finished the final song of this chapter – there are two more singles coming and a final EP in May/June. So I’ll be focussing on promoting them and thinking about the next season of songs and what they might want to say. I’d also love to do a small tour of the UK and go back to Nashville in the autumn.
