SnowGlobe 2018: Leven Kali Talks His Upcoming EP and Working With EXO, Skrillex, and Usher

By Kat Bein


Palm Studios has a real cool cat in singer, songwriter, and producer Leven Kali. The former golf star gave up the green for a new sort of swing about four years back, and he's never looked back. That's not to mention he gave up every sort of green, though. His soulful, breezy fashion is suited for the smokers out there, from sunny California to chilly Lake Tahoe, where he tore up the main stage at SnowGlobe Music Festival this past weekend.


His music has lead him to Korea, to sushi with Usher and Skrillex, and to a higher state of creativity with his companions and live musical group, The Moon. He's got a ton of new music offered for the begin of 2018, and MTV News caught up with Kali to hear about his wild sonic journey around the world.


MTV News: You brought a lot of energy to your set. This is a different environment from Southern California.


Leven Kali: It was crazy, because literally the last time I was outdoors, I was in Puerto Rico. I've Been in the airport for like 15 hours attempting to get back. My females family member has roots in Puerto Rico, so I went out there with her and her people. We just kicked it for a number of days on the beach, then got smacked in the face by the airline and right now I'm here, yet it feels so good to be here.


MTV News: I read that you were a Division I golfer before you determined to pursue music full-time. What made you give that up and dive in?


Kali: I was routinely in music. My mom is a musician, my dad is a musician, all my uncles and aunts are musicians. My senior year of high school, I devoted to play golf in college, so I did not have to apply to colleges. I had that whole year to fuck around and just get ready for college, however I ended up doing music that whole year with the homies. We were making songs about parties in high school, making fun of kids and whichever, although then it turned into like, "Damn, these songs are kinda good, although they're jokes,” also it just built from there on.


MTV News: It's been a wild couple of years for you.


Kali: It has. I was in college, and I went to Korea to do songwriting for K-pop bands.


MTV News: You did a song with EXO.


Kali: Yeah, we did “Love Shot” for them Whenever I was out there. They released it this year, and it's been going crazy for them. Those moments and experiences made me feel like I should certainly jump all of the way into this.


MTV News: What was it like to work with K-pop artists?


Kali: You know how a lot of music and entertainment culture begins In the
U.S. And reverberates into the world? Any time While I went there in 2013, 2014, they were just beginning to really grab on to hip hop in more of a trap sense. They've been loving R&B, however they wanted me to work with the younger artists to teach them swag culture. Some of these were incredible. You could tell that they're obsessed with the culture. They would tell me about not being to be able to see women and do certain things, and that was mind-blowing. They're picked at, like, 12 or perhaps younger [to be K-pop performers], nevertheless it was still happy. It wasn't negative. They certainly wanted to be better. They desire to learn. They're in the studio in the middle of the night every night. Dedicated, for sure.


MTV News: And last year you did some work with Usher and Skrillex?


Kali: I was in the studio of this place called Record Plant. It's a big studio in L.A., And Skrillex and Usher were having a session. This was probably per year or two ago right now, yet at Record Plant, you should imagine, you walk into the studio, and there's literally Razor scooters with license plates on them that mention, "Skrillex," "Ty Dolla $ign," "A$AP Rocky." It's a fun place. Skrillex and Usher were with each other at that moment any time Once I walked into the room. They're two of the nicest people I've ever met, and we just had a creative click. Some of the stuff we made ended up on Skrillex's OWSLA project. The Usher songs are in the vault now, however it was cool. Usher took us to dinner at Nobu in his Wraith. It was surreal — and he really is one of the greatest singers. You know once someone walks into the booth in back of the mic, and so they do their little chants before they begin going? His warm-up is insane.


MTV News: What's it like producing and writing for other people as instead of yourself?


Kali: It's dope. In the starting, I saw myself producer and also a writer, and I should make music that people thought would only work with me. That's some days a struggle, attempting to send songs to people nevertheless it's like, "Damn, you have to just put this out yourself.” Although I'd much rather be with somebody. Alternatively opposed to writing for people, I like writing with people. Some days it works any time as soon as you send somebody a track and so they send back a verse, however it's habitually way more special in-person.


MTV News: You released a couple short EPs this year in quick succession. Why break it up like that?


Kali: It's 2018 — or 2019. Why not do some new shit? It's interesting, because it seems like this cycle of time. Before records were a thing, people put out one or two singles. I don't think that it's a brilliant cycle, however I think there's things contributing to it being like that again. People have short attention spans, and some days three songs go with each other and so they don't work in an assignment. I have a plan to put out a EP this year, and then I may drop little packs. I may do an album. Whichever the people want.


MTV News: Talk about the next EP.


Kali: This will be the genuine EP span, like seven songs. To be truthful, I have so several songs. My hardest problem is how to get it all out in a cohesive way. It's a higher end pressure.


MTV News: You recently released a pretty cool music video for “Too High.”


Kali: First off, shout out Na'Kel Smith and Buddy. It means so much more once you do stuff in the room in-person. That song was a brilliant example of that. I had the opening piece of that record already done. I linked up with Na'Kel and Buddy came through. We all smoked a ton of pot, plus it was super chill. We're all actually companions. I met Na'Kel while he pulled up with a mutual friend literally in a shopping cart. Buddy I met at Coachella. You could tell that we're actually companions on the record, which is probably why it's cool.


MTV News: Are there lessons you're taking from 2018 into 2019?


Kali: in case you don't grow daily, you're tripping. Do things. I'll sit on stuff and deliberate, and deliberation is the death of progress. Deciding on a location to eqt, or deciding what music to put out. In the event you begin doing something, you'll build on that, and you'll make it special no matter what. You just have to begin. Put it in motion, and then it'll become how you make it.