Talia Keys: “This Is What I Was Put on Earth to Do.”

Born and raised in Salt Lake City, powerhouse performer Talia Keys has been playing music since she was nine years old. In anticipation of her performance at this month’s DIY Festival with her band Talia Keys & the Love, I sat down with Keys to chat about activism, her recent U.S. tour with Willie Nelson’s son, self-love and more.

SLUG: You’re often referred to as an “activist-musician.” Does that ring true for you?

Keys: I think I get tired of being pigeonholed as that. Sometimes I want to say, “Hey, do you actually listen to my music? Or are you just offended because I’m a loud woman?” With that said, I was the music director at Rock Camp SLC for seven years—a music camp for girls, transgender, non-binary and gender-expansive youth—and that’s a cause that’s still near and dear to my heart. These kids are the future. Actually, these kids are now, and they have big voices. We were also pretty active during COVID-19 in raising funds to help our unsheltered population in Salt Lake City. Then, with the queer community, one of my main focuses is trans liberation. What our state is doing to trans children is abusive; what they’re doing to trans adults is atrocious. To me, the most urgent need in my community is to protect my trans folks. Then, climate change. None of these other things matter if we don’t have a planet. And then, of course, the genocide. “Thou shalt not commit murder” unless your tax dollars are doing it, right?

SLUG: Why is creating music about self-love important to you?

Keys: Because I need to hear it. My music comes from my heart, and I can’t write about things that I don’t care about deeply. Last summer, I was on tour with Lukas Nelson. We played 21 shows across the United States, and the last part of the tour was in the South. People came up to me and whispered, “Thank you for being here. I’m queer, but nobody knows it.” People were whispering their sexuality to me while I was on stage yelling it. Representation matters.

SLUG: You also sing about politics. Do you believe music has the power to bring about change?

Keys: Absolutely. I think we’ve seen that since the beginning of time. Music, to me, is a universal language; every human being has music in them. I’ve had people say, “I can’t stand what you talk about, but I love your music; can I get a hug?” My first reaction is to be offended, but when people ask for connection, I look at it as a start for them to maybe question some of their hateful beliefs.

SLUG: You recently released a series of cover songs: “I Put a Spell On You,” “Sweet Dreams” and “Seven Nation Army.” Why did you choose those three?

Keys: These are three of my longtime “cover standards.” I’ve performed them for years, and they all matter to me for different reasons. We chose “Sweet Dreams” by Eurythmics because Annie Lennox has always been such a powerhouse, and the message is political without being overt. “I Put a Spell On You” is a song I’ve loved to sing since I got my start going to blues jams around the city. Then, “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes—Jack White is an incredible guitar player and an inspiration. That song was massive when I was in my 20s, and I wanted to do an homage to it.

Sing along to these crowd favorites (and many more original songs) at the DIY Festival on Friday, August 9 at 8:00 p.m., where Keys will be playing with her bandmates Josh Olsen (bass), Dave Brogan (drums) and Ryan Conger (piano). Follow along with other announcements, including the full-length record she’ll be releasing this winter, at taliakeys.com or on her Instagram @taliakeys.

Read more interviews with local musicians:
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