Kelly Vargas “Short Ride”
Ethereal, dreamlike soundscapes bathed in the soft, melancholy light, Kelly Vargas’ smooth vocal whispers into your ears like sultry whispers in a summer’s dream. Intimate yet distant, vulnerable yet full of strength, perfect with a speck of sadness, “short ride” is hard to forget.
Kelly Vargas is a Los-Angeles based Costa-Rican-American singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from Long Island, New York. Influenced by soul, R&B legends and contemporary, alternative R&B/pop music, Vargas displays a versatile vocal style combined with her elaborate production skills.
Her vocal travels between a fluid-like semi-translucent state and a lonesome deserted reality, expressing disappointment towards hookup culture and reflects on the current dating trend with an artistic twist: “I created a scenario where the narrator explains the frustrations and sorrow of not being wanted enough to stay after a short encounter.”
Vargas has been in love with music since a young age. Music has always been a way to heal and spread love. As an artist, Vargas thrives to empower and pave ways for Latinx and female artists in the music industry: “I want to create more space for Latinx and female artists like myself in the industry. To represent my culture, upbringing and to hopefully provide healing and love to others through my music.”
Q&A with Kelly Vargas
Punk Head: First off, I just wanted to say I love your vocal style so much! I also read that you're a multi-instrumentalist and producer. Can you share with us your music journey?
Kelly Vargas: Thank you! I grew up in a very music-friendly Latino household. Music was always around me. I started off singing as a little child and then around the age of 12, I started professional vocal and guitar lessons. From there I briefly took piano lessons in high school, but mainly was self-taught and started songwriting at the age of 17 years old. Right before going to Berklee College of Music in 2015.
Punk Head: How do you find yourself fit between all the different roles?
Vargas: I love to be versatile and do everything that I can. I love to focus on one skill, but with music, once you know one instrument it's easy to hop on another one. Music is extremely healing to me, so to me, it's very easy to fit or mold into any role I am interested in.
Punk Head: Any particular influences that helped shape your sound?
Vargas: My influences date back to old school soul, R&B such as Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, to more contemporary and alternative R&B/pop such as Amy Winehouse, Jorja Smith, Kali Uchis, and Sabrina Claudio.
Punk Head: Moving from Long Island to Los Angeles, what was your experience in both cities?
Vargas: Moving was the best experience and the best decision I made. Changing locations definitely changed my perspective on life and way of living, which was exactly what I was looking for. Better weather, relaxed lifestyle, surrounded by more people in my industry. It helped me also transition finally into more Latinx R&B, urban music and I started to write and perform both in English and Spanish.
Punk Head: Tell us more about "short ride." What was the inspiration behind the song?
Vargas: How much I hate hookup culture and how disappointing dating can be this day in age. I created a scenario where the narrator explains the frustrations and sorrow of not being wanted enough to stay after a short encounter.
Punk Head: I love how emotive and evocative your music is. What is your vision of being a musician and an artist?
Vargas: I want to create more space for Latinx and female artists like myself in the industry. To represent my culture, upbringing and to hopefully provide healing and love to others through my music.
