KLP is a force for change within our music industry
PHOTOGRAPHER – KHIERA NICOLE
STYLIST – JADE LEUNG
HAIR AND MAKEUP – KAREN BURTON
TALENT – KRISTY LEE PETERS
WORDS BY AUGUSTUS WELBY
“You can start to make change within your reach.”
On International Women’s Day 2018, Sydney songwriter, producer and DJ Kristy Lee Peters – better known as KLP – launched her company Ricochet and has been raising a groundswell since.
The company was born out of Peters’ desire to provide support to women and non-binary artists in the music and broader creative industries. After a prolonged period of questioning what could be done to make her industry better for women, she hit a frustration point.
“I thought, ‘Well, I’m kind of done talking about it and I want to start actually creating that space, and being part of a solution,’” she says. For Peters, that solution was to create a safe space for artists and songwriters; one that extends beyond the songwriting room.
She hasn’t gone it alone. Soon after Ricochet’s inception, Nike supported the initiative as part of its mission to raise up Australians helping their local communities.
Ricochet uses music to unite people from different creative industries to create a strong and supportive community. Through the program, artists have access to mentorships, group activities and workshops, spanning a wide range of subject matters including health, food, beauty and passion.
Peters has now hosted three installments of Ricochet SONGS, a holistic songwriting camp that takes a ‘healthy body, healthy mind’ approach to creativity. The latest camp brought together such famous names as Eilish Gilligan, Odette, Alice Ivy, Imbi the Girl and The Preatures’ Isabella Manfredi.
“It started with 15 to 16 artists,” notes Peters. “But they then take that energy, and that confidence and empowerment, and they pass it onto others.”
Simultaneously, Peters has been working on her debut album, Giver, which launched in November of this year. She’s now out on a national tour for the remainder of 2019 and also recently became a mum.
“I just have to really prioritise my time,” she says. “I make sure I’m only putting my energy into those things that I’m really passionate about, like Ricochet or my own music. It’s definitely a challenge but, if it makes you more selfless and more aware of other people, then I think that’s a good thing.”
Identifying a shared ethos, Nike approached Peters last year with the intention to bolster her community endeavours. “Nike has been so supportive with everything that I’ve done. It’s been so natural and so genuine,” says Peters.
Nike’s latest sneaker silhouette, the Air Force 1 Shadow, is paying homage to women like Peters, who are setting an example for the next generation by being forces of change in their community. It’s designed to reflect the game-changing strength and confidence of these women through bigger, better features like double the Swoosh, double the height and double the force.
Ricochet’s latest project with Nike has brought Peters to Melbourne to work with the RYMS community. Real Youth Music Studios facilitates music and dance programs for people between the ages of eight and 13 living in Melbourne’s Collingwood and Fitzroy areas. It’s run by The Drum Youth Services (an offshoot of Drummond Street Services) and teaches participants to write, record and perform their own music through peer mentoring and facilitated workshops. It also and connects them with performance opportunities.
“Basically, there’s a whole bunch of amazing young people and they come pretty much every week. They turn up of their own accord and they write music, and they dance, and they all support each other.”
Peters, who has a history of running similar programs, notes she always comes out of these youth workshops a better person.
“At the end of it, I feel I learnt a lot from them as well. They just say it like it is and it’s really refreshing.”
This is the second time Nike has partnered with Peters to be a force for change in the local community. In 2018, Nike paired Peters with Australian MC Tkay Maidza who, together, mentored young women at a ‘Force is Female’ songwriting workshop. Two emerging artists were specially selected to perform with Tkay on stage.
On enacting change within the community, Peters notes, “It can feel like you don’t have any control to make change when you look at the bigger picture. But when you break it down, you realise that you can start to make change within your reach, in your community and through the people around you.”
Styling credits
LOOK ONE
NIKE SPORTSWEAR ICON CLASH SHORT-SLEEVE TOP IN WHITE $50, NIKE SPORTSWEAR ICON CLASH CROP TOP HOODIE IN WHITE $75 (WORN AROUND WAIST), NIKE SHORTS $85, NIKE AF1 TRIPLE WHITE $150, NIKE SOCKS (PACK OF TWO) $25
LOOK TWO
NIKE INDY ICON CLASH LIGHT SUPPORT SPORTS BRA IN BLACK $50. NIKE SPORTSWEAR SYNTHETIC FILL ICON CLASH JACKET IN BLACK $160, NIKE SPORTSWEAR ICON CLASH CROP TOP HOODIE IN WHITE $75 (WORN AROUND WAIST), NIKE SHORTS $85, NIKE AF1 TRIPLE WHITE $150, NIKE SOCKS (PACK OF TWO) $25
LOOK THREE
NIKE AIR FORCE 1 SHADOW $180, NIKE SOCKS (PACK OF TWO) $25
LOOK FOUR
NIKE INDY ICON CLASH LIGHT SUPPORT SPORTS BRA IN BLACK $50. NIKE SPORTSWEAR SYNTHETIC FILL ICON CLASH JACKET IN BLACK $160, NIKE SPORTSWEAR ICON CLASH CROP TOP HOODIE IN WHITE $75 (WORN AROUND WAIST), NIKE SHORTS $85, NIKE AF1 TRIPLE WHITE $150, NIKE SOCKS (PACK OF TWO) $25
LOOK FIVE
NIKE SPORTSWEAR SYNTHETIC FILL ICON CLASH JACKET IN BLACK $160
LOOK SIX
NIKE INDY ICON CLASH LIGHT SUPPORT SPORTS BRA IN BLACK $50. NIKE SPORTSWEAR SYNTHETIC FILL ICON CLASH JACKET IN BLACK $160, NIKE SPORTSWEAR ICON CLASH CROP TOP HOODIE IN WHITE $75 (WORN AROUND WAIST), NIKE SHORTS $85, NIKE AF1 TRIPLE WHITE $150, NIKE SOCKS (PACK OF TWO) $25
LOOK SEVEN
NIKE SPORTSWEAR ICON CLASH SHORT-SLEEVE TOP IN WHITE $50, NIKE SPORTSWEAR ICON CLASH CROP TOP HOODIE IN WHITE $75 (WORN AROUND WAIST), NIKE SHORTS $85, NIKE AF1 TRIPLE WHITE $150, NIKE SOCKS (PACK OF TWO) $25
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