Kate Tempest has announced a change of name and their pronouns. Moving forward, they’ll go by Kae Tempest.  Kae wrtes in a statement”It’s pronounced like the letter K. It’s an old English word that means Jay bird. Jays are associated with communication, curiosity, adaptation to new situations and COURAGE which is the name of the game at the moment.”

Regarding the pronouns, Kae wrote “I have tried to be what I thought others wanted me to be so as not to risk rejection,” Kae writes. “This hiding from myself has led to all kinds of difficulties in my life. And this is a first step towards knowing and respecting myself better.”

Kae’s most recent album, The Book of Traps and Lessons, came out last year. She most recently released a new version of the track “Holy Elixer” called “Unholy Elixer,” adding synth and reproduced beats from the original. The album also includes her previously released songs “People’s Faces”  “Holy Elixer” and “Firesmoke.”

Tempset also discussed her latest album with mxdwn, saying  “Usually, I write a song, record it, go on tour, and by the end of the tour I fully know the song so well, better than when I wrote it, that’s when I feel as though I’m finally ready to record it. So, I had the idea for a long time to commit the songs to my body memory and then go to the studio. And I feel it’s the only way now.”

Photo Credit: Stephen Hoffmeister