YAELOKRE

YAELOKRE

If you ever feel as if music has lost its capacity for surprise, the beguiling wonder and infinite creativity of Yaelokre will respark your belief. The Filipino-Icelandic artist – real name Keath Ósk (they/it) – fuses three imaginative strands to their visionary expression: intimate, innocent folk infused with leftfield surrealism and instant pop accessibility; artwork which is intricately detailed and beautifully alluring; and storytelling which brings personal experience and poetry into rich, fable-like narratives. What’s more, all three of these elements are crafted by this one visionary artist.

The scale of the fantastical world they have created is vast, both in terms of narrative and lore. But its essence is relatively simple. The songs are set in the fictional world of Meadowlark and chart the adventures of four masked children who comprise a musical ensemble known at The Lark: Cole Seymour, Clémente Dearworth, Peregrine August, and Kingsley. They perform as representatives of The Harkers, mythical beings who express the fundamental principles of nature, wonder and chaos. Yaelokre voices all of the different characters within their universe.

This immersive, escapist story is largely inspired by Yaelokre’s own life. The four Larks represent different stages of their childhood, and writing their songs felt cathartic for their creator. As Yaelokre explains, “Their stories are a way for me to cut myself up into pieces, so I can tackle the smaller issues easily rather than going full-on into the big problems straight-up. This project revolves around lessons that I’ve learned from life, and each song has a lesson.” Those recurring lessons vary in nature, but those wisdoms all feel like universal truths.

“Listen, be kind and spread compassion. Be courageous. Do not let yourself be fenced in. Chaos is natural, and it’s not always a bad thing. You have to mind the past so you can find a better future. You need to be open-minded. And most importantly, you need to live in the moment: now is more important than anything.” While on first listen there’s a childlike innocence to the project, scratches of gothic horror in the lyrics reflect the savagery of the natural world.

Since debuting the project in January 2024, Yaelokre has released seven tracks which have already amassed 180 million streams on Spotify. Their following is also fervently passionate, with huge engagement on TikTok from 1.5 million followers, a large fan wiki and an active subreddit. Interest is sure to be intensified with the new single “Cole’s Response”.