Kevin Silvester is the new IT BOY
Melbourne pop artist and multi instrumentalist Kevin Silvester has unveiled his brand new single ‘IT BOY’. Written with by Kevin and his longtime collab partner Kirrilee, ‘IT BOY’ is a “bratty queer anthem” about hookups and the need to be wanted and serves as a teaser for fans of what’s to come from Kevin’s forthcoming album ‘K’, which is due out soon via Teamwrk Records. We caught up with Kevin to learn more about ‘IT BOY’, the K Universe and his dream to collab with Weezer or Avril Lavigne one day.
Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions for Music Kingdom Australia
Thank you for having me!
For those that haven’t heard your music before Kevin, how do you describe your sound? Where on the genre rainbow do you place yourself?
I would describe my music as the best of both worlds between pop and rock. I love big, sticky pop hooks and polished visuals, but I also love heavy live instrumentation and grit.
For this album especially, we really leaned into blending different corners of pop with different corners of rock/alternative/metal. Some songs feel more bubblegum and Y2K, some are punkier, some are theatrical, some are more vulnerable and explosive.
Also I’m gay, so obviously I’m claiming the entire rainbow.
You recently released the second single from your forthcoming album ‘K’, tell us about ‘It Boy’? What or who inspired you to write ‘It Boy’
I wrote it on acoustic guitar with my best friend Kirrilee, who I wrote a lot of the album with. I’d just come back from tour last September and was feeling quite sad and flat, and she was like, “Do you want to come over and write a song together?” So I did, and somehow that turned into a whole album.
We wrote the album as a concept record that follows a character named K, a famous rockstar who’s dangerously reactive but soft on the inside, just like Potassium (the chemical element K).
Narratively in ‘IT BOY’, K is at the peak of his career, fresh off a sold-out stadium show. However, due to numerous reasons explored earlier in the track list, he feels bored, rejected, horny, and unloveable. Mid-spiral, he receives a Grindr notification from Josh, the sleaze he previously rejected. K decides to go with it, because at this point, even bad attention feels better than no attention.
What came first the music or the lyrics?
The concept came first. Kirrilee and I brainstormed a few different ideas for the narrative, and once we landed on this one, we started writing it on acoustic guitar. From there, the music and lyrics developed together.
“I love nuttin’ more than a good inappropriate pun. ”
Is there a particular part of the song or a line that you always find yourself listening out to hear? If so why?
“Yeah you’ve got nothing on me. Now I’ve got nothing on me. Yeah you got nuttin’ on me."
I love nuttin’ more than a good inappropriate pun.
Who came up with the concept for the video? Were there any memorable moments during the making of it? We hear there is a story about Lube that went viral?
I came up with the concept, and Zac Zerna executed the vision perfectly. I thought it would be funny to show K’s superiority complex over Josh by having him roll his eyes at how Josh is struggling with the exercises, while K himself is literally a twink. That kind of ridiculous character detail is very much the world of K.
We actually shot this video and the video for the next single back to back over two days. I got pretty badly sunburnt while filming the other video the day before, so for the ‘IT BOY’ video, I just owned it and applied a ton of pink blush on my cheeks to make myself look flushed from the workouts rather than sunburnt.
The lube was actually for a photoshoot where I wanted a wet-hair look without ruining my heat-styled curls. Somehow that turned into 1.6 million views and hundreds of comments assuming I have an unbirthing kink, which is… definitely one way to start an album campaign.
“You can expect a body of work that tells a narrative from front to back, with witty lyrics, maximalist production, and plenty of character links and easter eggs to dissect. ”
When is the ‘K’ due out and what can fans expect from the forthcoming body of work?
It will be out later this year, and I’m so excited for people to hear the full world around it. You can expect a body of work that tells a narrative from front to back, with witty lyrics, maximalist production, and plenty of character links and easter eggs to dissect.
‘K’ is a very multi-faceted, three-dimensional character who often hides his real emotions underneath a two and a half minute cheeky pop-rock banger, so I’d love for people to really dig into the meaning behind the songs.
Are there plans to tour for the album?
I’d absolutely love to bring ‘K’ to the stage. This album feels so theatrical and character-driven, so the live world is definitely something I’m thinking about a lot. Nothing I can officially announce just yet, but I’m really excited to embody K’s persona onstage soon.
Your bio says you started playing musical instruments at 4 and started producing at age 13. When did you realise this was actually wanted this to be your occupation? Was there a specific lightbulb moment?
I don’t think it was one light bulb moment. It was more like a slow, inevitable realisation and evolution. I started out as an electronic producer and songwriter when I was 14, and I kept writing these songs that were so personal that it felt weird handing them off to a feature vocalist, or selling the songs to other artists. Because I’d always recorded the demo vocals on my electronic tracks, I gradually grew more confident in my voice and wanted to step forward as the artist.
Towards the end of high school, I flirted with the idea of going into science or dermatology, and while I still love those fields, I know that if I had chosen that path, I’d be dreaming about being a musician every day. As a musician, I can’t say I spend my days dreaming about being a scientist or dermatologist.
“I’d love to do a song with Weezer or Avril Lavigne. Both would make my inner pop-rock kid absolutely lose his mind.”
Collabs are huge these days, are they something you would like to do in the future? Who would be your ultimate Collab Partner be?
Definitely. We’re actually actively looking at potential collaborations for a couple of tracks on this album, but I think collaborations have to be really intentional. They need to bring something to the sound, the story, or the perspective.
As for my ultimate collaboration, I’d love to do a song with Weezer or Avril Lavigne. Both would make my inner pop-rock kid absolutely lose his mind.
Who in your crew or team deserves a shout out but never gets one? And what is it they do that keeps your world turning?
Shout out to my producer and co-writer Christopher Vernon. I’ve never worked with a producer who not only understands my vision so deeply, but also knows how to build on top of it and push my artistry even further. Whenever I bring in an idea that I worry might be too camp, he’s always like, “Nah, that’s not camp enough. Let’s go more camp.”
He was also seminal in developing the distinct sound of this record. I brought in my love of 2000s girly pop, campy pop-rock and electronic production, while he brought his heavy rock and metalcore expertise. Together, we created this really unique blend of those worlds.
“I just want to keep evolving, keep taking creative risks, and hopefully make music that people feel really seen by.”
Where would you like to see Kevin Silvester in a year's time and five years down the road? What do you hope you have achieved?
In a year’s time, I’d love to see ‘K’ out in the world and really connecting with people. I hope the album has introduced more people to who I am as an artist, not just through the songs, but through the whole world, characters and story behind it.
Five years down the road, I’d love to be touring more widely, building a really strong community around the music, and continuing to make bigger, bolder bodies of work. Ultimately, I just want to keep evolving, keep taking creative risks, and hopefully make music that people feel really seen by.
Do you have a message for the Kevin Silvester fans and supporters?
Thank you for being part of this world with me. Every stream, message, comment, show, scream-along and little bit of support means more than you probably realise. I’m still growing and figuring it all out, but having people connect with the music makes all of it feel so much less lonely.
There is so much more coming, and I’m really excited to keep building this with you.
Interview by Michelle Symes
July 2026
