Right Keys Only — “Fast Track turned something personal into something that could really help people”
Through Help Musicians’ Fast Track, Keys was able to bring an album to life in a way that connected far beyond the music itself.
Keys is an electronic artist, producer and singer whose work sits at the intersection of personal storytelling and social impact. From an early age, she had to challenge expectations. Growing up in rural Wales, she was often made to feel that music wasn’t a space for her.
“My left arm is paralysed,” she explains. “I was taught really young that music wasn’t for me.”
Despite this, she found her own way in. Teaching herself, experimenting with production, songwriting and performance, she built a creative identity rooted in self-expression.
Over time, her music has become a place to explore complex, deeply personal themes – from addiction to identity, and the realities of navigating the music industry as a woman.
“It wasn’t just heartbreak songs,” she says. “It was the heavier stuff – the things people don’t always talk about.”
When an unexpected collaboration led to a full album being created, it felt like a breakthrough moment. But without funding, the project remained unfinished and largely unheard.
“We didn’t even record it together,” she explains. “It was all remote – bits sent back and forth, recorded at home. And then it just sat there.”
After previously receiving support through Help Musicians’ mentoring programme, Keys applied to Fast Track – a process she found refreshingly accessible.
“It was really easy to apply,” she says. “It felt really manageable.”
With Fast Track funding, the project became something much bigger. Rather than simply releasing the album, Keys used the support to create a wider piece of work centred on real people and shared experiences. She and her team interviewed six individuals across South Wales and Bristol, each with stories connected to the themes of the music.
“The project stopped being about us, it became about all these incredible people.”
The interviews created space for open, honest conversations – from disability and identity to grief and resilience. What stood out most was the sense of connection that emerged.
“After the interviews, everyone left smiling,” she recalls. “Even though they were talking about intense things, they felt heard.”
The experience was emotional and transformative. “We’d created this space where people could just talk,” Keys says. “It felt like we’d actually made a difference – not just made content.”
The impact has continued beyond the project itself. As the singles have been released, the response from audiences and communities has been strong, with listeners sharing their own experiences and signposting support to one another.
“It’s started real conversations,” she explains. “People are opening up and supporting each other.”
For Keys, Fast Track didn’t just provide funding – it provided belief.
“Fast Track made something big that I never thought would happen actually happen. It was really validating as an artist. It felt like someone believed in me.”
Today, as she prepares to release the full album and explore the possibility of developing the interviews into a documentary, Keys continues to centre her work around representation and connection.
For her, it’s about making sure others don’t feel alone.
“If there’s a young disabled person out there who’s never seen themselves on stage,” she says, “I want them to know there’s a place for them.”
Through the right support at the right time, Keys has turned a deeply personal project into something far-reaching – creating space for others, and showing what’s possible when artists are given the opportunity to realise their ideas.
Find out more about Fast Track.