Naarm/Melbourne queer-pop artist Keelan Mak has announced his signing to Niche Agency, just weeks before the release of his upcoming EP, Boy’s In Love, and a showcase performance at SXSW Sydney.
The signing sees Mak pairing with Niche Agency, who aim to ensure his new era is one of his strongest yet. Niche, who also celebrate their 20th anniversary this year, already work with a number of talented artists, including the likes of BENEE, Sampa The Great, Thandi Phoenix, B.Wise, and more.
“Boy’s In Love was made to play live, and I’m so so thankful to have the Niche team helping me bring this vision to life,” Mak said of the signing.
“Boy’s in Love is a testament to Keelan’s talents as an artist,” added Niche. “It’s an exciting time for the project and we couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Keelan Mak to the Niche family.”
Mak’s Boy’s In Love EP is slated for release on Wednesday, October 30th, and will be his first larger body of work released since 2022’s Brave Face EP. Already, the new EP has been preceded by singles such as Naked Eye, Straight With Me, and last month’s Drift.
As Mak notes, the new EP is am expression of sex, love, queerness, and youthful embrace, and one which features a greater level of confidence than previous releases.
“This body of work is really about feeling happy and myself for the first time,” he explains. “The earlier years of my career, I was told to sell a queer narrative and it never felt like me to do so. I was partly scared to be heavily queer in the public eye but I also just felt like it didn’t feel right to brand my work as ‘queer’.
“The EP is called Boy’s In Love and it really centres around my relationship with my own identity as well as the stories I’m telling in these songs,” he adds. “No heartbreak! Just some gay fun.”
Keelan Mak will also be performing at SXSW Sydney next week as part of both the SXSW Official Showcase at the Sneaky Possum on Thursday, October 17th, and the PIAS Showcase on Friday, October 18th at The Lord Gladstone.
Keelan Mak’s Boy’s In Love will be released on Wednesday, October 30th, with pre-saves available now.
