Dancing2, the new track from Keli Holiday, just got a new spin by local session musician and DJ on his balcony in Melbourne.
Last Friday, Angus McKean put a remix he had tinkered with of the newest single from Keli Holiday, Dancing2, on TikTok. By Saturday morning, the video had blown up.
“I put it on TikTok for shits and gigs. I woke up the next morning and Abbie Chatfield had reposted it. I have 100 followers on TikTok, and I woke up to 20,000 views”.
It was the dance atmosphere and thumping kick under the Dancing2 tune that Angus was drawn to. Putting his own spin on the piece, he leant into those classic Keli Holiday sounds while adding some of his own.
“This remix was in response to a liking someone and being in a weird spot, in which I use the actual voice memo I sent her” he says.
Angus uploaded the 17 second video of Dancing2 onto his TikTok, which in 72 hours gained over 23,000 views. With the repost by Chatfield, Angus put the reel on his Instagram and tagged Keli. “Let’s make something happen” he said. Little did he realise that Adam himself would be sliding into his DM’s.
Dancing2 – Keli Holiday x Angus McKean
- Keli Holiday has reached out to Melbourne muso Angus Mckean
- A future collaboration could be a possiblity
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@angusmckean two favourite artists 🤝 @keli holiday @Fredagainagain #music #remix #musician #fyp #xyzcba ♬ original sound – angusmckean
“BROOO. This is so good!” Holiday said. For Angus, the response to the remix – not yet a finished piece – was a shock. His creation of the piece stemmed from his skills as a DJ and appreciation of Keli’s tune.
“It’s moments like these the original song made me realise how much I adore the people around me. The song to me sounds like falling in love, I just wanted to add a little something through a remix. In no way did I think people would like it. I made it in a style that I like, for the people I know”
Adam Hyde, trading as Keli Holiday and one half of Peking Duk, wrote his newest groove for his girlfriend; podcaster and influencer Abbie Chatfield.
“She is brave. Smart beyond belief. Strong. Punk. Soft. Talented and sharp like a Swiss army knife… I have fallen in love with this women more than I thought possible” Hyde wrote in an Instagram post about the song.
The internet has jumped on the bandwagon of social media declarations of love, using the song as a backdrop to videos with their significant others. The effect wasn’t lost on Angus, either.
Angus’ love Adam Hyde’s (Keli Holiday) music started way back as a kid growing up in Wagga Wagga. “I’ve always been a fan of Adam, Peking Duk and the Keli Holiday project”.
The story of his first experience with the band – which he’d only recently admitted to his parents– started back in 2017. He recounted his time as a “full of confidence” Year 9 in his first few months at boarding school in Melbourne. A world away from his hometown in Wagga, Angus cheekily bought a ticket online to a Peking Duk gig and snuck in. “I paid some Year 12 fifty bucks for his I.D and snuck into the concert. I’ve been a fan ever since”, he admitted, with no remorse for attending the concert that influenced his love for the band.
“Being a session muso, I get to hang out with the support acts. Some of the best people I’ve met out on the road. I get to go to these local gigs. Keli’s song reminds us that love and affection is important in this world, and to cherish who you are and what you love.”
Angus made the remix in the middle of a performance season of a musical, prepping for an audition, writing for another artist’s EP, teaching three days a week and drum programming for a season of the musical ‘&Juliet’. “I made this remix in 90 minutes on my balcony” he says from his studio.
“I think that shows how lenient you have to be as a session muso in 2025, you mentioned ‘one-hit-wonders, or ‘overnight success’, but there’s years of empty gigs and two-minute-noodles. I was so poor once I donated blood to eat and save money!”
“Do I think this video went viral? No. But it shows how dependent Aussie music is now on social media, and how gaining attention can be a shot in the dark. I’m a session guy; I like hiding in the background playing songs by other people”
Cracking into the music industry nowadays seems to require a readiness to engage with social media as a platform for sharing new work. While Angus’ overnight success was an impactful way for his work to be seen by the musicians he admires, it was founded on the eight years of playing, touring internationally, writing, producing and DJing.
“There’s so many artists trying to crack through and it’s rough in the Aussie and New Zealand industry currently. Look at Borderline, Tough Break, Distracted, Erica Avenue, Zachary Leo and CHLO. All amazing artists with their own unique way to tell a story, and all deserve the spotlight”.
While at the moment a release date of the full remix hasn’t been set, the response from Keli Holiday to the remix might mean we hear the collab in the near future.
Coupled with his muse’s Instagram approval, we may hear Angus and Adam spinning decks together soon…
