Kies is the solo project of New Orleans–based German artist Jakob Dietrich. He began his musical journey busking on the streets of Europe at just thirteen. Soon, his performances caught the attention of local producers, and at seventeen, Jakob released his first album, There Was Nothing, funded through a successful €5,000 crowdfunding campaign. His music gained regional traction, leading to a headline performance at his hometown’s largest annual festival before 1,500 people, as well as international shows in Paris and London. 

In 2022, Jakob moved to the United States to pursue a degree in Jazz Drumset at Loyola University New Orleans. The melancholy and honesty of his singer-songwriter roots melt into the textures and harmonic freedom of New Orleans jazz. “I want my words to evoke pictures in my audience’s minds – images they can fill with the places they’ve been, the people they’ve met, and the experiences they’ve lived  – using the most vivid and colorful words I can find, rather than imposing my own by being too concrete.”

Jakob’s most recent project, “You’re Golden” marks the beginning of a new journey as KIES vision. Kies’ sound sits between the emotional transparency of Bon Iver and the textural curiosity of James Blake, colored by the improvisational spirit of New Orleans jazz.

You’re Golden

KIES
February 11th, 2026