What is your name?
Kelsey Kindall
What is your genre of music?
Alternative pop
Give us a little bio about you.
Kelsey, a native of Hershey, Pennsylvania, discovered her love for the performing arts at a young age, taking to the theater stage as her first love for performing. After studying musical theater in college, she followed the popular route of moving to New York City after graduation. However, desiring a more diverse and full perspective, she decided to take one year to travel to over 10 countries, fully immersing herself in the language and culture to seek inspiration and really ground herself in humanity. Eventually, the pandemic brought her back home, where she made a life-changing decision to pursue a career in music. As an independent artist, Kelsey fearlessly released her vulnerable projects to the world, captivating an organic following of over 60,000 streams and 25,000 listeners. It was during this time that she unexpectedly connected with her now-producer on a dating app. While their chemistry didn’t spark romantically, they discovered an undeniable musical synergy. Together, they embarked on an exciting partnership, continuously producing addictive and catchy songs that resonate deeply with audiences. Kelsey’s musical journey is a testament to her unwavering passion and unwavering commitment to her craft, as she consistently pushes the boundaries of her artistry, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of all who have the pleasure of listening.
What made you go into music?
When I was younger, I was a total theatre kid. I found this incredible community there, which was a blessing because, honestly, not many people got me at that time. Being on stage allowed me to be loud, and own my space, and I was pretty good at it. So, I decided to pursue my passion seriously and attended a performing arts school. College came around, and I majored in musical theatre, and moved to NY to pursue it after college. While I was busy with theatre stuff, I never let go of my love for music. I played background music at bars, wrote my own songs, and even joined my church’s worship teams. It was a constant companion, even though theatre took the spotlight most of the time. During Covid, with live theatre coming to a standstill, I had to rethink things. That’s when I decided to take a leap of faith and released a small EP featuring some of my own songs. Looking back, it might not have been my strongest work, but it was a turning point in my career. Surprisingly, it opened the door for me to explore a whole new world for me and since then I have been focusing solely on producing my own music.
Who are your influences?
Going back to my original storytelling genius, Sarah Barellies got me into songwriting.I love Billie Eilish with all of my heart, every song of hers is so thought-provoking with beautiful lyrics, but she has the darker musical elements that I just love. Some newer artists I’ve found that I have been excited about are Amelia Moore, Renee Rapp, FLETCHER, kiNG MALA, BENEE, and Lizzy Mcalpine.
Are you a signed?
nope, not yet!! 🙂
You released your debut album ‘ Bittersweet’, tell us more about the album and the meaning behind the album.
“Bittersweet” features nine soul-stirring tracks that delve into the depths of bitterness and hurt, while maintaining an underlying sense of hopefulness and intrigue. I wanted the lyrics to be honest while making the beats addicting.
I start the album with the title song, talking about how three years have passed, and I don’t quite know what has changed, but I know I am different. I like to see the album as going back in time to 3 years ago, starting with “Toxic,” a battle of bitterness, leaning into the pain that people feel but not really taking any responsibility for my actions. The songs then progress through “Catch Me” and “Running,” which parallel the fun flirty relationships I’ve been a part of and the deeper, darker hurt it’s caused. Sandwiched in between those two songs is “Bad,” the first turning point of the album, where it is a battle between the “Bitter” and “Sweet” versions of myself.
After “Running,” we see the first self-reflective moment of the album with “Did you ever love me,” where I begin to process my part and make changes to step out of the cycle that the first half of the album presents clearly. Landing on acceptance with “Do not Disturb,” followed by light-hearted intrigue with “Greenlight,” the album comes to a culmination with “My Time,” a hopeful and expectant song that looks to the future.
My goal with this project was to be able to describe a universal feeling that is unnamed but collectively felt. I think it takes a lot of practice to be able to do that, so this project feels like the culmination of all of the music I’ve previously released.
Describe each track in two words.
Bittersweet: Reflective, Hard Hitting Toxic: Bitter, Angry
Catch me: Flirty, relaxed
Bad: Sexy, contemplative
Running: Powerful, Decisive
Did you ever love me: Transformative, grief
Do not Disturb: Empowered, Healed
Greenlight: Child-like, fun
My time: Hopeful, content
What was the writing and recording process like?
Three years ago, I wrote “My time” thinking we would release it as a single, eventually realizing it didn’t feel like the right time to do so (lol). I’ve been collaborating with a virtual producer, bridging the gap between Pennsylvania and San Francisco since we connected in 2020 through a dating app. We quickly realized that our true passion was making music together, and there was no turning back.
Our creative process is an adventure in itself. Sometimes, we draw inspiration from other artists and other times, we deliberately decide on the story we want to tell. It’s a beautiful fusion of creativity and intention. A year ago, we revisited about four of our previously written songs and had an epiphany – we could turn this into something truly special, a complete project.
That’s when I embarked on a series of trips to Pennsylvania, where the magic truly unfolded. In-person recording sessions and intense collaboration sessions brought the project to life, and it was an incredible experience. This journey has taught me the power of patience and the beauty of finding the perfect creative partner, regardless of distance, and Will is that partner for me who has really breathed so much life into this project.
Who did you work with on the album?
Will Duncan (STILL) on Spotify and Josh Bahl (sound engineer and helped produce some of this)
Will we see a music video for any of the songs on the album, and if so, what can we expect from the creative process?
yes- Did you ever love me music video coming up next week!
Do you have any live shows coming up?
Yes- a full band show in san francisco at a speakeasy venue on October 19.
Let us know where we can get tickets if so.
Tickets aren’t on sale yet but can follow my Instagram to keep updated when they do go on sale!
What else can we expect in late 2023?
I am going to start playing as many shows as I can in 2023 and, hopefully, will get to announce a small tour! I also have plans for a few singles to be released by the end of the year.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
My dream is to become sustainable in a career in music and entertainment, whether its performing or songwriting, or all of the above. I would love to tour and get to share more of my music with the world.
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
I don’t think it is necessarily a quote but to me community and friendships mean everything. Community is absolutely essential to me, and the people in my life have continuously motivated me to keep going. The people in my life make all the difference, showing up at my shows, offering their help in moving equipment across the city, selling out my merch and sharing my music within their own circles. Their constant encouragement and support are what keep me going as an artist. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to sustain myself on this creative journey.
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
1. sunglasses: makes me feel like an absolute badass and calms the nerves if I don’t want to look out at a big audience
2. my audio mixer: adds some COOL effects to my voice, my favorite being a bassy lower octave on toxic that always makes the audience go crazy
3. water: not alcohol!! learned this the hard way, no drinking before performances!!
4. my merch: I have a store front with the shirts and sweatshirts, but my producer will designed our merch lines and they are SO fun
5. My wireless mic: because being attached to a mic stresses me out, I gotta dance a little!!
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
Instagram
Tik Tok
Website
Merch
