Artist Spotlight is a segment that we started to introduce our listeners to some deserving up and coming artists/ bands. They have made an impact on us for all of the right reasons. We think they kick ass and we hope you do too! Today, we’d like to shine the spotlight on Rorie Kelly!
Rorie Kelly is a singer/songwriter/ladybeast from Long Island NY. Her mission as a songwriter is to inspire people to love themselves fiercely. Her new album Shadow Work is about shining a light in the darkness, getting real, getting raw, and healing wounds. “The practice of shadow work is about sifting through those parts of ourselves that we have pushed down and suppressed over the years,” the singer explains. “It’s about showing up for our whole selves and finding healing.”
A powerhouse performer, Rorie gigs frequently, lighting up stages with her fiery vocals and her sense of humor. At the height of the COVID pandemic, Rorie started a weekly livestream series called Monday Night Muses, which streams every Monday night from 7-9pm ET on her Youtube, Facebook and Twitch pages. For more information or to contact Rorie, visit www.roriekelly.com.
Some people know it’s when they hear a classic album or see someone perform. Do you know when you were bitten by the music bug and knew this was your path?
I was 12, almost 13. I had a summer where I had a lot of time to myself and I used to stay up late watching Vh1 (now you know how old I am!) One night super late, “Sunny Came Home” came on. I’d heard the song dozens of times before, but something about the music plus my mood at the late hour did something to me. I realized in that moment that music was the only path I could follow and be happy. I started teaching myself guitar the next day and never looked back.
Do you write when inspiration hits or do you sit down with the purpose of writing? Maybe both?
Definitely both! I’m very lucky in that for me creativity isn’t even a faucet – it’s a waterfall. I don’t feel right unless I am writing regularly. When I don’t make time for it (usually because “adulting” gets in the way), I literally start waking up with new songs from my dreams. I try to build my life so it’s easy to make time for it, but when I’m on the road I definitely accumulate a lot of voice recordings on my phone!
Does anyone else in your family have the music gene?
Actually – almost everyone! I come from a family of artists and musicians on both sides. My grandmother on my dad’s side was a honky tonk piano player, and my grandmother on my mother’s side was an opera singer and a painter. My mom is a visual artist and writer, and like me is a singer, songwriter and guitar player. We often trade war stories about what it’s like to be a woman playing in bars and such. My dad is a bass player and recording enginEer who has done a bunch of film scoring and major label projects–I’m incredibly lucky to get to record with him. We have a weekly studio date and record everything together. Finally my cousin Delia Stanley is also a super talented singer/songwriter and visual artist – you can check out her work at www.deliastanley.com. She also designed the cover art for my new album Shadow Work!
Growing up, we’re the you the class clown or the ham wanting to the the center of attention? Maybe you were the shy introvert?
I was definitely an introvert, but I was also the weird arty kid in a pretty small school system. Though I was quiet and preferred to have my nose in a book, I was also the person who’d come to school rocking rainbow legwarmers and bright blue cons. Suffice it to say I definitely didn’t fit in. Now I lead a very public life and some people think of me as a social butterfly. It feels pretty weird because I still feel like the kid that no one really liked who could usually be found reading in the corner. I’m really really grateful for the community I have now and I have made it my mission to connect fellow beautiful weirdos together and create a safe space for them.
What was the first album that you bought with your very own money?
Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morisette – and I listened to it constantly through middle and high school. What an album and what a songwriter. I have since bought everything she has ever put out – Alanis’ songwriting has really been a source of healing and inspiration to me over the years.
