Stacey Kelleher
I love how authentic Stacey Kelleher’s music is. There is a beautiful emotion in her vocals and storytelling.
I love the honesty on her new single “You Never Know With Me”. She is not afraid to talk about her feelings and this is why I love listening to her and why I am featuring her :) Also, her voice is incredible. I LOVE her tone.
There is no doubt that Stacey Kelleher is a promising songwriter/storyteller, singer and artist, and I can’t wait for her to drop her EP - available this Fall !
“You Never Know With Me” is out now !
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
Hey Thread, thanks for having me! I'm Stacey Kelleher, an indie-pop singer-songwriter and producer currently based in Nashville, Tennessee. I'm originally from New Hampshire and I graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2019!
What did you grow up listening to?
My parents were always listening to '90s country music, so that made up a large portion of the music that I listened to. I also loved classic rock and pop, like Aerosmith, The Beatles, Michael Jackson...and of course, can't forget 2000s country and pop! Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift were a couple of my big favorites that I still heavily listen to now. I found myself listening to all kinds of music which definitely influenced the music that I make today.
When did you know you could sing?
I had been singing along with the radio ever since I could speak and I remember singing "Jingle Bells" at a neighbor's house when I was probably four years old. I realized that people liked to listen to my voice, so I just kept singing. When I was six, I started taking piano lessons, followed by guitar lessons at age nine. I joined band and chorus in middle school and played in several recitals and concerts every year. In high school, I started theater, jazz band, marching band and sang in an a cappella group and was accepted to All-State choir. The music bug bit me hard early on in my life and I was obsessed ever since.
When did you start writing songs? What made you want to write in the first place?
I remember writing my first song when I was about ten years old about a friend who switched schools and I titled it with her name and sang about how much I missed her. I've always been a very introverted thinker,
At what point did you decide to be an artist and release your original music?
My third year at Berklee when I started getting deeper into the Songwriting major at Berklee. Releasing music was always something I wanted to do, but I didn't feel like I was ready until then. Being at Berklee, I had access to so many fellow students who could help me record, play on my songs and figure out the process of making music.
Who was the first person to ever give you a chance in this career?
I'd say my professor Pat Pattison at Berklee. I never felt like I had a shot in songwriting until I started studying with him. I was fortunate enough to take several of his classes, and he took me under his wing and really helped me learn how to strongly craft a song, suggested I move to Nashville, and made me believe in myself and my skill set.
What biggest lessons have you learned since the beginning of your career?
To not compare myself to others. The second I start doing that, I get so down on myself and lose all of my motivation. Also, to persevere. I strive for longevity in my music career - I want to do this for the rest of my life, and taking one day at a time and I've learned that sticking it out through the highs and the lows is what will get me there.
How would you define Stacey Kelleher, the artist?
She's timeless, and she understands what you're going through. She comes alive onstage and writes songs about her deepest feelings. She's figuring it out one day at a time, and that's okay. She's inspired by indie-pop, classic rock, alternative music and the storytelling of singer-songwriters like Joni Mitchell and Taylor Swift.
"You Never Know With Me" is your new single - what's the story/inspiration behind this song?
Throughout the year in several different situations in my life, I had this overwhelming feeling of not being "good enough", whatever that means. I got so sick of feeling that way, and thus was born "You Never Know With Me", which is me stating that I'm going to be myself and do my thing, and this song is my declaration to myself to be unafraid of what others think of me.
When did you start working on this song? Could you describe the songwriting/production process? Who helped you create it?
I wrote this song with Emily Gurklis over Zoom in 2020. She's a frequent songwriting collaborator of mine and I absolutely love writing with her. We started out our write by catching up and chatting, and I was venting to her about the way I'd been feeling inadequate. It was really like two hours of therapy - the song was the icing on the cake.
What's your favorite thing about this song?
I just love how fearless it is. It feels so good to perform live and I'm so proud of it - I feel like it really sets the scene for this new chapter of music I have coming up.
What made you want to release "You Never Know With Me" as a single?
I feel like it's a great introduction to the songs I have coming later this year - it's such a time capsule for a point in my life that I can relive every time I hear it or perform it. It's anthemic, and so I thought it deserved to be not only a single, but the lead single for my upcoming EP.
What can you tell us about your upcoming EP?
It's a collection of songs that show where I'm at currently, both musically and personally. They range from ballads to bangers and there's even a couple of features on it. All of the artwork is incredible - done by Olivia Fan Davis and Annie Holland - and I'm so excited to share every little bit of it with the world.
What did you feel when writing "Make It Here"?
I felt a cathartic sense of releasing my stream of consciousness, which was basically fear and anticipation of arriving in Music City and asking myself the question "what if I never make it here?", which I think is a thought that occurs to most musicians who come here. I wrote it with Claudia B. Swope, and she shared my feelings and really helped me create this song so authentically and beautifully.
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
I think the hardest part is that it's just go, go, go all the time. Being away from my family and friends back home for long periods of time and always being "on" are definitely two super exhausting parts of the job. Also, being subject to unwanted criticism is never fun...but that being said, the best part is, no matter how cheesy it sounds, that I get to live out my dreams every day. I get to play music regularly and express myself, and that's truly something that not many people get to say that they do for a living.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
It's crazy to watch today's music industry evolving so quickly, especially on TikTok. I'd definitely change streaming royalties as I think every musician would...fractions of a penny per stream just isn't right.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
If everyone was kind and cared for each other and our planet in the same way that we do for ourselves, I think we'd be living in a different world. It's sad to see the hate and sadness in the world that takes place on a daily basis.
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