Nicole Kelley Music.
How did you get started writing and playing music?
I’ve been musical ever since I can remember. I would dance around the living room when I was 5, singing to John Denver and the Soundtrack from Fiddler On The Roof. I started taking piano lessons around age 8 and continued through about 8th grade. I sang in jazz choir and musical theater through high school, and then I took voice lessons all through college. After college, I started teaching myself guitar after my husband’s family bought me my first one for Christmas one year. I had always wanted an instrument to accompany myself with, so this was a most treasured gift. In 2006, I began writing my own music. I played in churches, house concerts, open mics and anywhere I could. Eventually, I was able to record my first album, which released in 2016. From there I began to tour, and I am currently working on album #2.
Can you describe your creative process for us?
I do “morning pages,” which is free association journaling, the term coined by Julia Cameron in her book, The Artist Way. It helps untangle my brain and primes the pump of creativity. When I go to write a song, I usually start with some sort of metaphor or turn of phrase that creates the image or experience of what I want to say. I write from my own life and experiences, and sometimes to give voice to the experiences of others. For example, “While I Wait” was written for a friend who was walking through the last days of his wife’s battle with cancer. Sometimes I’ll get a chord progression I really love, and I’ll build the song around that. “Love Is A City” came from a chord progression that I just played a million times, until the phrase “Love is a city in the heart of God where the orphan soul can find a home” came to mind. Usually if a riff or a lyric sticks in my head, I’ll just go with it. I wrote a song called “Boy Loves A Girl” while I was driving down the road, and I just tried to sing it enough times that I could remember it when I got home!
What has been your favorite performance so far, or favorite place to perform?
I love performing and connecting with people so much! I love being in the moment God brings to me, and I love all the people I get to meet along the way. Every experience is so unique; I cherish each of them as a gift, along with every person in my audience. House concerts provide a very intimate setting and huge opportunity to interact with everyone in conversation. Coffee shops have wonderful, local ambiance and, of course, coffee! A church or conference is a very unifying experience with brothers and sisters. Bars and pubs are wonderful for sharing with groups of friends. Outdoor venues are so cool because the open air feels relaxed and casual, full of wonder and room to breathe!
How do you see yourself growing or evolving as a singer/songwriter?
I’m always stretching myself for whatever’s next. I’ve got a long list of things I want to learn as a musician and performer. Most days I’m chasing the perfect metaphor, pushing to improve my chops, and working to “say it better.” My content changes with what’s inspiring me. The more I grow personally, the more my music and poetry will hopefully also grow in wisdom and beauty. God knows we own our stories and the right to tell them. I hope mine grow more inspiring every day. If sharing a song about something I’ve been through can help another person find meaning in what they’re going through, that is my deepest privilege. I hope anyone who hears my music will know how deeply loved they are and how very much they matter.
Can you tell us about your family and how they influence or help you in your career?
Family will sing your best songs in the shower, and they will also tell you (gently) if your lyrics suck. Which is good, because it’s kind of like having true friends who won’t let you go to a job interview with lettuce in your teeth. Those are the ones you trust, and that kind of true love is priceless. They give me the freedom to go on the road and do what I love, and they support me through the ups and downs of musician life. The world out there can love you one day and throw you out with the garbage the next. That’s not even unique to me or the music industry, that’s just life. My family are the ones who know and love me apart from all of that, and no matter what happens, they are my home. So they are a very grounding influence for me, always reminding me of what’s important and what can never be taken away. And that is a supportive foundation for deep courage, a ballast against shifting winds of circumstance, and a launching pad for great adventures on the road!