Singer songwriter international touring recording artist Kelley Hunt’s career comprises over 2000 live performances including some of the most significant festival stages in North America and Europe, airplay on 5 continents, 6 appearances on American Public Media’s award winning radio show “A Prairie Home Companion”, song placements in indie and studio feature films, 7 acclaimed commercial releases, two singles, hundreds of thousands of indie units sold, millions of streams and more. Her music crosses roots music boundaries organically referencing soul, roots R&B, gospel, folk, funk and Americana forms and the piano vernaculars of Kansas City, New Orleans and St. Louis – all places where she and her family have roots. Her music is also known for taking on social observations and political commentary and for messages of hope and uplift. It’s all delivered with passion and superior skills as a singer, keyboardist/guitarist and writer.
Her career has seen no shortage of high critical praise: “… sounds like Etta James sneaking into a church looking for some last-minute redemption after pulling an all-nighter singing and sinning in some smoky dive…” NO DEPRESSION; “…Hunt delivers her socially charged lyrics with a voice that’s part powerful gospel yearning and part bawdy soul shouter…” THE ONION Denver, CO; “Stellar singing, songwriting and monstrous boogie-woogie piano chops.”; PORTLAND OREGONIAN “Hard-driving, gospel-influenced piano blues and ballads. Her vocals are rich and limber – there’s not a tentative bone in her body.”; TORONTO GLOBE AND MAIL; ”One of the best new songwriters in the genre.” SEATTLE TIMES – represents a small sample.
Kelley celebrated the release of her first-ever holiday album “Winter Soulstice” Nov. 22, 2022 to broad critical acclaim. Recorded in Kansas City with all-star KC players and some talented friends from Nashville the album has a Kansas City swing/blues flavor in places, rich gospel-influenced vocal arrangements and fresh, soulful takes on songs Kelley grew up singing plus original works on the subjects of peace and unity – definitely is not the usual holiday fare. Kelley is at work on a new full-length studio release for 2024. She tours in solo singer-songwriter format, quartet and quintet configurations of an acoustic band concept and in electric band formats ranging from 5pc to 9pc including horn and vocal sections.
Accepting offers for expanded tour schedule beginning Fall 2024.