Kelsey Michael is a fearlessly experimental singer and songwriter whose first band Minnow released two well-received EPs, the second ‘Out Of The Woods’ on Stereolab label Duophonic. Her songs range from classic piano songwriting influenced by writers such as Carole King, to offbeat contemporary compositions with vocal improvisation, ambient field recorded sounds and shruti-box folk drones. All tell stories of the here and now with nature rich imagery. Kelsey has lived past lives as a theatre performer and movie soundtrack singer; singing on Jocelyn Pook’s score for Stanley Kubrick’s last film ‘Eyes Wide Shut.’ In the world of pop music, you’ll find her collaborating with Anglo/Irish avant-pop band ‘The High Llamas’ and endlessly inventive songwriter Sean O’Hagan (of Microdisney), featuring on five of Sean’s albums. Her first job at 23 years of age was as a backing singer duetting with Matt Johnson in The The.
Mounts Bay Morning follows in the wake of classic songs insisting that the moment is now! Wham’s ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go Go’ and Laura Nyro’s ‘Jimmy Mack’ haunted Kelsey’s dreams as she tried to capture their celebratory immediacy during the recording of this song. Mounts Bay Morning urges the listener to act, junk the mundane routine, grab a coat, a soul mate, catch the breeze, tumble out of the door and go out and live!
Kelsey sings it from the rooftops, telling of emerald sunlit waves dancing with blustery blue skies and the tantalising promise of summer. Both Kelsey’s band and forthcoming album take the name LETHOWSOW, an old Cornish word for the Seven Stones reef meaning ‘the milky ones’. Greg Dyer plays drums on the song and Ben Kypreos acoustic bass.
Exhilarating backing vocals inspired by Laura Nyro’s Labelle collaboration are the icing on Kelsey’s arrangement. Guest vocalists breathing life into this vision are celebrated folk singer Angeline Morrison whose ‘Sorrow Songs’ was Guardian Number one folk album of 2022, and Maria Heseltine.
Kelsey’s album Lethowsow to be released early summer 2024 will feature seven songs capturing the essence of life in an elemental coastal place.The first single to be released from this collection was Music Of The Waves, in December 2023, with a luscious music video of the West Cornwall landscape and wildlife. The song has received enthusiastic radio play in the UK and across Europe and America.
PREVIOUS SINGLE MUSIC OF THE WAVES WAV/RADIO EDIT
MUSIC OF THE WAVES HIGH RES VIDEO
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