Kelley McRae on SoundBetter

“Her voice is tender and hauntingly beautiful, echoing the best of Gillian Welch and Emmylou Harris.” – Penguin Eggs Magazine // Featured on NPR, MTV, Billboard // Toured extensively in US + Europe

Kelley McRae moved to NYC in 2003, signing with sonaBLAST! Records soon after. She has released 5 albums and played hundreds of shows across America and Europe with guitarist Matt Castelein. They released The Wayside in 2016, which debuted at #7 on the Euro-Americana charts and hit #4 on the Roots Music Reports Top 50 Contemporary Folk chart. Kelley’s music has been featured on MTV, Lifetime’s “Army Wives”, an American Airlines commercial, a Unicef commercial, NPR, and more. They were Kerrville New Folk Finalists in 2016 and have played The Riverbend Festival, The Forecastle Music Festival, NXNE, Rhythm N Blooms, the Great River Folk Festival, and more. They’ve performed alongside Justin Townes Earle, Dawes, Nikki Lane, Kim Richey, and The David Wax Museum.

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Credits

Languages

English

10 Reviews - 2 Repeat Clients

Endorse Kelley McRae

by William D Lucey
Verified
First time working with Kelley and she did a great job. Very professional. Well recorded parts. Lovely tone to her voice and captured the emotion of the song perfectly. Highly recommend
by Matthew B.
Verified
Kelley delivered both an incredible performance and harmony composition! She was a joy to work with and added so much depth to the song. Highly recommend, and hope to work with her again in the future!
by Rocky B.
Verified
Master at her craft. gifted vocalist. Did BGvs on a song of mine....loved her vocal warmth...did a masterful job of phrasing perfectly with me ...Couldn't ask for more. Very quick turn around...great communication. All 5 stars and more. will use Kelley again,,,,
I'm 100 percent satisfied and grateful for her contribution.
by The Tune Project
Verified (Client)
I enjoyed working with Kelley on her song. She was great with communicating what she wanted added to the song, and was quick to respond to my questions.
by Sungil Park
Verified
There is a special power in Kelly's voice. The message delivery is clear and alive until the last breath. I highly recommend her
by Charlie
Verified
kelley did an awesome job, hope to work with her again!
by ryanwaynemusic
Verified
Kelley was such a wonderful addition to the songs--added so much depth and character. Professional, timely, consistent. A pleasure to collaborate with. Highly recommended.
by Andre N.
Verified
It was a pleasure to work with Kelley. I was hoping to find voice for some harmonies that could add a complimentary texture to the existing vocals, and Kelley nailed it. She sings with nuance, authenticity and thoughtfulness, which for me is refreshing. I would certainly hope to work with her again.
by Sylvie's Songs
Verified
Kelly has a really lovely voice and is very easy to work with.
by Sungil Park
Her voice is sincere. She's a professional and I Super highly recommend her. And I will definitely work with Kelley again.

Interview with Kelley McRae

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I usually work on music that has indie, folk or country vibes.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I know how to support someone else's work. I take pains to nail the right phrasing or tone that's gonna make your song shine. I'm not just a singing robot - I bring real heart to the project.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I'm obsessed with offering something authentic and emotionally resonate to every single project I work on. This means that you'll hear a real person - a real point of view - in everything I do.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I spend a lot of time listening before I start recording. Whether this is for harmonies, or a lead vocal, or helping someone craft a melody or lyrics, listening and discovering the emotional heart of the song opens every other door for me.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: My husband built our studio from the ground up and I feel ridiculously lucky to have such a beautiful, pro space to work in every day.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: My husband, Matt Castelein, is a sound engineer, producer, multi-instrumentalist and a killer guitar player.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I sing harmony on client's original songs! I LOVE this work and I'm really good at it.