Indiana-born, Nashville-based singer/songwriter Kiely Connell has centered her music around themes of hard truths and life’s great uncertainties — subjects that remain constant on her second studio album, My Own Company. The project also tackles loss, recovery and the trials and tribulations of managing mental health.
Indeed, Connell lost a longtime friend to suicide (reflected on the heart-wrenching “Restless Bones”) and dealt with the end of a lengthy relationship. On “Damn Hands,” she takes a hard look at the Nashville dating scene and what consent truly means, while on the uplifting “Beautiful,” Connell aims to empower women for more than just their physical appearance.
So, who is Kiely Connell? Read below to find out.
Should we know you?
I believe I’m someone worth knowing
Tell us three things about yourself that are important.
I like old things more than new things. I can spend hours inside any antique shop or flea market just inventing stories about the life of any object that interests me.
I experienced the loss of a friend when we were teenagers. Learning that someone your age has taken their own life is something that sticks with you from the moment on. It changes the way you view life and the way you navigate it. When you’re that age, you feel invincible, and to learn that someone was struggling so much in silence shook the core of my being. I can say with certainty that I was never the same after I lost him.
I studied theater in college and I did go on to act professionally after I graduated, and I think I incorporate a lot of my theatrical background into how I structure my albums and how I build a setlist. I always want the audience to feel like they’re in it with me and I try to do a lot of storytelling at my live shows in between each song.
Tell us something that’s embarrassing
I’m rarely embarrassed but I can remember a few times in college when we were under tight deadlines for our classwork. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to memorize Shakespeare in an afternoon, but needless to say, it did not go well. I was up there in front of my entire class mumbling nonsense like a total goober, because making up Shakespeare makes absolutely zero sense at all. If you want to feel like an idiot, it’s easy — all you have to do is fall flat on your face in front of extremely competitive hyper-critical 19-year-olds.
Who’s your biggest influence?
I’ve got to go with Patsy Cline, because that woman taught me how to sing. I spent my childhood singing along with her, and I still sing several of her songs at my twice-a-week residency at Chief’s on Broadway in Nashville. She had so much power and yet so much vulnerability in her delivery and that’s something I try to emulate when I sing.
Who’s your smallest influence?
I’d say Tim Burton. I bring a lot of his gothic dramatic color scheme into my wardrobe and overall aesthetic. One of my best friends once said, ‘Your aesthetic is Waylon Jennings meets Tim Burton,’ which feels pretty dead-on. I’ve been obsessed with all things Burton since I was a child. I was the peculiarly wise child humming the score of Edward Scissorhands when I was seven.
Who’s the most exciting musician in 2024, besides you?
I mostly listen to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks, but Chappel Roan seems cool. I dig the aesthetic and that ’80s sound.
Name three Americans so odious that they should be set adrift in a dinghy in the Arctic Circle with enough food and water to only last 24 hours.
I feel like the right thing to do here is plead the Fifth. I’m still working on the whole ‘if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all’ thing.
Do you believe in magic?
I want to believe in magic. I try to remain realistically optimistic, because possibility leaves room for magical happenings.
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