interview with Caro kelley
This June I performed at the Zamanand Festival, along with a whole host of other remarkable acts. Seeing her perform here gave me the kick to interview Caro Kelley,
a remarkable woman who I'd shared the stage with earlier this year at the No Kings Protest...
Photocredits: @krmvisuals
Q: For those who don’t know you, who are you and what’s your Music about?
A: I’m Caro Kelley and I am a German-American musician and musical artist here in Munich. I moved here 11 years ago, have been playing music for over 30 years, and have been writing and releasing my own music for 5. My sound is all over the map, but I usually describe my genre as soul-pop: pop music with elements of jazz, soul, and funk. I do have a bit of indie rock in me as well, especially during our live shows.
Q: You fit right in at the living room stage - your music has a certain cozy aesthetic, what with the sofa tour and all - but when I saw you at the No Kings rally there was a fierceness to you as well.
How do you adjust your performance & vibe to different stages and gigs?
A: I grew up playing and singing by myself, and so when asked to play solo on the piano, I like to think of it as exactly that. A living room, where people feel like the show is intimate and that the audience is experiencing something special. It’s important to me to fit nicely into the vibe of whatever show I am playing, and I change my setlist and the arrangements of the songs to match. However, I really prefer playing with my 7-piece band, which showcases how fun my music can be and allows me to dance around and fully be myself. I am trying more and more to stick to that, because it’s the most authentic to my music and it’s much more enjoyable for me! So sadly, those solo shows will be happening in Munich less and less often.
Photocredits: @patric.eckstein
Q: You showed me a song you came up with when you lost someone in your family - but the song itself doesn’t feel mournful at all.
What’s that all about?
A: Music is magical that way. I love being able to showcase the complexity of emotions in a song, and I like to say that once you have a song that feels like a “good idea,” it begins to write itself. That particular song, “Hung Up On You,” is not a sad song. And it’s more of a love song now than a song about death, even though that’s where it came from. I hid lots of references to death in the lyrics, and I love knowing that it’s more about loss and life and love and the things we all go through. My grandmother was such a fun person, and so while I was sad to lose her, the song and thoughts of her make me happy, not sad.
Photocredits: @krmvisuals
Q: Between the pastel outfits, pigtails, dyed hair, vintage film filters and old phones in videos about group chats, your work is full of conflicting signifiers regarding age and time.
What role do these concepts play in your sound and look?
A: I don’t think it’s conflicting at all, actually. I love the 60s and 70s aesthetic, sure, but I think although those things are “old,” they’re really fun and colourful and bright. It matches my music perfectly: lots of modern recording techniques and sound, but with an old-school songwriting approach and lots of vintage influences. Creating a new aesthetic from familiar things is what branding is all about, and it’s all based around the way I look and dress, which is completely authentically me. I take elements of myself that are true and natural and comfortable to me, and then I build a visual world around that. It’s just so important so that I can be recognisable, especially in the world of social media. Be yourself, and then do it really consistently.
Q: You’re listening to 1000 albums this year - and you also have a bit where you’ll play a song you’ve never played before during a gig.
How do you feel about the vastness of music, and what’s the best song request you’ve ever gotten? Any album recommendations?
A: For album recommendations I’ll send people straight to my website, carokelley.com, where they can see the list of every album I have listened to over the past 2 years, or to my instagram and TikTok, where I talk a lot about what I hear! But I’ll tell you my favorite album of all time is Abbey Road. Doing this listening project — and it’s the second time I have done this — is the most fun thing I have ever done. And yes, I have started taking live requests during my show and I try really hard to play something for the very first time, because I like the vulnerability and it showcases one of the things I do best, which is sight-reading and just TRYING something. My favorite request so far was “Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene” from Hozier, which I was thrilled to try. You know, there’s so much music in the world and I just want to immerse myself in it. I take my job as a musician extremely seriously, and I think it’s a part of my job to be “well-read” in the musical world. Even if I hate something, I love at the very least knowing what it is.
Q: Finally - since I met you through Indie Munich, I’ve noticed your posters popping up everywhere I look.
How’d you get to where you are? And is there anyone in the scene you’d like to shout out?
A: I play about 120 shows a year and have consistently for about 4-5 years now, and I’m thrilled that you think so! You’ve got to get out there and play, and you’ve got to practice your skill. Too many people wait for gig opportunities that never come because they don’t put themselves out there, and then too many people show up under-practiced or under-prepared, in which case you don’t get called back. If you are kind, supportive, hard-working, and good at what you do, the opportunities come rolling in! And if it’s not working as you hoped, you need to sit down and practice more, almost certainly. That’s something a lot of people miss. When was the last time you practiced your instrument? It’s a grind, but it’s incredibly fun and rewarding. As for shout outs, two of my favorite Munich acts right now are Vandalisbin and Elena Rud. Both are making incredible music and are crushing it right now, highly recommend!
