“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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Languages
- English
10 Reviews - 2 Repeat Clients
Endorse Kelley McRae- check_circleVerified
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
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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!
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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. - check_circleVerified (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.
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There is a special power in Kelly's voice. The message delivery is clear and alive until the last breath. I highly recommend her
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kelley did an awesome job, hope to work with her again!
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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.
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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.
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Kelly has a really lovely voice and is very easy to work with.
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.
I was the singer and songwriter in this production
- Singer - FemaleAverage price - $250 per song
- Songwriter - LyricAverage price - $350 per song
- Top line writer (vocal melody)Average price - $350 per song
- Songwriter - MusicAverage price - $350 per song
Details vary according to project; rates and terms are determined on a project-to-project basis. Rates listed above are ballpark figures.
- Gillian Welch
- Emmylou Harris
- Patty Griffin