PWYC
(This show is taking place in the United Way office)
Kelly McMichael is an artist based in St. John’s, Newfoundland, originally from Peterborough, Ontario. She is a multi-instrumentalist who can sling a guitar, serenade on piano and program beats in equal measure. Known for genre-bending, Kelly’s early songwriting career was established in Ontario around 2007 through DIY feminist synth bands Rouge, and later on, Renders. Her interests cover a broad range of classic pop /rock production styles that flirt with psychedelia and provide rich packaging to McMichael’s commanding vocals and well-crafted songwriting. Kelly has toured North America and Europe and joined acts like The Burning Hell, Tim Baker, The Hidden Cameras and Sarah Harmer. After a decade as a side player, McMichael’s independently released debut LP Waves had a breakthrough in 2021, garnering a spot on the Polaris Prize shortlist, three Music NL Awards, and the ECMA for ‘Best Rock Recording’, and she now focuses on her solo career.
Kelly’s sophomore album is a fearless expansion on the classic sound of her debut. Recorded and co-produced with Jake Nicoll again, this music sits in the comfort of its core ideas while being utterly unafraid to try new things, including McMichael doing much of the recording herself. It plays exactly how its maker intended. “I write and record in a way that you’re just giving the song what it needs. Why limit the creativity? I don’t want limitations.” After The Sting Of It comes out fall 2024.