Kelsey Michael and Band

The sonic vision for Kelsey Michael’s music laces her love for 60s and 70s classic singer-song writing - artists such as Laura Nyro and Carole King - with a contemporary art-pop edge.

This mix has already caught the ear of Gilles Peterson who played second Lethowsow single Mounts Bay Morning on his BBC 6 music and Worldwide FM shows this spring. In his June 2024 article for Uncut on the emerging Cornish folk scene, Rob Hughes described Kelsey’s sound as ‘nyro-esque rapture’. Her debut solo album Lethowsow, is due for release on Dimple Discs 12th July. Lethowsow celebrates the art of song whilst transporting us to the magical wild West Cornwall landscape, Kelsey’s home, anchor and inspiration “The suitably immersive Lethowsow deals in the elemental forces that shape coastal existence, both physically and psychologically.”Uncut

Lethowsow (Laith-oh-so), means ‘the milky ones’ in old Cornish. It was used as a name for the treacherous Seven Stones reef on the way to Lands End, a stretch of rocks like sharks teeth always frothing with white water. For Kelsey, Lethowsow represents the awesome and humbling power of nature. The sea is a major character in her music, along with the nature and wildlife of Cornwall. Single Music Of The Waves, released December 2023 was accompanied by a lush nature filled video shot by Kelsey during her cliff ramblings. A singer with a dynamic wide-reaching vocal range, Kelsey can take her listeners to rare and exhilarating places, creating a world of texture within a song. Storytelling, folky drones, uplifting piano songs and dreamy cinematic song-landscapes all play a part in her live show which features Greg Dyer on percussion and bassist Treve Nicol.

Kelsey has lived past lives as a movie soundtrack singer; singing on Jocelyn Pook’s score for Stanley Kubrick’s last film Eyes Wide Shut. In the world of pop music, you’ll find her collaborating with Anglo/Irish avant-pop band The High Llamas and their endlessly inventive songwriter Sean O’Hagan, featuring on five of Sean’s albums including his 2019 solo release Radum Calls Radum Calls. Kelsey released two EPs with her previous London-based band Minnow, the second Out Of The Woods on Stereolab label Duophonic. Lethowsow features folk singer Angeline Morrison guesting on vocals, creator of the award winning 2022 album The Sorrow Songs: Folk songs of black British Experience (Topic).

For more information, visit: kelseymichael.com

Music Of The Waves:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C9HGzDT3-0

Warmth Of The Sun:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrnfpQUQoYE