Kelsey Sprague

Kelsey Sprague is a young Indie Pop/ Indie folk singer/songwriter. She's a full time glasses wearer and it is an honor to interview her. Her voice is very beautiful and she is one of the young artists out you should absolutly listen to. 

Her first video was already posted on this blog last year: Kelsey Sprague.

Kelsey does not have any website yet but you can like her music page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelsey-Sprague-Music
and listen to her songs:
https://soundcloud.com/kelseyspraguemusic



Thanks so much for the interview. How are you?

Thank you for your interest, its a great feeling to know that someone is connecting with my music.


I came across your music and just love your sound and voice. You live in Utah, correct?

Thank you! I am originally from Utah, but I just moved from Seattle, WA to Pueblo, CO last June.


Can you tell us a little bit about your personal background and where you come from?

Sure, I grew up In a small rural town west of Salt Lake City, Utah called Grantsville. My Dad is from Wyoming and my Mom is from Brazil. I have an older brother and an older sister.


What started your love for music, and how old were you?

Well, my mom tells this great story about going to the doctor when I was a baby and I was humming in the exam room so I guess it was something that has just always been in my nature. I loved watching sing-a-long videos as a child and have performed in school plays and community theatre programs since I was small. I have always loved the radio, oldies music especially and thats mostly what I grew up listening to. My older sister and brother have also been large influences for me when it comes to music. Like any younger sibling I always looked up to them and therefore anything they listened to and thought was good, I would listen to and find a love for. My sister actually learned to play the guitar and the piano first, she would wake me up early on saturday mornings after having been awake learning songs by herself begging me to sing with her. We learned to sing and harmonize together by singing church hymns and then as we got older she would learn our favorite songs on the guitar and I would figure out a harmony and we would entertain ourselves that way for hours. Its still like that when I go home to visit.


You play the guitar. Are there any other instruments you can play?

I tried learning the piano when I was younger but it never really stuck with me, I mostly learned to play guitar so I could have something to sing to once I moved away from Utah and my sister. It kind of forced me out of my comfort zone as a back up singer and actually got me to start songwriting which I hadn't really tried before. I was very shy about playing in front of people actually, my sister is very talented with interments and learning by ear, and I was very critical of myself for a while because it didn't really come as easy for me. I still struggle with concentrating on playing guitar while singing but its slowly getting easier. My sister and I are trying to work out coming together to make and album this summer, so I look forward to making that happen.


How was your voice discovered?

Im not sure exactly what you mean, but I have never really been shy about singing, I love an opportunity to sing with anybody, its so much fun to me. I have also noticed that like attracts like so to speak, and I always seem to meet people who are artists or writers or musicians and you end up making all sorts of connections with people you would never expect that way. So I guess you could say by making always new friends.


Do you write the lyrics of your songs?

Yes. When I first moved to seattle, I made a new friend who was a musician and at the time I could only play covers of other people's songs. So my friend challenged me to write a song everyday for a month. I tried it and it was a good challenge but of course none of the songs were any good until there was something behind them. Once I started writing songs that drew from my experiences in love and my relationships, thats when it all came together.


I like the songs 'Take My Heart' (amazing song), 'Know better', 'Words are words are words' or 'New Land', How many songs have you recorded?

The only songs I have recorded are on my soundcloud account which I made on my iPhone in my living room. I mostly use soundcloud and recording for my writing process, so far I have 14 songs recorded on my soundcloud but none have been recorded professionally yet.


Do you plan to record an album or to write more?

Yes, I would like to record at least an EP if not a full album by the end of this summer, I'm in the beginning stages of organizing that now. As far as continuing to write more, I plan to write songs for as long as I am inspired to write them. I also sing back up vocals in my boyfriend's garage soul band called Mike Clark and the Sugar Sounds and we have plans to record a live album at the Oriental Theatre in Denver, CO in March so I am looking forward to that as well.


Do You Want A Music Career?

Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. I have friends who are full time musicians and I see their struggles and I see the rewards and its not easy to live that way but it definitely inspires me. I plan to pursue making music for as long as it is fulfilling to me and I have a passion for it.


What musicians have the greatest impact on you and why?

One of my major influences is Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley. I have always loved her clever songwriting, and we have somewhat of a similar range, I think she is brilliant. Camera Obscura is a big one when it comes to my songwriting structure and kind of feel. Doris Day, I grew up absolutely idolizing her in musicals like Calamity Jane and Annie Get Your Gun. Ella Fitzgerald, Patsy Cline, Connie Francis, Harry Connick Jr., Feist, Gwen Stephani, M. Ward, Weezer, The Beatles, the its goes on and on... I love music with undertones of romance and blues. I can"t even count all the musicians that have influenced me because there are just so many good ones out there that have shaped me in one way or another. Also, my friends. A lot of my musician friends have influenced the way I write and play music for sure, they have really taught me the most about how to open myself up to the whole process,


Do you have a particular pattern of writing and creating music?

Kind of, there are days where I wake up, have breakfast and two cups of coffee and then its like once the coffee kicks in I feel it coming and I've got to pick up my guitar, but there have been even more times where I am driving to work or in the grocery store or standing in line at the bank and I get inspired by something I am feeing or something someone says and write it down in my phone or I hum it into the voice recorder and then later on it becomes a song. I wrote Take My Heart in the car at four in the morning on my way to work.


Do you have a web site to publicize your music?

Not yet, I just have a music page on Facebook with a link to my soundcloud account, but I am finding more and more that it would be helpful to make a website, I am hoping to complete that along with the album so that I can post my new music as well as my album on the website for people to find if they like it.


Have you touring or any plans for a tour?

Once I have an album recorded I would like to put a tour together, hopefully one along the west coast because I love the west coast but I have only just played my fourth show ever this past Valentine's day and I'm still learning the ropes so to speak of being a performing musician, so yes I hope to tour eventually but I'm still working on getting my music out there for people to be able to listen to first.


What do you think of this blog and have you discovered some singers?

I think its great to be able to support other female musicians, and I have learned a lot by watching their videos on this blog. I also like these interviews, I thinks its fun to learn a learn about people"s backgrounds, it gives a different appreciation for their music I think when you can get to know a little bit what they are about.


I think your glasses look great on you! Do you wear your eyeglasses everyday?

Thank you! I do, I have worn glasses since the seventh grade. I feel like they are kind of a part of me now.


How important is your own appearance to you?

I think its fairly important. I was raised with the Idea that your personal appearance is a reflection of having pride in yourself and in who you are. My mother and my grandmother both never left the house without being dolled up and put together not as a matter of impressing other people but because they took pride in taking care of themselves, and feeling beautiful. Nothing can stop a woman who feels beautiful and confident with herself.


If you had to go to a deserted island and could only take five albums with you, what albums would you choose?

Oh boy, Thats Tough. Radiohead- In Rainbows because its brilliant and reminds me of good times. Bob Marley- Legend Because it always cheers me up when I'm sad. Monsters of Folk- Self Titled album because its full of star power and I love every song on that album. Brandi Carlile- The Story I Identify a lot with her writing and love singing her songs at the top of my lungs when I am alone. The Dirty Dancing Movie Soundtrack because its full of hits! i know I'm going to think of a really awesome album later and smack my hand on my forehead for forgetting it!


Have you new challenges ahead?

I hope so, otherwise what kind of adventure would that be!? I have never recorded and album before so I'm sure there will be aspects that will be challenging about that but I am excited about have new experiences with music and look forward to growing as a musician.


English translation: Nina Sarenka Rud