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Independent
artist and
guitar virtuoso
Kelly Richey has
written and
co-produced an
all-original
studio
recording, Carry
the Light,
which will
firmly grab the
attention of the
press and music
fans
everywhere. Richey’s
songwriting and
vocals harmonize
the stage with
her powerful,
take-no-prisoners
guitar playing,
expressing the
genuine talent
and versatility
of this
accomplished
artist.
Carry the Light reflects
every bit of
Richey’s stellar
guitar tone and
style, while
propelling her
into a new light
as a thoughtful
and insightful
singer/songwriter.
The 11 tracks
range from
personal
reflection,
contemplation
and question of
the world we
live in, to
illumination.
The songs on
Carry the
Light
capture and
define the sound
of The Kelly
Richey
Band. Many of
her previous
releases have
been a blend of
original
material mixed
with covers by
other artists;
Carry the
Light
breaks that
tradition and
puts forth 11
new and exciting
original tracks.
“This CD was
written with two
dear friends:
one is my guitar
mentor, John
Redell, and the
other came to me
as a guitar
student/songwriter,
Steve Carroll,”
says Richey.
“Each week for
four months,
John and I got
together and
hammered out
song ideas.
Many songs were
passed on to
Steve to add
either a chorus,
bridge or to
strengthen the
melody line.
Steve also sent
songs he wrote
based on
ideas/concepts
we discussed and
John and I
constructed
guitar parts to
help make the
songs come to
life on the
stage. I was
constantly
challenged by
John to grow as
a guitarist, and
challenged by
Steve to
construct songs
that stood alone
with or without
guitar
wizardry.”
“I recorded each
song in demo
form in my own
studio over the
summer,” recalls
Kelly. “After
the basic
framework of
each song was
constructed, I
asked my
drummer, Shane
Frye, to be
there as we
began
pre-production.
With John
playing bass and
Shane on drums,
we’d jam to make
sure that each
song would
transfer to the
stage and work
as a three piece
band. Having
John for
pre-production
was a luxury, as
he pushed my
guitar ideas to
their fullest.
Having my
drummer involved
helped to bring
the song's
musical
arrangement to
its best
potential, as it
allowed for the
songs to be
packed full of
live energy,
while keeping
each track to a
3 - 4 minute
song.”
Once the demos
were complete,
Kelly at first
thought she
would record the
CD herself but
soon realized
she had a much
larger project
on her hands and
began seeking a
studio and
co-producer for
the project.
She was lucky
enough to have
heard about Rick
Brantley in
Cincinnati, who
ended up being
the perfect
complement as
co-producer.
“Rick, too, was
a guitarist and
had a guitar
player’s dream
studio,” she
remembers. “I
asked Rick to
co-produce the
project because
I knew I had
taken the songs
as far as I
could and needed
an outside
perspective to
insure that the
CD sounded like
the best
commercial
release
possible, while
maintaining the
character that
it had when
written.
“Rick and I were
a great fit. We
decided that I
needed to move
away from such a
‘live’ mentality
and into a more
studio frame of
mind, so we
chose to bring
in session
players who
could capture
the foundational
tracks with
perfection and
speed; then, we
could place the
majority of our
time in
capturing the
best guitar and
vocal
performances
that I could
produce.”
Her plan worked,
and the result
is Carry
the Light,
an exceptional
CD that the
Kelly Richey
Band can make
their own and
take to the
stage. ”I
feel that this
CD says
something that
needs to be said
in this day and
age when
commercialism
often supersedes
the realities
that we as
individuals
face,” says
Kelly. “I feel
that this is an
important role
that music
provides in
society,
especially
during times
when we face
such conflict
and division.
Music has always
been the
medicine as well
as the vehicle
to carry light
and hope from
each generation
to the next.”
Kelly Richey
Talks About Some
Of The Songs on
Carry the
Light
The title
track is what I
would call my
own defining
“guitar song,”
with a chorus
that leaves you
singing, which
describes what
it is we do as
traveling
musicians. As
the lyrics say:
‘”Somewhere
inside, there's
a song to be
sung. You gotta
let it out, just
to help
someone. If
there's a wrong,
you gotta make
it right. Let
the music, carry
the light.” The
inspirations for
this song were
Jimi Hendrix’s
“Manic
Depression” and
Eddie Van
Halen's “Ain't
Talkin' About
Love.”
“I Want You” is
about personal
responsibility,
written from a
liberal
perspective; in
essence, keep
big government
out of my life,
let me live and
be free and as
the chorus
states: “Every
day of our lives
that go by, WE
hold the key.”
"What In The
World (Were We
Thinking)” is a
song about the
current state of
affairs in this
country as well
as in our
world. I’ve
realized how we
have taken for
granted that
things would
simply be ok and
they absolutely
are not. We as a
country are at
one of the
greatest
crossroads we
have ever faced
and we need to
realize that
things are
accomplished not
on the left or
right, but in
the middle. It's
time to wake up,
grow up, stand
up and move
forward with
hopefully a new
level of thought
and approach to
our world around
us. We need the
insight to pull
together as the
bridge in the
song states:
“We don't have
to look too far,
to see the
pain. Step
outside your
door, it falls
round you like
rain. We'd have
to close our
eyes, not to
see. People
everywhere,
still longing to
be free. The
time has come,
for us to
see....that the
answer lies, it
lies with you
and me!” I feel
that there is
great hope
today, and
without that
hope, we have
nothing.
"Angela's Song”
is dedicated to
a 17 year old
African-American
girl who
graduated high
school early to
go into the
military because
she felt it was
her only hope of
escaping the
life she faced.
"No More Lies”
might sound like
an anti-war song
but it's not.
It's a song that
asks the
listener to stop
and think about
all that we
face, from
global warming
to the war on
terror and how
important it is
that we act so
our children
don't face any
form or a
senseless death.
As the chorus
states, “No more
lies, let's stop
the cries and
save our sons
and daughters
mama, it's time
to realize!”
"Run Like Hell"
is a wake up
call, expressing
the urgency of
our social
dilemma.
“Building
bridges across
rivers deep and
wide We might
need a telescope
to see the other
side. We all
know, that
something must
be done. The
future's fading
fast, just like
a setting sun.
We can hear a
distant sound,
like the ringing
of a bell. We
better do
something fast,
so RUN LIKE
HELL!"
"When All Is
Said And Done"
challenges the
listener to
think about
their life in
light of dying
and not having
any
regrets: "When
all is said and
done, I don't
wanna be the
one, who looks
back on the
things I should
have done. To
think about my
life, and the
dreams that
could've been,
if I only knew
now, what I knew
then."
"Lookin' For A
Fight" is a song
I wrote after
having lunch
with a
conservative
friend. It is
my goal to have
an intelligent
debate with the
hopes that each
of us come away
with a better
understanding of
the other so we
can make the
best possible
compromises
possible to help
move forward
with a stronger
and more
effective
approach to
social change.
Kelly Richey –
Carry the
Light –
Sweet Lucy
Records –
Release date:
June 3, 2008
Distributed
Nationally by
Select-O-Hits
www.kellyrichey.com
/
www.myspace.com/kellyrichey
Publicity
Contact: Mark
Pucci Media
(770) 804-9555 /
mpmedia@bellsouth.net
About Kelly
Richey:
Guitarist/singer
Kelly Richey has
been described
by one music
critic as:
“Stevie Ray
Vaughan trapped
in a woman’s
body with Janis
Joplin screaming
to get out.”
That’s an apt
appraisal of the
Lexington,
Kentucky native,
who’s now been
based in
Cincinnati for
many years. Over
the course of
many album
releases (and a
live DVD),
Richey has often
been compared to
such greats as
Jimi Hendrix and
Stevie Ray
Vaughan because
of her ability
to capture and
entertain an
audience with
ripping guitar
leads that both
sing and
astonish.
As a teenager,
Kelly Richey
practiced guitar
12 hours a day.
“I never set it
down,” she
remembers. “I
took it to
school, I took
it to the
kitchen table
and if I took a
walk it was
strapped on.”
Now, when she
picks up her
guitar to play,
anyone within
earshot is
compelled to
listen. As she
honed her
playing skills
and started
learning more
about her idol's
teachers, Kelly
realized that
their influences
were the blues.
A working
musician since
she was a
teenager, Kelly
Richey began her
professional
career as a
member of the
Arista Records
group, Stealin'
Horses. In
1990, she formed
The Kelly Richey
Band and has
gone on to
become both a
nationally and
internationally
touring artist.
One of Kelly's
most cherished
moments as a
guitarist came
in 1988 when she
found herself
on-stage with
the legendary
Albert King at
his sold-out
show in
Nashville.
Invited on stage
for one song,
King told
Richey, “That
guitar is like a
gun; if you pick
it up, you
better mean to
use it.” And
Kelly did; she
played the
remainder of the
set with the
late blues
legend. In 1993
while playing a
benefit in
Louisville,
another of her
idols, Lonnie
Mack, saw Kelly
perform with her
band. Impressed
with her strong
performance, he
invited her to
join him on
stage where they
brought the
house down with
their dueling
guitar leads.
Since
establishing her
own label, Sweet
Lucy Records,
Ms. Richey has
released ten
CDs, as both a
solo artist and
as The Kelly
Richey Band. The
label has
secured national
and
international
distribution. As
an extension of
Sweet Lucy
Records, Kelly
has built a
studio where she
works with other
artists as well
as recording her
own music. In
her adopted
hometown of
Cincinnati,
Richey and her
band have won
multiple awards
including Best
Blues/RB Band,
Best Rock Band,
Best Musician,
and Best Band.
In addition to
her work as a
touring artist,
Richey’s
involvement with
music hardly
concludes when
the stage lights
go down or the
studio goes
quiet. She has
committed her
life to music
across the
board. For 25
years, Richey
has taught
private guitar
instruction. In
2003, Richey
began developing
a Guitar
Workshop and a
Blues History
program to take
into the
schools. In
2004, Richey
became an
“Artist on Tour”
with the
Cincinnati Arts
Association, and
in 2005, was
added to the
Kentucky
Center’s artist
roster. That
same year,
Richey began
delivering an
adult education
program that
included a
six-week Guitar
Instruction
program. The
following year,
Richey created
Music for
Change, a
501(c)(3)
non-profit
committed to
music education
in today's
public schools,
a discipline all
too often cut
when districts
are hit with
budgetary
constraints. A
variety of
programs
offering live
performances,
lectures, and
interactive
participation
serve to
facilitate
learning
opportunities
for students
while keeping
the history of
American music
alive and
prospering.
Through
standards-based
instruction and
academic
enrichment,
Music for Change
programs support
and strengthen
existing school
curricula.
Richey’s entire
life is
dedicated to
enhancing the
musical
experiences of
students and
audiences alike.
Ms. Richey
recognizes that
music is a
universal
language and the
gift of music
can be used to
build learning
skills and to
strengthen each
student's
imagination.
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