Rorie Kelly
Written by: Brianna Coccia - April 2024
Edited By; Travis Ryan
Introductions
Rorie Kelly’s (she/they) sound is best described as what it would be like “if this genetically impossible thing happened where Brandi Carlile, Alanis Morissette, and Sara Bareilles had a baby. It’s singer‐songwriter energy, but also screaming.”
…Inherently making Rorie Kelly's music the perfect soundtrack to cry to. And cried to it, I have.
The music bug bit Rorie Kelly early on in life. They grew up watching both of their parents work in the music industry, with their mom doing what Rorie does now — gigging as a full-time musician — and their dad as a producer and audio engineer.
Once they hit puberty and started to figure out who adult Rorie was going to be, they heard the song Sunny Came Home by Shawn Colvin on the radio and realized one important thing: They had to learn how to play the guitar.
“That song was everywhere that summer. It was about this woman coming home and having a reckoning with her past trauma and the people who didn’t believe her. She was putting her foot down and stating, ‘No more of this.’
As someone who was living in a small town where everyone knew each other, I was the oddball out. The weird art kid. That was all I needed to hear at the time to embrace weirdness instead of conformity.”
And so Rorie was off on their musical journey, quickly finding a guitar amongst the many in the house and hiding it behind a chair to have it as their own. They took to having their own private lessons when no one was home, starting down a path they would continue down for years to come — doing it themself since 1984.
Shows & Streams
They experienced another monumental moment in their musical journey in their 20s, when they featured at an open mic at the headquarters of a popular magazine, Canvas, in Huntington.
“I was writing a lot of dark music at the time and just going through a lot of shit. Music was therapy for me; it always was. At the time, I identified playing music on stage as just screaming. Then a woman came up to me after the show and told me it was therapeutic and validated her.”
A small but impactful interaction with this random stranger shaped Rorie’s perspective forever; they realized they were put on this earth to heal people through honest confession.
You can catch Rorie doing all the things this April:
First, see them on April 6th at Rockwood Music Hall with The Ladybeast Collective from 4 to 6 p.m., located at 196 Allen Street, NYC, Stage 1. This original music presentation will feature Rorie alongside other local favorites Nicola Vasquez, Debbie Deane, and Nico Padden.
Next, catch them hosting a virtual workshop called MAIN CHARACTER ENERGY with Celia Werner and Melissa Marie from April 8 to 11.
Then, on April 21st, round out your month at YOU HAVE THE POWER: A Night of Full Moon Magic at the Winston in Sayville from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Can’t make it out? Don’t fret! Rorie has you covered. In addition to attending their very active Twitch streams, you can check out their latest single, “Saltwater”, on all streaming platforms now! Rumor has it another new single, “Crystal Waters”, is on its way soon. Stay tuned and subscribe to their streams and socials for more magic from the original Ladybeast, Rorie Kelly.
