Singer, songwriter and musician KALEN leapt headfirst into early aughts Brooklyn – a vibrant music scene blooming in derelict DIY venues and undisclosed loft parties off the L train. With her ‘feet on the ground and her head in the sky,’ this New England native hauled her keyboard and amp up and down Bedford Ave, forging a sound rooted in soul, funk and electronic music. During residencies at Alligator Lounge and Spike Hill, Kalen became a neighborhood mainstay, performing high-kicks and jumping off amps in kinetic kinship with the audience.
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More recently she’s exploring electronic music through the sinewy beats of her ‘Death By Piano’ (Hi-4-Head Records) project and performing with ambient rock band Late Sea, all while continuing her solo project KALEN.
Regardless of musical genre, KALEN grabs your collar and pulls you into a compassionate embrace — her voice at once playful and penetrating, jazzy and soulful. Her confessional lyrics, heralded by American Songwriter, reveal the joys and heartbreaks of artisthood in the midst of Brooklyn’s culture-shifting drumfire.
She’s performed at Brooklyn Bowl, Rough Trade, & Joe’s Pub, DC9 (Washington D.C.) and Hotel Café & The Mint (LA). During the pandemic, KALEN brought us into her world streaming her moody tunes in late night solo sessions. Performing live again KALEN tailors each performance (and the accompanying visuals) to the specific site and space, from analog slide projectors coupled with poetry and acoustic bands in Brownstoner salons to projection mapping and thumping tracks with a full electric band on stages around NYC.
Connect with KALEN
Website // Instagram // Facebook // TikTok // YouTube // Spotify