When looking at this photo of the Indigo Roots Band, some may say, “hey… that’s the Paper Dolls band,” while others will think, “that looks like the Band of Kelleys.” And you’d all be right.
Indigo Roots Band is the new name for both of those groups, which are all one and the same. Siblings Bethany, Victoria, and Daniel Kelley have been playing music together since they were wee things, starting as The Band of Kelleys, then picking a new name when their eldest brother, Timothy, left the family band in 2020.
Now Victoria, who plays mandolin and sings lead, tells us that since they are all three young adults, a new name seemed appropriate.
“To be perfectly honest, Paper Dolls was a cool and creative name, but it never fit right. My younger brother didn’t feel cool as a Paper Doll.
Indigo Roots just felt better, since indigo is a shade of blue, and we are a bluegrass band.
Plus, all three of our birthdays are in the same week of the same month, and our birthstone is an indigo sort of color.”
But other than the nom de bleu, everything else is the same. The band performs a dreamy sort of modern bluegrass, based around Victoria’s compelling vocals and mandolin playing, with support from Bethany on fiddle and Daniel on bass. Fully self-contained, Bethany is a qualified audio engineer who runs their studio, The Octopus Garden, while Daniel is a skilled videographer who handles their promo pieces. Keeping it all in the family, so to speak.
And with the new name comes a new single, Gypsy Summertime, which was written by Timothy Kelley.
Victoria says of this one…
“Our older brother wrote this song, and I felt like it’s one any touring musician can relate to, being far away from the people you love.
Jim VanCleve sings harmony with me. He’s the one who inspired me to fall in love with music, and he’s been producing us for several years now.”
Timothy adds guitar on this track, with Rob Ickes on reso-guitar. Have a listen in this lyric video, and enjoy Victoria’s lovely vocal treatment, going from a whisper to full power in a single verse.
Gypsy Summertime is available now from popular download and streaming services online, or for download purchase directly from the artists. Radio programmers will find the track at AirPlay Direct.
It will also be included on the first official Indigo Roots Band album, expected later this year.
