Band Of Kelleys Archives - Bluegrass Today

Maggie’s Farm video from Indigo Roots Band

Of all the young family bands working the bluegrass circuit, few are as impressive as Indigo Roots Band, based near Nashville. Unusually gifted, highly creative, and extremely photogenic, this trio of Bethany, Victoria, and Daniel Kelley have grown way beyond the cute kid stage, and moved on into the mature artist phase of their careers.

If they look familiar, they have performed under two different names previously, originally as the Band of Kelleys starting about ten years ago, then briefly as Paper Dolls, until bassist Daniel began to feel a bit uncomfortable in that role.

Their latest single is the song that first brought this bunch to my attention seven years ago, a powerfully grassed up version of Dylan’s Maggie’s Farm. It’s also when I recognized the seriousness and dedication of the Kelley family to this music. I had discovered a video of them playing this song, but the opening of the performance was missing from the clip. I wrote to ask if they might have it in its complete form, and as they didn’t, they went out and shot a full new music video, complete with sweeping landscapes, in a few day’s time.

That commitment is still there, but the Kelleys are all grown up now, and their recut of Maggie’s Farm shows everything they have to offer to the music. On the top of that list is middle sibling Victoria, who plays mandolin and sings. A tremendously expressive vocalist, she has the chops to go the American Idol or The Voice route to success, but her love for bluegrass and acoustic music keeps her right where she is.

Big sister Bethany is a skilled and inventive fiddler, who has studied for some time with Jim VanCleve, and a fine singer as well, though we don’t get to hear her here.

Indigo Roots Band has also stayed strategically independent all this time, working without a label or publicity people. They built their own recording studio, Daniel has become an ace videographer, and Bethany and Victoria handle the rest of the work associated with being professional entertainers.

For Maggie’s Farm, Bethany is on fiddle, Daniel on bass, and Victoria on mandolin and lead vocal, with Seth Taylor playing guitar on the track (Jed Clark in the video), Rob Ickes on reso-guitar, and Ron Block on banjo. Josh Shilling provides harmony vocals on the recording.

Victoria says of this song…

“We’ve always treasured Bob Dylan’s Maggie’s Farm, a love rooted in our childhood introduction to it, particularly through Mountain Heart’s rendition. Additionally, covering this song held special significance due to our shared Messianic faith with Bob Dylan.

The song’s lyrics strike a chord with us, resonating deeply as they likely do with others, showcasing the profound impact of strong writing. Maggie’s Farm symbolizes our commitment to asserting artistic freedom and retaining control over our musical identity. Navigating the music industry presents its challenges, making the moment of kicking that bucket in our music video all the more satisfying.”

There are a number of cameos in the video, so keep an eye out and see if you recognize anyone.

Bethany also shared something to watch for in the video…

“In the Maggie’s Farm music video, there’s a scene where Victoria writes down her dreams:

1. Play at the Opry

2. Produce our own music

3. Leave Maggie’s Farm

We’ve achieved everything on that list except playing at the Opry – it’s a big goal we’re working hard for! We hope that someday, we can make it come true.”

Check out the track, and the video.

Maggie’s Farm from Indigo Roots Band is available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers will find the track at AirPlay Direct.

The song will also be included on their next album, the first as Indigo Roots Band.

Gypsy Summertime from Indigo Roots Band

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.

So long Band of Kelleys… hello, Paper Dolls

The Band of Kelleys had been making quite a splash on the bluegrass scene this past few years. A family group from Augusta, Georgia which once contained four siblings is now down to three, they have a powerful vocal sound in young Victoria Kelley who plays mandolin with the group. They were Bluegrass Ramble artists in 2018, and wowed audiences in Raleigh that year, but we haven’t heard new music from them in quite some time.

And now we know why.

During the forced break in 2020 when all performing artists were shut out of working, the three Kelley siblings – Victoria, her older sister, Bethany, on fiddle, and younger brother, Daniel, on bass – hatched a plan to emerge from COVID with a new look, a new sound, and a new name.

So we are happy to introduce you to… The Paper Dolls, and their latest single, Pray For Rain. It’s one that Bethany and Victoria wrote with Josh Shilling, that finds the Kelleys in an acoustic vibe that draws heavily from their bluegrass grounding, but with an edge that also incorporates their interest in country and pop music, and the many styles these talented young ladies are currently studying at the Berklee College of Music.

When we caught up with Victoria earlier today, we were curious how they chose the new name.

“It seemed to be a name that really worked well for us, since the songs are like our stories on paper – bringing the art of music to life. Beth and I loved paper dolls as kids, and it felt like a fitting name for what we are doing.

When all our gigs were cancelled last year, it was a perfect time for us to stop and think about what we wanted to do with our music, and where we wanted to go. We realized that we wanted to open our minds to new genres as well, so a new name just made sense. We want the focus to be on the music, and make a distinction from the previous band name

I will say that Daniel is being a great sport about being a paper doll!”

New music from The Paper Dolls comes from songs that have been written over this past couple of years, and recorded in Nashville with Jim VanCleve as producer. Victoria said that they have six songs finished now, and plan to release one every 8-10 weeks over the coming months, with music videos to accompany each of them.

They have chosen to work independently, without a label or a booking agency, keeping their careers a fully Kelley run operation. Daniel has become skilled as a videographer, with an eye towards keeping as much as possible within the band. Bethany is studying audio engineering at Berklee, while Victoria is majoring in songwriting, and it shows in the quality of their work.

The Kelleys have even formed their own support company, Vivid Solutions, offering video, graphic design, and software solutions for both The Paper Dolls and other artists in the music industry.

Let’s have a look at Pray For Rain, the music video for the single, which is available for download now from popular locations online, or directly from the band web site. Seth Taylor joins them on guitar, and Cory Walker on banjo.

The Paper Dolls are using the Patreon platform to help maintain a community of fans and followers, where the Kelleys will offer more music and information than what is released for download. Patreon followers will have access to private livestreams, Q&A sessions, a private Facebook group, early downloads of new music, and even lessons. Like most Patreon pages, fans can choose among three tiers of support, from $3 to $30 per month, with differing levels of access with each tier.

Victoria said that the offerings should appeal to anyone who enjoys their music.

“People get early sneak peaks and behind the scenes content on Patreon, lessons on instruments, songwriting information, plus tips on video and audio production. We share what we have learned at Berklee – Beth is doing audio engineering and I’m in songwriting.”

A great many artists began using Patreon during the shutdown year, finding it allowed them to stay in touch with fans, who were happy to offer some financial support while gigs were non-existent. With live music back this year, it seems that people still enjoy the close contact with their favorite artists, and the regularity of communication.

You can sign up for The Paper Dolls Patreon page online. Followers also get advance notice and discounts on ticket sales, plus discounts on band mech sold online.

You can learn more about the band on their official web site.

A big Bluegrass Today welcome to The Paper Dolls!

The ladies shine in Rye Bar lunch showcase

While the Momentum Awards luncheon was going on this morning, I took the opportunity to slip over to the Marriott Hotel lobby for an unofficial showcase sponsored by Lorraine Jordan and True Grass. It featured several young bands that I had especially wanted to see this week – and it was meatloaf day at the Rye Restaurant!

Thanks to Lorraine and Melanie Wilson, who had saved me a table right next to the band, I was able to enjoy sets by Williamson Branch, The Band Of Kelleys, and Carolina Blue. Each works a different angle of the bluegrass genre, and provided striking contrasts in approach and focus.

We first discovered Williamson Branch here at World of Bluegrass the first year that it was held in Raleigh. Kevin Williamson was still working with The Farm Hands, but brought his wife, Debbie, and daughters Melody and Kadence, over to our press room to sing us a song. The girls were probably about 10 and 14 at the time, but they sang with real authority, along with mom and dad, on a Gospel quartet.

These days it’s a polished professional band. Mom is on mandolin, Dad on guitar, Melody plays fiddle, and Kadence plays a short-scale ukulele bass, with Anthony Howell on banjo. Theirs is a tightly-scripted show, with choreographed routines the girls run through with their dad that are cute, and downright precious when 9-year-old Caroline steps out to join them.

A special highlight is when Melody and Caroline do a duet version of You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man). The mugging is way over the top, but plainly hilarious every time. The Williamsons, all of them, have the entertainer’s understanding of show business, and theirs is an act you could take anywhere. Each of them sing beautifully, and you can see the older girls trying to out-sing the other when they are solo. Friendly competition, all all that.

They were followed by The Band Of Kelleys, also fronted by a pair of young female siblings, Bethany and Victoria Kelley. They are 19 and 16 respectively, and accompanied by their 13-year-old brother Daniel on bass, Jacob Moore on banjo, and Cory Walker on guitar. Cory and Jacob may not be part of the Kelley family, but they both grew up performing with their brothers as teens. Does that make this count as a family band?

Both of the Kelley girls are remarkable performers. Before they moved to Nashville last year, they each had studied with top bluegrass instructors via Skype, Bethany with Jim VanCleve and Victoria with Sharon Gilchrist. It clearly shows, as they picked the fire out of David Grisman’s EMD and closed with a version of Lee Highway Blues that was played well beyond ramming speed, approaching ludicrous speed. The latter is Bethany’s “show off” number, and she wields her fiddle like a weapon.

But the show is ultimately based around Victoria’s singing voice. She possesses the range and agility that characterizes the popular television vocal competition programs, minus the histrionics and “show biz vibe.” As rare as it is to find teen instrumentalists who play with virtuosity, taste, and restraint, it is rarer still to find a 16 year old singer with her level of maturity and poise. Her big numbers are an acoustic take on Aretha Franklin’s classic, Chain Of Fools, where Victoria shows off her chops jumping over her break in a yodel-like fashion, and a mega-grassy version of Bob Dylan’s Maggie’s Farm, driven by the fiddle.

Daniel and Bethany provide the vocal backup, with the blend that only the tonal similarity of family harmony can provide. Unlike the Williamson girls, who dress in simple nearly-matching outfits, the Kelley girls wear trendy and fashionable clothes that set them apart as a more contemporary band, which their pop music sensibility confirms. While they lack the snappy pacing of Williamson Branch, Victoria’s singing is so strong that you forget anything else going on. Love this group!

The luncheon showcase concluded with Carolina Blue, a fast-rising traditional bluegrass group from nearby Brevard, NC. Their appeal is in a vintage/throwback approach, both visually and musically. The guys dress in long sleeve shirts with ties and vest, each with a cowboy hat perched on their head, while fiddler Anysley Porchak is decked out in full antique regalia. From her curt black cap with lace trailing down the back, to her old school black and white shoes, she looks every bit the ’50s fashion icon.

Their sound reminds you of what The Earls Of Leicester do with Flatt & Scruggs, directed instead towards Bill Monroe’s music. But Carolina Blue also includes their own original music, still very much in the Monroe tradition. Much of that impact comes from the mandolin work of Tim Jones, clearly a disciple of Bill, though his playing is cleaner and more precise that what is revealed on the old Blue Grass Boys recordings. Tim also has a lovely tenor voice, which blends nicely with guitarist Bobby Powell’s baritone, in a set that featured a number of brother-style duets.

A highlight was Porchak’s fiddling, on both the vocal and instrumental pieces. Still a young woman, Aynsley is finishing a graduate degree at ETSU, having graduated last year from their bluegrass program. She has the unique distinction of having won the US and the Canadian Grand Masters fiddle tournaments, both before finishing college. An exemplar of the Kenny Baker style, she laid down a wicked version of Big Sandy, essentially a note-for-note replica from the 1976 gem, Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe. She also opened the set with a fiery run through Katy Hill, and did several tasty fiddle breaks on Monroe’s Old Dangerfield, which Jones played as a feature tune on mandolin.

Other strong numbers include the band’s recent Pinecastle single, Rusty Rails, written by Powell and Jones, a soulful run through Cold Rain And Snow, their soaring trio on The Osborne Brothers’ Bluegrass Melodies, and the closing tune, Monroe’s staple, Rawhide. Special marks to banjo man James McDowell for his solo on Big Sandy, played in the Don Reno single-string style, as opposed to the rolling, melodic style most commonly heard on the tune. His banjo tone is dry as a bone – just the way I like it! Bassist Reese Combs was on point throughout, keeping the band on time despite them pushing at the front edge of the beat on all the speedier bits.

As I was forking through the last of my meatloaf and gravy with collard greens, it occurred to me that Carolina Blue provided a parallel experience: bluegrass comfort food. Something warm and familiar that takes you back to an earlier time. It’s good even when it’s average. But when it’s just right, as it is with Carolina Blue, it can’t be beat.

Don’t miss any of these folks if they come your way.

Band Of Kelleys sign with Billy Blue Records

The new Billy Blue Records in Nashville has announced their latest signees, The Band of Kelleys. The family band features siblings Bethany Kelley on fiddle, Victoria on mandolin, and Daniel on bass.

Each of them started playing at roughly four years old, under the tutelage of older brother Timothy, who only recently has left the group to pursue other interests. Still in their teens, these three Kelleys are superb instrumentalists who have studied with top bluegrass artists for many years.

Their biggest attraction is Victoria, who at 15 years of age can belt them out like vocalists who have been singing professionally for decades. Supported by her brother and sister, they turn out dynamic family harmony on familiar bluegrass classics, more contemporary country and pop numbers, and original material they write themselves.

Like so many successful family groups, the entire Kelley family is on board supporting their efforts. After the kids asking for years about moving to Nashville, Tim and Donna Kelley told them that if Tim could find a job in his field there (software development), they would pull up roots in Georgia and make the move. They’ve been there now about a year, and the Kelley kids are turning heads wherever they go.

Jerry Salley, A/R Creative Director for Billy Blue, turns quickly to superlatives in describing his new charges.

“The Band Of Kelleys is an exceptionally talented family with an extremely bright musical future. To say we are excited to be working with them here at Billy Blue Records would be an understatement. We believe they represent every bright aspect of the future of bluegrass music.”

They will be working in the studio soon on a new project to be released next year.

Here’s a taste of Victoria Kelley’s powerhouse pipes on their acoustic cover of Aretha Franklin’s classic, Chain Of Fools.

Look for the Kelleys next week during the IBMA’s World of Bluegrass convention, where they are a featured showcase act for the Bluegrass Ramble. They will also perform at a number of other events in the vicinity during the week and weekend. All of their WOB dates are listed on their web site.

Two new videos from Band of Kelleys

I’ve always said, you meet the nicest bunch of people in bluegrass music. It’s true at festivals and shows, jams and pickin’s and it’s just as true of performers as it is for fans.

This was demonstrated again this week as I made the acquaintance of The Band of Kelleys, a group of four Georgia siblings who play with a passion and a skill that is highly infectious. Their primary vocalist, mandolinist Victoria, is a terrific singer with a very distinctive sound. Joining her are older brother Timothy on guitar, older sister Bethany on fiddle and banjo, and younger brother, Daniel, on bass.

Timothy was the first to get the bluegrass bug, and as he learned to play, he taught all of his siblings to play as well. Now they tour the country performing their mix of original and classic bluegrass, of a decidedly contemporary nature.

I had happened to find a video of them on Facebook doing a rousing acoustic version of Bob Dylan’s Maggie’s Farm, but it was an incomplete recording. I wrote to Bethany to see if they might have the full video, so I could share it with our readers.

She said they didn’t, but would shoot a new video while they were in Colorado over this past weekend and send it along. And boy, did they! Check out this beautiful video with the Rocky Mountains in the distance.

Victoria is only 14 years old, and already a very convincing singer. With her voice pitched a bit lower that most women who sing bluegrass, it’s perfect for a gritty song like that.

But the Kelleys didn’t stop there. They also recorded this second video for Gypsy Summertime, a band original that will be serve as the title track of their upcoming album. Have a look and you’ll see they can do tender as well as tough.

The new album is expected before the end of the summer, with a single for Gypsy Summertime sometime next month. Jim VanCleve is producing them in the studio.

Keep an eye on this bunch. They are doing something unique and worthwhile, and Victoria Kelley has a star quality about her.

Learn more about Band Of Kelleys online.