"Kels"

KELS is the perfect mix of jazz, pop and soul. Her brash vocals and sultry style reflect the old school sound of some of her biggest influences- Ms. Lauryn Hill, Sarah Vaughan, Erykah Badu, Adele, and Amy Winehouse with a profound lyricism to match. Born in Germany to military parents, she moved often as a child. By age 5 she was living in Pittsburgh with her mother and brother. KELS started writing songs at 13 years old. Growing up she was heavily involved in choir, singing at church and in jazz ensembles. Her debut EP, Slow Ryde, released in November 2021 displays her unique vocal style and versatile songwriting. KELS debuted her original music at a series of music festivals in Pittsburgh during the summer of 2021- headlining at The Three Rivers Arts Festival, Millvale Music Festival, Picklesburgh and opened for Kat Wright on her fall tour stop at Thunderbird Music Hall. In early 2022, KELS released a series of live renditions of original music. Most notably, her independent release of “Just Let Me Go (Live at Kingfly Spirits)” gained over half a million views on TikTok and has been streamed over a quarter of a million times across all listening platforms. Her newest release, "Be Fine." was featured in Earmilk and Newsweek as well as on a billboard in downtown Atlanta. KELS has been based in Atlanta for one year, and recently held her first headlining show at Smith's Olde Bar. The show sold out before doors opened. KELS is currently touring the United States independently.