About Sam Kelly
Hometown
Norfolk, England
Born
August 21, 1992
Genre
Contemporary Folk
Sam Kelly is a British singer/songwriter who delivers traditional folk music with an invigorating pop sheen. Hailing from Norfolk and based in Bristol, Kelly first became known after having made his way through to the final round of the 2012 series of Britain’s Got Talent. Despite not having it made to the top spot on the talent show, he pushed on, determined to realize his song ideas. He went on to independently release the 2013 EP Your Way Home. The release displayed the singer's multitude of talents across a number of instruments, as well as his affinity for production. He followed up with the 2015 EP Spokes, which ultimately caught the attention of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Show and landed him a Best Singer nomination at the 2015 Spiral Earth Awards. Recognizing the demand for more live performances, Kelly recruited the talents of banjo player Jamie Francis and percussionist Evan Carson, to take the material on the road. Touring the U.K. exposed Kelly's talents to folk and pop fans around the country and a turning point came after their performance at the Cambridge Folk Festival in 2015 -- having impressed the BBC with the live reception and turnout, Kelly and crew were invited to perform live on BBC Radio 2. That year also saw Kelly collaborate with fellow songwriter Tanya Brittain on a new project called the Changing Room, which focused on reviving the long-lost and forgotten Cornish language into its work. The group went on to win the Best Traditional Song, Best Traditional Band, and Best Original Song awards at the 2015 Pan Celtic competition. The group put out a number of albums including Behind the Lace in 2015 and Picking Up the Pieces in 2016. Feeling the need to expand his sound and bring more of a live aesthetic into his recordings, Kelly brought cellist Graham Coe and fiddle player Ciaran Algar into the fold before entering the studio to record his debut full-length, The Lost Boys, which saw release in late 2015. Kelly's backup band adopted the "Lost Boys" moniker and the full ensemble were once again invited to perform on BBC's Radio 2 Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe; the album was also commended by folk music veteran Mike Harding. Kelly kept busy in 2016, having joined the Company of Players -- a folk collective whose songs were inspired by the work of William Shakespeare -- and also produced the debut EP Tide and Time by Somerset-based songwriter Kitty Macfarlane. With more additions to the Lost Boys collective (flute player Toby Shaer and melodeon player Archie Churchill-Moss), Kelly and the group went on to write and record together, and put out their first effort as a fully fledged band, Pretty Peggy, in late 2017. ~ Rob Wacey
Sam Kelly has also released music as a member of Cymande, Papa George Band, and The Changing Room.
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