Kelly Steward is a Midwestern American singer, songwriter and recording artist hailing from Rockford, Illinois.  Her haunting indie-flavored neo-traditional country meditations are a favorite in this area of the country: a grass-roots musical movement from the state that brought you Wilco.  After a few storied years in Los Angeles where she worked with such artists as The Wallflowers, Kelly headed back to the midwest to record her EP “Long Long Road” with producer and fellow musician Miles Nielsen.   After traveling and playing with Nielsen’s band for two years, Kelly began branching out with her own shows and eventually forming her own band The Restless Kind with guitarist: Greg Whitson, bassist: Scott Ford and drummer: Tony Berkman and recently adding Kristina Priceman on fiddle.  All musicians hailing from Rockford, IL., a heavily musical town that brought you the likes of Cheap Trick.

 

Four years after the release of her well praised EP “Long Long Road”, Kelly takes the seat as album producer (with guitarist Greg Whitson) to put together a collection of emotionally honest songs showcasing her most vulnerable side as a writer.  Five beautifully orchestrated songs meant to instrumentally and lyrically emote the depth of emotion these songs were written with.   Miles Nielsen is featured in a duet on the last track “Somethin’ Else”,  a song that gives listeners a window into what to expect in the future from Kelly Steward and her upcoming album with The Restless Kind next year.  “Out From Within” is sure to be a “gem” to hold on to for years to come.

 

In the vein of singer/songwriters such as Emmylou Harris, Shelby Lynne and Tift Merritt, Kelly Steward is a mainstay and an artist worth not only listening to, but talking about.  Just as her recordings do, her live performance stands on it’s own and 2015 is filling up with dates all across the midwest.