New Jersey artist Kelly Reynolds talks to us about her new single, ‘Live A Little’, from her debut album, ‘Unbound’.
‘Live A Little’ started as a homework assignment and ended up on your debut album as the lead single. What’s the last thing that surprised you about your own writing…A song that went somewhere you didn’t expect?
As a young artist and songwriter, I seemed to be most comfortable writing songs about more profound, difficult feelings. My songs tended to be slower and more subdued, with emotional ties, like my singles Stone Statue and Medicine. However, as I have made my way through college, my personality has changed in many ways, something that I have been surprised by has been that this personality shift is reflected in my songwriting. I find myself becoming more confident, independent, and genuinely happy. Because of this, ‘Live A Little’ is, in a sense, my first “happy” song. It’s upbeat instrumentation and joyous lyrics are something I never thought I would be able to write 3 or 4 years ago, but it has definitely become one of my favourites.
You grew up performing in Asbury Park, a scene with a pretty mythic reputation in Jersey. Was there a specific night or moment on one of those stages where something shifted for you?
I had a gig through Lakehouse at the Chubby Pickle during my senior year of high school. I don’t remember exactly when it was, but I know that I will never forget the feeling that this gig gave me. With all my friends and family front and center, packed against the stage, singing and dancing to my music, I really felt like a true singer-songwriter. I feel like as an artist, seeing other people sing the lyrics that you wrote alone in your bedroom is really validating, as it almost solidifies the song as something real. After this gig, I really focused on my songwriting—I think I wrote around five songs just in that week, running off of pure adrenaline and excitement. After this night, I knew that I really wanted to give music a shot.
‘Unbound’opens with a song about self-doubt you wrote at 15 and closes with a wedding song for your brother. If you could go back and play that 15-year-old version of yourself one song from the album, which one would it be and why?
After first reading this question, my immediate answer was the final song on the album, ‘Live A Little’. Being such an upbeat song, my mind went to its potential power to remind younger me to let loose and stop caring so much about what other people think. However, after thinking about it a little more, I would simply play her stone statue, Unbound’s first song. Although the journey of figuring out who I was, being broken and then putting myself back together, was difficult, I think it was also imperative to making me who I am today. In these years, I learned so much about things like how to love myself fully and about how to be okay with being alone. That is why if I were able to go back and play that 15-year-old version of myself one song from the album, it would be Stone Statue, so that I could allow myself to grow through these difficult emotions while also showing her that she is not alone.
You’re studying Psychology at Princeton and writing music that’s pretty emotionally precise. Do those two things talk to each other in your head, or do they live in completely separate rooms?
They’re definitely in the same room!! Honestly, they’re probably sitting at the same desk. Studying psychology has given me a language for things I was already trying to express in music, especially when it comes to emotion, how it forms, how it shifts, how people make sense of it. So when I’m writing, I’m not just describing a feeling, I’m also kind of observing it, turning it over, figuring out where it comes from and what it does. At the same time, music lets me go somewhere psychology can’t always reach. It’s less about explaining and more about capturing something how it actually feels in the moment. I think the two push each other—psychology keeps me honest and precise, and music keeps me from over-analyzing. So essentially, they’re in constant conversation.
What are three songs you’ve had on repeat lately that have nothing to do with your own sound… stuff that might surprise people who think they already know your taste?
‘Necklace’ by Gabriella Rose has been on repeat for me recently. Something that isn’t reflected in my music, now at least, is the fact that I LOVE country. It’s a space I’ve been wanting to explore more, and I’ve actually been working on a few things in that direction lately, which is exciting!! ‘Super Rich Kids’ by Frank Ocean is one that always comes back around when the weather starts getting nicer, around this time of year. There’s something about the instrumentation that just feels a warm summer night to me. Also, I’ve always said that if I could only listen to one artist for the rest of my life, it would probably be Frank Ocean. His songwriting is just on another level. The way he builds images and captures really specific emotional states is something I’m constantly inspired by. And finally, ‘Drive ME Crazy!’—honestly, it’s just a great song. I’ve been really into that whole album lately.
Listen to ‘Live A Little’ below. You can find out more about Kelly Reynolds and her music online on her official website, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.