Kelley McRae: Sharing the Joy of Music with the World

by Cyrus Webb

If you are fortunate you will learn that life is too important and the world too big to just settle for what is around you. To be committed to a dream means that you are willing to sacrifice it all in order to see it come true. That is what recording artist Kelley McRae has done, and the result has been her being able to share her music with the world.

Her new album BRIGHTER THAN THE BLUES showcases not just her vocal ability but the way she is able to tell a story through music. We had a chance to chat about the journey and what she hopes you all take away from the album in our conversation.

KELLEY ON SHARING MUSIC WITH THE WORLD: "It's a privilege to be able to create music and have people respond to it, knowing that it means something in their lives. It's a joy and humbling process. Overall it's been a pretty amazing experience to be able to continue to create music."

KELLEY ON WHAT KEEPS MUSIC AS A CONSTANT FORCE IN HER LIFE: "I think what has kept music as a constant force in my life is that I feel compelled to do it. I found that I had to create and write in order to be happy and find my joy. The thing about the last couple of years is it's been a transition going full steam ahead and sacrificing alot of things in order to do the music. I fell in love with songwriting. What blew me away is that I am obsessed with writing  like nothing else I've done in my life. It's sort of like falling in love with the right person . It just feels like home. Songwriting has always felt like home to me."

KELLEY ON THE LIGHT THAT IS MUSIC: "I definitely think that music has been a light for me. This album (BRIGHTER THAN THE BLUES) is about finding that light in your life and following it. It came out of a journey of trying to create a life in which i could be fully engaged in music and the challenge of being an artist full-time. This journey can bring a lot of challenges and sacrifices but also a wealth of knowledge and experiences. The title track really grew out of that feeling of freedom in pursuing this thing that I love. "

KELLEY'S IDEA OF SUCCESS: "I think when you start out and you're thinking of what it would be to be in the industry, you have a certain hope about what it means to have that career. As you get older in general your ideas of success change into realizing that if you are able to do this thing which you love that in itself is success."

KELLEY FEELINGS ABOUT GRATEFULNESS: "I read a quote recently that said 'Look closely and you will find that people are happy because they are grateful.' For me being grateful for the success that you can put on the resume is one thing but being able to live this full life and getting to see the world is a totally different experience. I think that if you're not appreciating the little things everyday  then you won't be able to appreciate the milestones when they come. I think that life is made of the little things."

Stay in contact with Kelley at www.kelleymcrae.com. The new album BRIGHTER THAN THE BLUES is available wherever you purchase your music online.

Photo credit: b/w photo credit, Shervin Lainez