We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kelly Zirbes a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kelly, appreciate you joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

I wish I had taken the music in my life more seriously at different stages of my life. There were many times when the opportunity to do so was right there in front of me but I think I chose not to pay attention because I believed music would always be there for me. I had taken it for granted. As I get older I see so many around me unable to do music because of health and family and I will not take it for granted anymore. I was dancing on stage about a year and a half ago and felt dizzy and weak. Turns out I was just out of shape and dehydrated and I knew then that only I could change the direction and speed at which I play and pursue my music. I’m working on making more opportunities, appreciating my place in the music world and working hard to expand it all. I always felt the need to share my music but now I want to get it out there to as many folks as I can before I am unable to do so.

Kelly, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Kelly Zirbes, the lead singer of the Los Angeles based band Kelly’s Lot. I started my band in 1994 with my close friend Alex Peterson, Yes, 29 years ago! We started as an original Folk/Rock,and Blues band and still carry that description today. Our first concert was at The Roxy and we have played all over Southern CA, toured the USA and parts of Europe ever since. After Alex retired from the band in 1996, Perry Robertson joined as a guitarist and has produced most of the 16 albums we have released. We are now just beginning to gear up to play many more gigs and take our commitment of music to full time and to the next level. At the young age of 62, Perry and I consider ourselves proud late bloomers.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Sharing my words and music about surviving the negative aspect of life. Everyone needs it and most can relate to that. We all want life to feel better and get better. In my teenage years I listened to a lot of Cat Stevens. With his songwriting I learned how to spin music into something positive. It can be sad but it also can be about surviving that sadness. People want to survive life with their hearts still beating strong and with passion. Music can do that.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn that ‘I don’t deserve it.’ The backstory is this quote, placed on a bulletin board in a studio where we recorded most of our albums,. Took looking at it so many times for it to finally stick with me outside of that studio.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” – Marianne Williamson

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.KellysLot.com
• Instagram: http://www.Istagram.com/kellys_lot
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kellyslotmusic
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/kellyslot