We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Korey McKelvy. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Korey below.
Alright, Korey thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of our favorite things to hear about is stories around the nicest thing someone has done for someone else – what’s the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?
It feels impossible to pinpoint THE kindest thing anyone has ever done for me, because as long as the intention is there, well kindness is just kindness. We don’t have to rank it, right? The impact can certainly be contextual, though, and one meaningful memory is have is from probably 2009, I’d say. I was 20ish, in nursing school, but also busking on the streets of Eureka Springs, Arkansas regularly to make money. It’s where I started finding my confidence with public performance, and my voice in music, since I was out of high school and no longer had my musical outlets. I was just walking down the street with my then partner on a cloudy day. Though Eureka is a tourist town, it wasn’t particularly busy that day. A couple of gentleman had parked their motorcycles next to the sidewalk, and I don’t remember the whole interaction, but they were kind, approachable. One of them pulled something out of his tank bag, and told me he’d been carrying it around with him for quite some time, waiting for the right person to give it to. It was an envelope. I thankfully accepted it and went on my way. When I got in the car to go home, I opened it up, and there was a card inside. And inside of the card was a $100 bill, and sweet words of encouragement. He’d been carrying it for so long that the ink of the bill had been imprinted onto the card. It filled me up with warmth, and I still have it.
Korey, 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?
I’m a 35-year-old Fayetteville, Arkansas native who has been singing since I could talk. Music and psych nursing are my passions! My first memories of singing are from when I was 4-5 years old listening to Kenny Rogers records at my grandparents’ house. I’d stand on the piled up bags of dog food, or the well platform outside the house and that would be my “stage.” My grandparents loved to watch Star Search, and I wonder if that’s where some of that performance play came from. Because truthfully, I’ve always been shy, so there’s been quite a bit of anxiety around performances that are anything besides me just sitting on a sidewalk singing to passersby. And yet, I’ve always been driven to share my voice with people. There’s just something internally that compels me to it, and the times in my life where public playing has been absent, or sparse, my mental health has greatly suffered. So that tells me, I just have to keep going! In 2008 I moved out to Madison County, closer to Eureka Springs than I’d ever lived, and there I found artists being artists. Buskers were plenty, and I thought….”Ok, so I can just sit out here and sing to people.” The first time I did, I made enough dollars to feel encouraged, and so I continued. I fell in love with busking, and the smiling faces, kind words and stories. “The voice of an angel” they’d say. “I heard you singing all the way up the street!” And it never failed to fill my bucket. People who heard me busking gave me opportunities to be on stages in town. Those years of busking and performing in Eureka were the catalyst for all to come. I started writing my own songs, and I reached a point when it just felt necessary to record them, for myself. A Kickstarter got me mostly funded for my first album, and then a band was born through that process. I founded bluegrass fusion band, The Ozark Travelers, and we released two albums (2014, 2016). Life changed a lot and the band that was my passion project never quite got off the ground, in spite of playing some really cool shows. We each wanted something a little different from music and the investment just wasn’t there. Two years after disbanding, changing jobs, having a baby, and going through a divorce, I reconnected with a high school choir-mate. We formed all-female Americana band, Dandelion Heart. Five years later, we’ve honed our sound and we play gigs that resonate with our vibe (think house shows/listening rooms). In that period, I was also approached to be the lead vocalist for a Fleetwood Mac tribute show that some of my friends wanted to put on. It was an exciting opportunity, and we loved it so much, we decided that Deepwood Mac would continue performing. That gave me so much more confidence it being a “leader” of a band, and with an instrument out of my hands for the first time, I began figuring out what the heck to do with myself onstage. In May of 2023, I released my first solo EP, “The Other Side of the Mountain.” It really was just a gift to myself for all the transformation I’d gone through, and the hard work I’d done. It’s six songs of my soul, and available for streaming! The way was paved, and upon meeting and falling in love with my funk-loving partner, the formation of this soul-funk-disco-blues endeavor was imminent. Korey McKelvy Band is where I’m exploring, learning new things about myself, my musical perspective, where I should focus, and what I can grow. At this point, we need music, and we all need it in different ways. The goal now is to share everything I can, as lovingly as I can. I’m so blessed and grateful to be able to participate in multiple projects that all fill a different musical need for me. I can still be the singer-songwriter, the harmonizer, the banjo player, the mando player, and the show-stopper.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
My hope is that the most utilitarian folks among us can come around to the idea that art and creatives are necessary for a flourishing, fulfilled society. So often, I get that old “Imposter Syndrome” that tells me only other musicians really appreciate what I’m bringing to the table. But when I see people who don’t make music flying above the clouds at a live show, I remember that I am very likely more valued than I, or even they, realize. And I think the noticing, and the pointing out of what music (and art, period) does for humans is critical. Can we survive without it….probably, but we’ll never know because for all of time, people have desired to dance, to sing, to make pictures, and that’s because we’re not just trying to survive. We also need joyful experiences, that are shared. Certain people are also quick to say that music is not a viable career path. I’ve made sure that I have a job that I love, that also ensures bills are paid, so that I CAN make music as much as I want without the pressure of having to hit a certain budget. That is what was best for me, but any musician who is willing to work at their craft and wants it to be their source of income, should absolutely be able to do so proudly. Because if you want to get down to it….we don’t NEED corporations, we don’t NEED fast food restaurants, or stock markets, or gym memberships. We don’t NEED most of the things that are peddled to us each and every day. We do, however, need creativity and connection and imagination to forge new paths, find solutions, and grow hearts.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The reward is connection. It is 100% why I sing to people. Humans need connection, and music helps me build it every day.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.koreymckelvymusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kmasterk_shenanigans?igsh=YW41ODJ3Z2Rhd3A0&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/koreymckelvymusic?mibextid=uzlsIk
Image Credits
Festy Panda Photography Lens Audio Mythos Photography Vespertine Vulpine Media Red Wax Photography