Ian Kelly

IAN KELLY COLOURS OUTSIDE THE LINES

The Montrealer plays against type on his fourth album
BY JAMIE O'MEARA, SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE NOVEMBER 4, 2013

MONTREAL - At the time you might have called it cockerel audacity, or brazen opportunism, or simply just — not to discount purer motives — a gentlemanly offer of assistance to a damsel in distress. In hindsight, you can’t call it anything less than career genius.

Roughly eight years ago, the folks producing an Alanis Morissette concert at Théâtre St-Denis found themselves short an opening act on the day of the show. Local singing and songwriting unknown Ian Kelly, who was working as a sound technician at the cavernous soft-seater, happened to be Johnny on-
the-spot. He had just finished recording his debut album, Ian Kelly’s Insecurity, and despite never having played a solo show before, he gamely offered to warm up the 2,200 souls expected, insecurity notwithstanding.

“I said, ‘Hey, I can do it,’ and they (skeptically) said, ‘Yeah, yeah, we’ll think about it,’ ” Kelly recalls with a grin. “And I’m sure they went back into the office and tried calling a bunch of bands, anyone, and I guess they couldn’t find anybody else, because they came back and said, ‘OK, you’re on.’ So I went home, got my guitar, grabbed two boxes of CDs and I did a show.”

Kelly’s efforts paid off, both figuratively and literally.
“Oh yeah,” he says, smiling. “I sold about 50 or 60 CDs.” Kelly would go on to sell a lot more than that. The Morissette slot was but the first of a few key serendipitous circumstances that would lead the bearded and bright-eyed product of west-end Montreal to his current home on the roster of the esteemed local label Audiogram. They would go on to release his gold-certified sophomore LP, Speak Your Mind, in 2008 and the well-received Diamonds & Plastic in 2011.

Tuesday marks the release of Kelly’s fourth album, All These Lines. However, fans expecting more of the same acoustic-rooted folk-pop that characterized much of the writing on Kelly’s first three releases are going to be in for something of a surprise. Or perhaps a shock, depending on whether they like
their glass of ambitious, emotive pop-rock half empty or half full. To be sure, All These Lines wouldn’t be out of place on the playlists of fans of the Fray, Travis and even (perhaps especially) Coldplay, stacked as it is with soaring choruses, effects-laden electric guitar and painstakingly layered analog synth treated in a wide, wet production style one might more closely associate with a Brian Eno or a Daniel Lanois.

What, pray tell, happened?

“Maybe I was holding back before,” Kelly muses. “People are always telling me I’m a folk artist, and I’m like, ‘I don’t think so.’ Maybe because of the acoustic guitar, because it’s my main tool, people want to put me on the folk scene and the singer-songwriter circuit. But what really got me into music was having a band and rocking out, y’know? So I decided to make an uplifting album. “I’m 34, I’m not old, I can still dream of playing stadiums and making epic music. I can make the folk, down-tempo stuff when I’m 85. I mean, these days people are dying (of old age) onstage because nobody retires. Which is also part of the reason it’s so hard to put your music out there: nobody dies. We just keep adding music to the pile.”

All These Lines’s first single Do You Love the Rain, lead-off track One Day and the title track could all fall quite comfortably under the aforementioned “epic music” heading. Indeed, Kelly, who played all the instruments on All These Lines while handling the lion’s share of the production work, is building songs like cathedrals. And he’s grown his vocals into the new construct, expanding his emotional range, taking more risks. There’s an unrestrained element to his singing relative to previous recordings, as evidenced on the superb, nostalgia-soaked duet The Best Years, featuring Justin Time recording artist Coral Egan.

While the 10-track effort has all the essential elements of any carefully crafted rock album — and onstage Kelly is at the centre of a textbook rock ’n’ roll four-on-the-floor-piece — he’s conflicted as to whether he can identify it as such. “I don’t know, because to me it’s really a pop album,” he says. “I listen to a lot of metal, so when I think rock I think Queens of the Stone Age and stuff like that, which I really adore. I would love to have a band like that, too. But that’s not the kind of music that I feel like I can make alone in my basement at home.
“(That said) I’m pretty excited. I think it’s my best album so far,” he says humbly, “and so I’m hoping it will do good things insofar as people not expecting me to be a certain way or have a certain sound.”

It all bodes well for a guy who, it could be argued, is the lowest-profile gold-record-toting musician in the city.
“That’s probably true,” Kelly says with a laugh, “and I have to admit I don’t dislike it. … I like that I can walk on the street and nobody knows who I am. Sometimes it’s real funny. You go to renew your driver’s licence and people are aware of the name or the music sometimes, but they don’t know what I look like, and they’ll say, ‘Oh, you have the same name as this (Ian Kelly) guy.’

“There’s a documentary called That Guy… Who Was in That Thing about all those actors who never have lead roles but are in a bunch of movies and we kind of know them but we don’t know what from. That pretty much describes how I feel and what my life is.”

All These Lines is released on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Ian Kelly launches the album with a free performance Thursday, Nov. 7 at 5:30 p.m. at the Virgin Mobile Corona Theatre, 2490 Notre-Dame St. W.

“People are always telling me I’m a folk artist ... but w hat really got me into music w as having a band and rocking out,” Ian Kelly
says. “So I decided to make an uplifting album.”

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette
- The Gazette

Veteran Montreal folk-pop sensation, Ian Kelly, is returning
on Nov. 5 with All These Lines.

The album’s first single “Do You Love The Rain,” comes in with a keyboard-guitar mix, akin to a blend between Three Dog Night, and earlier Modest Mouse.

It’s sonically haunting without being depressing, and deeply layered without being pretentious.

“In all honesty, I don’t see why people say it’s not nice out when it’s raining”, Kelly has been quoted as saying, and that theme seems to shine through in his work.

The song isn’t what you’d expect from the title, but the same can be said of Kelly himself. He started playing in cover bands at age 13, and it wasn’t long before he started creating his own style – a style which he continues to polish and perfect. The contrast between this album and his 2011 release Diamonds & Plastic continues to prove it.

In “Do You Love The Rain” Kelly sings the line ‘I was 17, I had nothing to give,’ and maybe that’s true to himself, but if this album is any indication, he has much to give the world from Canadian music.

Kelly said he’s not one for categorizing his own music “To me it’s quite simple, you listen and you enjoy it or you don’t.” With that in mind, my
recommendation would be to give this album a listen, and who knows, you may just learn to love the rain too.

Story by Brian Talmey, Photo by Martin Girard - Martyr Magazine

LIST EN T O T HE FIRST SINGLE, DO Y OU LOVE THE RAIN, HERE
T oronto, ON – October 9, 2013 – After wrapping up a European tour with Canadian songstress Sarah
Slean, which took him to Scotland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and France, Montreal singer-songwriter Ian
Kelly is ex cited to start the nex t chapter of his musical career with the release of his fourth album. All T hese
Lines is set for release on Nov ember 5th and features the captiv ating pop-rock single Do Y ou Love The Rain.
“In all honesty, I still don’t understand why we say it’s not nice out when it’s not sunny,” say s Kelly . “I wrote
Do Y ou Love The Rain, while watching the rain fall and thinking how beautiful it was. Water falling from the
sky, crashing on the streets or slowly weeping onto the leaves, eventually, returning to the earth, cleansing
man’s footprint and nourishing all that lives.”
All These Lines, which was produced by Kelly along with Eloi Painchaud, starts off big, with the sweeping
opening track One Day – full of hopeful ly rics and a goose bump-inducing sing-along – and transitions
seamlessly into the driv ing single. Track-to-track, the record perfectly balances more up-tempo guitar-filled
songs, like The World Stopped Turning, with softer numbers such as The Best Y ears, a duet with Coral Egan,
and the heartfelt song The Astronaut.

“I’m not the type who cares for tagging my own music, saying what one should think about it. To me it’s
quite simple, you listen and you enjoy it or you don’t. It shouldn’t matter whether there is more keys or more
acoustic guitars or a big fat beat, the important thing is, do I like it or not.”
Kelly got his start singing in cov er bands at the age of 1 3. It wasn’t long before he learned to play guitar and
started to create his own musical world. His debut, Insecurity , was completely DIY with Kelly writing,
play ing, and recording ev ery thing on his own. A copy of the album ended up in the hands of a telev ision show
A&R who inv ited Kelly to do his first TV appearance. Kelly deliv ered such a solid performance that
Audiogram’s president Michel Bélanger decided to sign him onto his label, one of the top indie labels in
Canada. He followed up the debut in 2008 with his sophomore album Speak Y our Mind, which was certified
gold in Canada, and in 201 1 he released his third record, Diamonds & Plastic, which debuted at #8 in Canada
and #3 in Quebec, behind only Lady Gaga and Adele.
Cozy up with Ian Kelly ’s All These Lines this fall!
All T hese Lines T racklisting:
1 . One Day
2. Do Y ou Lov e The Rain?
3. The World Stopped Turning
4. All These Lines
5. The Best Y ears (feat. Coral Egan)
6. I’m On Y our Side
7 . I Just Can’t Dance
8. Gold
9. The Astronaut
1 0. Breakfast For The Soul - Vents Magazine

"Many diamonds, little plastic

He has this commited vibe -compost, recycle, get involved with the 'Occupy Montreal' movement. Ian Kelly, who was offering his most recent show Diamonds & Plastic at the Théâtre Granada, doesn't do things halfway. He pulled out of his hat many musical jewels, not wasting anything.

This said, 17 songs in less than two hours is something we might call responsible consumerism. If the successful songs from the latest CD are still fresh in our ears, the ones from the previous two CDs have also found their place in the singer's repertoire for the tour.

With the 3rd song, we take conscience of the voice, the great voice of the singer-songwriter. Without even pushing it, he sings stunning notes in a Granada that has become too small, too empty also, for such a great voice.

This is without mentionning the essential White Wedding, by Billy Idol, in a more folk version. Absolutely mesmerizing. As well as the genious Take Me Home, sung without microphone, musicians or amplifiers. Intimist, the concept woult have benifited from being announced, but the surprise was probably part of the recipe. Nevertheless, the magic that was so easily created in the moment dissipates quite fast with the fans enthousiasm.

If it's often touching to hear the audience sing alog a familiar tune, the spark in this case was Ian Kelly's silences and lows. Same goes for the urge to clap hands, that in this particular case breaks the especially tenuous bubble.

If he's generous, charismatic and transpires a clear intelligence, he isn't very loquacious, Ian Kelly. He sings, that's it. There are some funny comments, here and there, always accurate, or a more serious intrduction to the song Parliament. "I will take part to Occupy Montreal tomorrow (yesterday) because we need to take to the streets when the occasion rises. Everything that can reinforce democracy is good. I believe we could reevaluate certain things and avoid always putting economy first.", he explained.

He also educates his fans, taking the opportunity to promote buying reusable bottles to drink... tap water. "Bottled water that comes from afar isn't really better."
The uniqueness and authenticity of the singer are also worth gold. From the a cappella song, he then switches to the keys, his musicians taking care of the instrumentation... with their sole voices for Workday, during the encore. An encore that he previously announced... just in case. "It's the last official song. Afterwards, we'll go hide, obviously..." he said.

Uniqueness also, because he found a compromise for those demanding he sang La Terre. "I'll go in the hall with my guitar after the show, and if I sell 5 bottles, I'll play it for you." A promise he kept, which gave place to another intimate moment, a true one, in a still very crowded hall for the end of the show.
A downside if there is one, it took this special request to hear one of the only two french songs from Ian Kelly.

As a first act, it's a very smooth Jason Bajada who warmed up the stage. Alone with his guitar, he was able to leave an impression despite the cruel task at hand. A very pleasant artist, whose style fits quite well with Ian Kelly's."
- La Tribune - Jonathan Custeau

Ian Kelly sings his most beautiful songs

"Oh how impatient we were to finally see Ian Kelly on the stage of the Cabaret-Théâtre du Vieux-St-Jean, last October 8. The one we had discovered with his 2nd album, Speak Your Mind, has continued charming us, in person, by alternating with equally inspring songs from his last CD: Diamonds & Plastic.

Pretty quiet at the beginning of the show, we finally understood that the singer-songwriter was focused on getting his new pedal board to work properly. His musicians found him quite funny too! He also had to get used to the warm projectors after swallowing, as he admitted, a dose of codeine to get rid of a bad cold. We often say that artists enter a second nature when they go on stage. The poor guy was sweating bullets, but the quality of the show never suffered from it.

Ian Kelly started navigating between his two latest albums. The catchy I Would Have You quickly set the tone of the entire night for the audience. Then he began singing Complicated, which we all started humming.

White Wedding
There aren't a lot of remakes in Ian Kelly's discography. He allowed himself one, quite successfully, on his latest CD. Other than the few specific piano notes, White Wedding has nothing similar to the original version from Billy Idol.
As a matter of fact, Ian Kelly is the complete opposite of the american former superstar. His plad shirt suits him on all occasions: whether he's on Belle et Bum, on a special show for Patrick Huard... or at the Cabaret-Théâtre. Our only suggestion to him would be to diversify his wardrobe!

Such voices!
We also salute the bassist and keys player, whose voices greatly impressed us, especially during the encore. Ian Kelly took over the keys, calling his musicians to the microphone to accompany him on Workday, the author's favourite song. Presented in its all new sleek version, the song blew away the audience.

The Cabaret-Théâtre was pretty packed with people who came to hear Ian Kelly. The talented singer-songwriter although remains unknown in our circle of friends. What a pity! For the first time, we found out that we weren't the only ones who had fallen in love with Take Me Home, that everyone would have loved to hear again in the encore. As a consolation, Kelly had us sing the chorus for his own pleasure... and our own!" - Le Canada Français - Valérie Legault

“With his third album, Ian Kelly keeps the promises he had given with Speak Your Mind in 2008, and even more. The 30-or-so years old quebecois's music takes a new richer colour, is more ambitious, notably with Jon Day's strings arrangements.

We find on Diamonds & Plastic the usual subjects that preoccupy Kelly - ecology, pacifism, a critique on the food industry and of the economy At All Costs - but better than before, and generally on beautiful music.

I Would Have You kicks it with a very pop tone that fits very well with the self-deprecating humor of the text. When, in the next song (Parliament), Kelly sings "this is all of my rage in a single phrase", the criticism is carried by a music that Coldplay wouldn't resist.

There are real gems on this album, such as What You Like, a catchy love song; and some not-so-light ones (Happiness, At All Costs) which find their salvation in music. Kelly even pushes it with a remake of Billy Idol’s White Wedding, in a more acoustic but nonetheless intense version, so well executed that it quite naturally finds its place in his repertoire.” – La Presse - La Presse

Truly the time has come to turn ourselves towards this treasure trove of talent. Casual, the young tinker unveils brilliant folk and well-crafted arrangements. The full band recording adds a raw energy, giving a tone that's never flashy. [...] … shivers guaranteed on Your Garden. – **** Le Soleil - Le Soleil

"A sort of mixture between Jack Johnson's soft rock and the polished orchestration of Damien Rice, Diamonds & Plastic is an accessible, tender and pleasant album... Plain and simple!" - Magazine 7 Jours - Magazine 7 Jours

“Diamonds & Plastic shows an undeniable maturity in the style, well-defined, taken on without hesitation, refined through orchestrations that rely heavily on tonal and instrumental colors, that plays with tempos to influence moods and invites one to daydream by use of a bunch of sound subtleties.” **** Journal de Montréal - Journal de Montréal

"He created and strengthened, reaching a gold record status with his latest CD, Speak Your Mind, a unique musical nest, indie pop-rock, melancholic and ambient, in the same vein as R.E.M, Counting Crows and other Wallflowers..."
- Journal de Montréal - Journal de Montreal

A newcomer to the music world, Montreal singer Ian Kelly brings us a first offering with his debut album Insecurity. Pop’n’folk-ish, this opus contains tracks we can already stamp as blue-chip-material, with songs like Insecurity, Days or Bathing in the Moon.

Impressive fact for this 26 year-old singer: he’s done everything on this album. The artist took on, with assurance, the producing, the recording and the arrangements. Moreover, he wrote all the lyrics and music. Ian Kelly also has many talents: acoustic and electric guitar, bass, sampling and piano.

Many reasons to discover an already accomplished artist with an album that is superbly produced and very enjoyable for the informed music lovers and others.

5/5
- Johanne Mathieu - IMPACT CAMPUS

À SURVEILLER
Le Montréalais Ian Kelly a fait Insecurity tout seul dans son appartement. La musique, l'enregistrement, le mixage comme le mastering. D'où le nom de l'étiquettequ'il a fondée, Me, Myself and I Music. Pourtant, Kelly semble loind'être seul sur son disque. Le son est bien meublé, et les arrangements sont etoffés. Le premier titre, The Van Song, a un excellent potentiel pop, tout comme la ballade qui suit, Snow. Puis vient une pièce acoustique épurée, où Kelly fait valoir sa voix. Son univers vocal et musical courtise ceux de David Gray, Dave Matthews et John Mayer. C'est intime, introspectif et mid-tempo. Les chansons de Ian Kelly manquent de singularité, mais le songwriting est sa force: il gratte à la guitare de bonnes mélodies et il chante ses histoires à lui. Ses craintes, ses doutes, ses insécurités, comme ce matin de pluie où il se sent cheesy. Simple et un peu cliché, mais sensé et travaillé. À découvrir. ***1/2
+ Ses multiples talents
- Mielleux, par moments - Émilie Côté - La Presse

There's a bit of Tracy Chapman in the urban folk and pop of Ian Kelly (if Chapman were white, male and montréalais), an accessible amalgam of roots stylings that makes for the aural equivalent of comfort food. Kelly's approachability is key, a beckoning acoustic guitar that invites you into whimsical vignettes that more often than not stray across the wrong side of the tracks. It's mostly thoughtful, subtle stuff in a setting of low-key percussion and other tasteful musical accoutrements (the chill, transporting Long Ago provides a class example of this) and, to be honest, it's a bit of a mystery why some of his hometown's more mainstream music and media outlets haven't twigged on him yet. Soon come, I expect... ***1/2
- Jamie O'MEARA - Hour Montreal

Bon nombre de critiques ont encensé Insecurity, premier opus du nouveau prodige pop’n’folk Ian Kelly. À juste titre? Oui. Du haut de ses 26 ans et de sa stature de rugbyman, l’homme-orchestre a attrapé la balle au vol en se distinguant, dans l’horizon musical québécois, non pas par l’originalité de ses chansons, mais grâce à une intention artistique aussi solitaire que singulière. D’où la création de sa propre étiquette Me, Myself and I Music. La production extrêmement chiadée a été patiemment concoctée chez lui, dans sa forteresse agrémentée d’un son épuré, d’une voix souple et mélancolique, de djembe, guitares, piano et j’en passe. Un univers intimiste qui le protège de l’insécurité. En première partie de Hugh Cornwell le 19 mars au Petit Campus. 7 - Ludivine Boizard - ICI Montréal

Entirely created and recorded in his Montreal apartment, multi-instrumentalist Ian Kelly’s debut album will strike the curiosity of those seeking for a breath of fresh air in this part of the world’s musical landscape. Kelly succeeded in creating, with very modest tools, an album which is brilliantly woven with various acoustic pop textures (Rainin’, The Good Life, Insecurity and Drops of Ether) mixed with electronic swatches (Snow, Long Ago and Days). To get a general idea of Ian Kelly’s musical universe, you may think back at what David Gray did with his White Ladder album. Let’s hope he will not remain unknown too long as his talent is well-worth underlining. ***1/2" - Pierre LANDRY - VOIR Montreal (Translated)

“The minute I heard Ian Kelly’s voice break through the music on “The Van Song” — the quirky opening track on his debut album, Insecurity— I couldn’t help but think “yes— thank you Lucid Forge CD gods".... quite impressive. Kelly’s lyrics are bitingly honest and often insightful but also manage to be catchy at the same time.” Lucid Forge - Stratford, ON – October 2006

“ Overall, a very strong debut from this singer-songwriter. *** 1/2 ”
Times & Transcript -Moncton, NB – August 2006

Young Montreal singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist IAN KELLY has been notching rave reviews in Quebec for his debut indie CD, Insecurity(on Outside), and it deserves to get noticed here. It is musically varied (pop and folk favours), and Kelly has both a pleasingly melodic voice and an adept lyrical touch.
Tandem Magazine – Toronto – August 13th 2006

“ Ian makes use of good simple melodies and smart writing to make it a very enjoyable listen: a nice mix… It’s quite an infectious first outing…”
Seaway News – July 21st 2006

“…it’s a darn good album. Another pleasant surprise from Canada’s fantastic music scene, Kelly displays a great voice and some serious songwriting ability. A mix of great pop songs and tender ballads, this is a good album from start to finish. … someone to watch for.
The Richmond News – July 4th 2006

“It’s a rather mellow album, no screaming guitars, no crazy time changes, but there’re no weak spots on this record either. The songs all breathe rather nicely and flow quite well between one another. … it sounds very natural and true. »
www.musesmuse.com – June 22nd 2006

“…there are some interesting musical ideas scattered throughout, like the bossa beat of Snow, the reggae-lite lilt of Long Ago, the creepy somnambulism of Drops of Ether and the scratching, layered buildup of Understanding. Kelly's voice, reminiscent at times of Dave Matthews and, oddly, Tracy Chapman, is also engaging. 3”
The Montreal Gazette – April 13th 2006

" Many reviewers have sung the praises of Insecurity, newly arrived pop’n’folk prodigy Ian Kelly’s debut album. Well deserved? Yes. 7 "
ICI Montréal – March 16th 2006

" … an accessible amalgam of roots stylings that makes for the aural equivalent of comfort food. It's mostly thoughtful, subtle stuff in a setting of low-key percussion and other tasteful musical accoutrements… ***1/2"
Hour Montreal – March 16th 2006

" To be discovered "
Claude Deschênes - Radio-Canada – March 3rd 2006

" I like it. .. the flowing voice that goes up and down, the busted intimate jazzy environment but very polished at the same time. It is completely homemade. He is absolutely alone, he did everything… And it sounds very natural as if he was surrounded by a bunch of buddies. "
C'est bien meilleur le matin - Radio-Canada – March 1st 2006

"...Kelly seems far from being alone on this record. The sound is full and the arrangements well-worked. The first title, The Van Song, has excellent pop potential, as does the following ballad, Snow. …songwriting is his strength: he strums good melodies on his guitar and sings his own stories. ***1/2 "
La Presse – February 25th 2006

" Kelly succeeded in creating an album which is brilliantly woven with various acoustic pop textures (Rainin’, The Good Life, Insecurity and Drops of Ether) mixed with electronic swatches (Snow, Long Ago and Days). … Let’s hope he will not remain unknown too long as his talent is well-worth underlining. ***1/2"
Voir Montréal – February 9th 2006

"... an album that is superbly produced and very enjoyable for the informed music lovers and others. 5/5"
Impact Campus – February 7th 2006

" I had a real « coup de cœur »... musical pieces that are very different from one another. There is always a nice surprise in every song. He has a very beautiful voice. ... it is an album that I strongly recommend. "
Salut Bonjour! weekend – December 4th 2005
- Canadian Media

"A fine, fine singer-songwriter. Really original. There's really neat string arrangements, horn arrangements, it's very unusual music! It's got that kind of ethereal British pop sound to it. The voice is great! It's a totally unique voice. If people heard this and heard about Ian Kelly, they would really love this album. Really worth cheking out!"
Brendan Kelly - CBC's DayBreak - September 17 2008 - Brendan Kelly, CBC

"Montreal native Ian Kelly's second album, Speak Your Mind, is a warm blend of folk, rock, and pop that will keep your finger on the repeat button. The first single and standout track is "Wiser Man," a catchy song that employs a range of instruments from acoustic guitar to violin. [...] Kelly's songs have a subtle complexity to them, which gives them an edge over many of the folk and acoustic songs heard today."
Kyle Carpenter - McGill Tribune - September 23 2008 - Kyle Carpenter, McGill Tribune

"... a polished and accomplished work that oozes with talent. Possessing a keen ear for words and tunes, Kelly executes his appealing folk-pop material with confidence and sensitivity. [...] There's nothing loud about this album, but the inner voice that Kelly reveals is one which quietly screams out to be heard. ****
Martin Siberok - Montreal Hour - October 23rd 2008 - Martin Siberok - Montreal Hour

You will find something new to listen to in every song. Another good thing: even if elaborate, the arragements never overpower the lyrics, which, in everyday words, speak with sensitvity of subjects as complex as the environment and war. Ian Kelly is not a campaigner. Whether he speaks of his feelings towards a newborn or the future of our planet, his words are touching and incarnate. And his tunes are hooky. What else could you ask for?
*** 1/2
Alexandre Vigneault - La Presse - September 7 2008

- Alexandre Vigneault