Kellen of Troy

We’ve already seen some good things come out of the fall of beloved Nashville band The Apache Relay – like guitarist Mike Harris’ new band Warm Ryders – but former fiddle player Kellen Wenrich has risen from the ashes as well, by way of his new solo project Kellen of Troy. Take a listen to his first single “So You Found Yourself A Rockstar,” an energetic, pop-rock track about losing your significant other to someone way “cooler” than yourself.

“‘So you Found Yourself a Rockstar’ is about getting cheated on by someone who – well – found themselves a rockstar,” says Wenrich. “It’s pretty easy to find someone higher up the food chain in a city like Nashville, a place where the big fish sleep with the little fish. It’s the cornerstone track for Posthumous Release (out next year) so I figured it deserved a video.

I didn’t want to take the video too seriously or make something depressing or desolate; after all, it’s really an upbeat tune. I figured why not invite some friends over, lip sync guitars, and have a party. Cameos include band members Steve Smith, Mark Sloan, and Stephen Sebastian, engineer Adam Taylor, who mixed the track, director CK Cate’s son Anderson and The Weeks members Cyle Barnes and Sam Williams. The Weeks saw the first time I ever played ‘So You Found Yourself a Rockstar’ – in fact Sam played bass that night – on a stage somewhere in Dublin, so made it extra special to have them be a part of the video.”

Watch the video below, and catch Kellen of Troy at an upcoming DISCOVER Series event at Nashville’s The Family Wash on 10/3. - American Songwriter

Artist of the Week, Kellen of Troy joins Ana Lee to talk about his new single “Rule Your Heart” from his new album Posthumous Release as well as his time with Apache Relay and the various offshoot projects from that band. His clever lyrics leave listeners in awe of his wit and imagery. Shooting for the “sounds of Simon and Garfunkel with the attitude of Nirvana,” Kellen has crafted a record that gets better with each pass. Listen to his in-studio performance of “Rule Your Heart” and “Posthumous Release.” - Lightning 100

Happy to see such a huge crowd out so early at Acme (it’s amazing how much this has become the spot if you’re looking to hang on Broadway), I managed to snag a seat by the stage for a clear view of Kellen of Troy. We often book newer acts, which means I catch artists I don’t know a ton about, but this project, fronted by Kellen Wenrich, certainly carried a fair amount of hype. Kellen previously played fiddle in local group The Apache Relay, who, just a couple of years ago, seemed poised to become huge; like, Mumford & Sons huge. However, following the group’s abrupt disbandment, its individual members have gone on to pursue new projects around town, and this is Wenrich’s vehicle to step front and center, strapping on a guitar and flexing his range and charisma as a frontman. Backed by a full band (I wasn’t even sure if that would be the case), including a steel guitar player, Wenrich played a short and sweet set of tunes that pulled from elements of rock and folk; personal and hypnotic, his sound is decidedly different from his previous band, yet certainly would still appeal to Apache fans. Needless to say, his confident delivery and well-crafted sound was top-notch, and left me eagerly anticipating the arrival of some debut recordings. - No Country for New Nashville