Article and Photos by: Kristina Dawn
We recently had the pleasure of virtually sitting down with local Portland musician Kelsey Brie of The Next Right Thing to chat about everything from her up-and-coming music career, to the everyday struggle of chasing her dreams.
MG: What band are you currently in/How long have you been with this band?
KB: “I have had a solo career for a number of years, but I am the main writer, singer and rhythm guitar player for The Next Right Thing. I go by Kelsey Brie, and still play solo shows often. I have been pursuing music since the early age of 5, but as a serious career for about 8 years.”
MG: Your music has a bit of a Norah Jones vibe, are you a fan of hers/who else inspires your music or musical style?
KB: “I am a fan of Norah Jones, I also resonate with music by Amy Winehouse, India Arie, Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield, and Joe Cocker (to name a few!) I love soul music, hip hop, jazz and funk. I would say my music has influences of all of those genres.”
MG: How do you feel about performing live?
KB: “I really enjoy playing live, especially with a great band. There is something incredibly peaceful and exciting about sharing my music with an energetic crowd! As a teenager I had really bad stage fright… I learned to overcome the fear by getting a weekly gig early in my solo days. it became a true learning experience about performing live that I will always reference when I feel the least bit nervous for a show. Every show is different, but they remind me that I should keep practicing and keep playing [my heart] out.”
MG: Do you have any albums/EP’s out or do you plan on releasing any in the future?
KB: “We have some recordings on our BandCamp www.kelseymousley.bandcamp.com a compilation called ‘my favorites’ features myself and some seriously talented Portland musicians. We’ve put a disc together to have available at shows, It shares what I sound like as a singer/songwriter and playing with a kickin’ live band. I am always writing new stuff, and expect to have something new recorded and ready by September.”
MG: Favorite song written/why?
KB: “I think my favorite song that I have written (right now) is a newer tune called ‘Halfway There’, I love singing this song and the lyrics remind me to not give up no matter what!”
MG: What inspires your music/writing?
KB: “I would have to say [my] biggest influence is life…. Each song is kind of my thought process of going through a life situation. Music is my therapy, and most of my personal themes and feelings come out in writing. It is absolutely up to the listener to decide what it means to them, I hope that my tunes can also be therapy for others.”
MG: What’s your end goal with music?
KB: “My end goal with music is to share my music with as many people as I can. Music is so important, I am lucky and thankful to be able to collaborate with so many amazing and talented musicians. Making a widely known record would be a pretty wild experience, and I hope to achieve that soon!”
You can check out Kelsey Brie and The Next Right Thing LIVE coming up in many cities on the Oregon coast, as well as opening for Local Strangers on July 22nd at The Secret Society club located in downtown Portland.