Nashville singer-songwriter unveils dark second album “My Own Company”

Rustbelt born and raised, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Kiely Connell will soon release her highly anticipated sophomore album. My own company. This dark and generous offering is a powerful journey through mental health, personal loss, traumatic memories, and the road to recovery. Produced by the renowned Tucker Martine, the album showcases her razor-sharp writing style and growling, smoky, powerful voice, evoking the spirit of country legends like Wynonna and Reba.

The emotional core of My own company stems from the abrupt end of a years-long relationship that set the artist on a transformative path of facing her demons and emerging stronger. The album processes past traumas, including the death of a high school boyfriend, the challenges of the dating landscape, devastating views on consent, and unrealistic beauty standards.

On the haunting track “Restless Bones,” she sings about her high school friend who committed suicide. The song recounts in excruciating detail the lasting memories of the school-wide announcement of her friend’s death and the heartbreaking sight of her high school friends carrying the casket. Tested while on tour with Tommy Prine, this deeply personal song resonated with fans, who thanked her for her brutal honesty.

Other outstanding titles include:

• “Damned hands”: A biting country anthem about consent and the Nashville dating scene.
• “Nice”: A heartfelt reminder to three women at different stages of life that they are more than their looks.
• “Anesthesia”: A poignant reflection on the first holiday season she spent alone after her separation, during which she felt like a “mannequin” watching everyone else’s life go on.

Inspired by dark literary heroes like Neil Gaiman and Charles Baudelaire, and with a background in musical theater, she brings a flair for the dramatic to her music. Her vocal style and raw honesty are pure country, with a modern, rugged edge thanks to producer Tucker Martine.

• My own company (July 19, 2024) – Connell’s second album, produced by Tucker Martine, is a “mental health journey” about loss and recovery and a narrative masterpiece.
• She sings about the suicide of a school friend, the abrupt end of a long-term relationship and the gradual realization that her own company is enough for her.
• Touring with Tommy Prine, currently in residency at Eric Church’s Chief’s in Nashville.
• On a recent tour with Tommy Prine, fans approached her to share their own suicide stories and thank her for her music. “It really helps me to let it out, especially given my history of depression that I’ve been through since I was a teenager. I’ve always dealt with it by allowing myself to feel it fully and write about it.”
• Composition: SG Goodman, Lily Hiatt, Lucinda Williams, John Prine and Steve Earle – with powerful vocals reminiscent of Wynonna and Reba and a razor-sharp edge similar to Fiona Apple.
• Produced by Tucker Martine: “It was a running joke of mine that I always said, ‘I’m going to do my next album with Tucker Martine.’ I’ve been a fan of his since I heard Neko Cases The worse things get, the harder I fight, the harder I fight, the more I love you.”
• She sent Martine some demos, unsure of his reaction, but he responded immediately and enthusiastically. Connell took her songs to Portland, Oregon, to record them in Martine’s studio with a band that included bassist Nate Query (The Decemberists), drummer Andrew Borger (Tom Waits, Norah Jones) and her longtime guitarist Drew Kohl. Together they expanded Connell’s songs, gently taking them into new realms while emphasizing her powerful vocals.