Imagine
the sweet, soulful harmonies of Simon and Garfunkel, and place them into the
unusual songwriting styles of Cletus Kennelly and Lori Kelley.
The D.C-area songwriters blend contemporary urban folk with elements of
melodic pop and alternative rock. Lori
sometimes adds a dash of country to the mix.
Award-winning
singer-songwriters, Cletus and Lori met in 2000 and began collaborating on each
other’s material almost immediately. Since
then, they’ve developed a style and a sense for each other’s voices that is
magical. Their work together as an
"Unofficial Duo" has twice garnered them a Washington Area Music Association
Award (WAMMIE) nomination for “BEST CONTEMPORARY FOLK DUO/GROUP.” Says Gene Dawson of Dawsonconcerts, “I haven’t heard
harmonies this tight since Simon and Garfunkel.”
Both approach their writing from a lyrical, melodic place with songs that
speak to the heart. The wit and
depth each adds to the other’s songs make for an engaging show.
Scott Moore of Moore House Concerts adds, "Cletus and Lori are two
standout solo performers whose voices blend beautifully.”
Cletus
takes you deep into the human psyche with poignant lyrics, phonetic phrasing,
and deft word play. He accompanies
his clear, passionate vocals with the power and delicacy of his twelve-string
guitar. He’s
a three-time WAMMIE-winner in the top categories for a singer-songwriter:
“BEST NEW ARTIST,” “SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR,” and “BEST CONTEMPORARY
FOLK VOCALIST.” Cletus has earned
a total of 30 songwriting awards, including twelve WAMMIE nominations, and has had
the honor of performing at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. In addition to
his debut CD “Thread”, Cletus has released a 2-song benefit CD with the
WAMMIE-nominated “SONG OF THE YEAR,” “Looking Up,” written on September
13th 2001, and “Celestial Dance” a lyrical, driving, percussive
serenity prayer.
Lori
lays her songs out with a natural understanding of thought and a contemplative
tug of emotion. Wielding a
four-octave range, her voice fills a room with radiant beauty and attentive
presence. And who could ever forget
that blue guitar? Lori received two 2003 WAMMIES as SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR and
SONG OF THE YEAR ("It Was a Great Day"). She was also awarded the GRAND PRIZE for overall best song in the
2003 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest for "It Was a Great Day," which also
won the GOLD in the Country Category. Lori's also a
nine-time WAMMIE nominee, including
“SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR,”
“BEST CONTEMPORARY FOLK VOCALIST,” and
her songs were voted #1 by Northern Virginia Rhythm Magazine among all genres
through the 1990s. She’s performed at venues from the Kennedy Center
Millennium Stage to Key West saloons, and has shared the stage with Nashville hit songwriters Pat
Alger, Tia Sellers & Mark D. Sanders, and Mark Selby.
With her solo release “Like Sea Glass,” her third CD, Lori’s
style has evolved from kick-up-your-heels two-steps to melodic, tender ballads
and laugh-out-loud, quirky, real-people songs.
2005
WAMMIE Award Nominees !!!
