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Paula Kelley | |
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Birth name | Paula Anne Kelley |
Also known as | The Divine PK |
Born | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | September 10, 1971
Genres | Indie pop, indie rock |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist |
Instrument(s) | Guitar, piano, bass, harpsichord, harp |
Years active | 1994–present |
Labels | Stop, Pop, and Roll |
Website | thedivinepk |
Paula Anne Kelley [1] (born September 10, 1971) is an American indie pop singer-songwriter and orchestral arranger/composer from Boston, Massachusetts.
She began her musical career in the 1990s with the band Drop Nineteens before leaving them in 1994 to start her own career in songwriting. She worked with several other bands before finally going solo with her first album, Nothing/Everything , which was released in 2001 on Stop, Pop, and Roll Records in the US and then later on Caraway in Japan. The Trouble with Success or How You Fit into the World was released in 2003 on the independent Kimchee Records label in the US and again on Caraway in Japan. She followed this up with a US tour and a tour of France after the album's European release through Polaris Musique/Sony. Her latest release is the "Airports EP (2008)," a collection of four orchestrated tracks intended to be a teaser for her forthcoming album. Paula is known for her melodic, emotional songs, expansive instrumental arrangements and sweet, distinctive singing voice.
Kelley began playing piano at age three and was an orchestral harpsichordist by the time she was in high school. She also plays guitar, bass, drums, and other sundry instruments. She attended Phillips Exeter Academy, then Boston University (where she received her bachelor's degree with a double major of History/Political Science) and Berklee College of Music.
In 2005, Kelley relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career scoring films and doing orchestral arrangements, in addition to recording and performing her own music. A filmography can be found on her professional website.
In 2022, Kelley reunited with Drop Nineteens. The band released a new album, Hard Light , in 2023.
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The Trouble With Success or How You Fit Into The World is Paula Kelley's second solo album. It was released in September 2003 on Kimchee Records in the United States. The album also has been released in Japan and France under different labels. The album shows off her many talents such as playing guitar, piano and harpsichord. Her own orchestra, The Paula Kelley Orchestra, back her up on many of the songs. Los Angeles guitarist Aaron Tap played electric, 12-string and slide guitar. Fellow chamber-pop darling Eric Matthews contributes trumpet arrangements and plays on the record. The album has gained critical acclaim and plenty of fans from around the world, including Japan, France and the United States. Kelley supported the record with a full US tour and tour of France. The touring orchestra performed "A New Time" and Burt Bacharach's "Anyone Who Had a Heart" live on Radio France's Le Fou de Roi program. Kelley wrapped up promotion of The Trouble With Success or How You Fit Into The World in 2004 with a gala performance at Johnny D's in Somerville, MA, featuring with a 15-piece band/orchestra.
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