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The Band
Hello Kelly, feisty alt-rock band from Orangeville, ON, knows that the road is no place for the faint of heart. Returning to the grind yet again with their sophomore record, the harder, faster and more sincere “Easy for You to Say”, it’s clear that Hello Kelly is in do-or-die mode … and tenacity never sounded so good.In their infancy, Hello Kelly was dubbed “the hardest working band in Ontario”. Since then, the band has achieved six #1 singles on independent Canadian radio charts, pushed two singles into the Top-20 positions on USA CHR radio charts, shared the stage with artists such as Relient K, Thousand Foot Krutch, illScarlett & Rides Again, moved staggering amounts of music & merchandise into their fans’ hands, garnered crackerjack attention in the social-networking realm, and, most importantly, driven three vans into the ground as a result of relentless continent-wide touring.
Now, partnering once again with 7Spin Music/Provident/SonyBMG, Hello Kelly’s sights are set higher than ever before and “Easy for You to Say” is just the record to take them there. Frontman/songwriter Francy explains: “The title ‘Easy for You to Say’ is wordplay on my stutter, something I’ve scrapped with for a long time. But I don’t count it as a weakness. Instead, I count it as a unique perspective, a challenge, a story to tell.”
If you’re wondering about how Francy’s stutter affects him up on stage, you don’t have to worry. Not only does Francy write songs that are painfully real & beautifully authentic, but he sings them like a bird, night after night, city after city. Francy elaborates: “The hope is that people will hear my story and be encouraged to overcome the hurdles and hardships in their own lives.”
The candid honesty on “Easy for You to Say” will drill into your ears as you listen to songs like “Electricity”, a hyper-hooky slam yearning for love lost; “The Communication Breakdown”, the power-punk throwback about Francy’s struggles with his stutter; or “Our Happy Ending”, a ballad that asks the question “Is love enough?”
And it sounds good too. Working with Nashville producer Adam Smith for the second time and citing influences such as Paramore, Motion City Soundtrack and Rise Against, it’s clear that Hello Kelly is excited about its new adrenalized sound.
And when asked about having roots in a different kind of scene– the Christian music scene – Francy explains: “When starting Hello Kelly, I wasn’t setting out to be a ‘Christian band’ but we have been blessed with some great opportunities to do our thing in that scene. Christian music has some really great aspects but also, unfortunately, there are some pretty fishy aspects about it too.”
Hello Kelly is all about encouraging, empowering and challenging Kelly (the band’s listeners) to sink their teeth into life and affect change in the world around them. You could say that’s Hello Kelly’s vision – and the band is happy to run with it anywhere: gnarly clubs, loud arenas, sketchy festivals and yes, even a church or two.
There’s a reason the Hello Kelly boys still love running their own merch table and are usually the last ones out of any given venue. For this gutsy band, humility is the name of the game – and they want to get in as much face-time with Kelly as they can. “Everything we do is for Kelly,” Francy says, “and that will never, ever change.”
Hello Kelly: Rock & Roll has a first name.
