About
“Kelly’s songs paint vivid pictures; the songs bring to mind folks like Guy Clark for their sentimentality and John Prine for their wry humor.” - Glide Magazine
Claire Kelly
“Claire Kelly is a songwriter who marries words and music with grace, wit and wisdom beyond her years.” - Ginger Sands
Singer, songwriter and self-proclaimed optimist, Claire Kelly, has been on a mission to brighten every corner she steps in with the music she creates. Originally from the Chicago area, Kelly started penning songs in the margins of her middle school notebooks at the age of 13. Ten years later, she moved to Music City to dive into her passion for songwriting and performing full-time. Since making the move to Nashville, she’s toured internationally, had songs placed on primetime television and has won several songwriting contests.
In an occasionally dismal world, Claire Kelly sings about a radical amount of gratitude, love & kindness and Nashville is taking notice. Her song “Tapestry”, a song about the people who change you for the better, won the Bluebird Golden Pick Songwriting Contest in 2022 and “Drunk Girls”, a lighthearted anthem about being kind to strangers, placed her in the Top Ten of the 2024 Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) songwriting contest.
Her latest album “Can’t Start Loving You Again” included her song “Together Again” that was used in the trailer for Sundance award winning film, I’ll Be Your Mirror. Claire’s music has also been heard on ABC Network, HBO Max, Hallmark, the Miss Universe Pageant, and the hit Netflix series Love is Blind.
Claire has loved getting to share her songs and stories with people all over the globe. From concerts in living rooms to critically acclaimed festivals and everything in between, she’s opened up for acts like Colbie Caillat, Anderson East & The Weepies and she’s shared the bill with legendary Nashville songwriters like Shane McAnally, Josh Osbourne, Tony Arata and many more through songwriting showcases Backstage Nashville and Bluebird on 3rd. When she’s not on the road, Claire writes with other artists in Nashville and teaches songwriting at The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.