By Minal Abhange
Songwriting is considered an art form, and like all arts, it comes naturally to a few talented individuals.
Yet singer, musician, and songwriter Kellie Loder maintains that inspiration is always key for a good lyricist and an excellent performer.
“I wrote my first song when I was 13. My cousin had passed away in a tragic accident, and in his commemoration, I transformed a poem his friend wrote into a song narrating the event. I had the song made in no time, and from that moment on, I was hooked to writing my own lyrics.”
Along with being a singer and songwriter, Kellie is a talented musician too.
“I started playing the piano, guitar at the church as a kid. I also play the drums, yet guitar is always my primary instrument when I am performing or otherwise,” says the graduate of CNA’s Music: Performance, Business & Technology program.
Looking back on her life, she says, “As long as I can remember I was destined to a music career. All the challenges contribute towards my success. I think I finally found a place where I belong. I am really happy with all the choices and my career.”
Anyone who has heard Kellie or watched her perform knows one thing is certain, she is a soaring talent who is transitioning from a Juno-nominated Contemporary Christian artist to embodying a contemporary folk/pop singer/songwriter’s aesthetic.
“I feel like I am not just a singer, I love writing songs all the time. It is a big part of my identity as an artist. The process is never similar though. Sometimes I just write the lyrics instantly, while for others, I wake up singing the song.”
Nostalgia
Talking about the crew behind Benefit of the Doubt she says, “We are a three-piece band: Tyler Reardon is the bassist, and drummer Chris Donnelly, along with me (the singer). Since we are a smaller team it makes it less busy and it’s more about the song. That’s a huge part of my identity as an artist, we highlight that very well.”
Kellie notes that some of the key themes of this album include love, moving on, being judged, judging others, sailing and prevailing.
“I feel in comparison to my other work, this is a life experience album, relatable to everybody.”
Specifically citing the song Butterfly, she says, “I wrote this song shortly after I left nursing school. I feel like I chose nursing, but nursing did not choose me. I was struggling mentally and emotionally and my mother gave me this glass butterfly for Christmas.
“The song shaped itself during my research on butterflies,” she explains. “A butterfly needs to struggle to fly. If you cut the cocoon to free it, you will actually be killing it. The lyrics narrate how the struggle is important for the caterpillar to transform into a beautiful butterfly.”
Every theme and every song on her latest album soars on Kellie’s skilful piano and guitar playing, as well as on her soulful voice.
“To some degree, all the songs came relatively easy because I knew what I wanted to say. I probably wrote five songs a day,” she says.
Along with writing the songs, she has also co-produced eight of 10 original tracks on Benefit of the Doubt.
“Every song reflects back the nostalgia of memories making me feel more connected to this project than any other I’ve done before.”
Music NL Award
Kellie is a Juno-nominated singer/songwriter from Badger, Newfoundland and Labrador (NL). She is quickly becoming recognized as one of the province’s most prolific songwriters, bringing honest, dynamic feeling and lyrically driven content to each song. Her songs are so relatable that they get stuck in the heads of her audience, and are accompanied always by a powerful performance. The single Boxes from her most recent album, released in 2017, was recognized as Nickel Music Video of the Year.
“Winning another Juno will be great, my focus is on writing for my future goals – looking forward to writing songs with some new people. The Nickel Music Video of the Year award was a great recognition.”
Album Release Tour
Along with the release of the album, Kellie had a busy winter with shows throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
“Touring across has been mixed feelings accompanied with an amazing response from my fans. I am looking forward to starting a new chapter in my life as I move to Toronto (to be) closer to more opportunities in the industry. I also look forward to networking with industry professional’s tour in and around Toronto.” she says.
For more information on CNA’s Music: Performance, Business & Technology program visit www.cna.nl.ca.
