5 Quick Questions with Cincinnati Musician, Kelly Richey

Patch: Talk a little bit about the Spear Shakers, how and when you started playing together, etc.?

Kelly: After over twenty years fronting The Kelly Richey Band, a blues-rock power trio, I have a new project called The Spear Shakers. The Spear Shakers is a Female Power Duo that features myself on guitar and vocals and Sherri McGee on the drums. I met Sherri in the late Eighties in my hometown of Lexington, KY. Sherri was touring with Velvet Elvis, a band on Enigma Records and I was touring with Stealing Horses, a band on Arista records. Our paths crossed briefly, but Sherri moved to Los Angeles and I moved to Nashville, so we never had an opportunity to play together until recently.

In August of 2017, I was asked to play a New Years Eve show with an all-female, indie-rock super-group called the Binders. I hadn’t done a side project since I was part of the cast in the play “Girlfriend,” with Julie Wolf (music director and keyboard player for the Indigo Girls and Ani DiFranco) and Sara Lee (bass player for the B-52’s and Matthew Sweet), at the Louisville Actors Theater, in 2013. I knew it was a long-shot, but I told them that I would do the project if they could get Sherri McGee to play drums. They offered Sherri the gig, she said yes, and that’s where our journey began.

After an eighteen-month hiatus from the Kelly Richey Band, I wanted to create a new sound, a new image, and a new vibe, and that’s exactly what we’ve done! The Spear Shakers has been a dream come true!

Patch: What's your overall take on the current state of the live music scene in Cincy?

Kelly: There’s so much going on in this city right now that it’s hard to keep up with! Cincinnati is a hotbed for musical talent, and you can hear that talent in action every night of the week. Jazz, blues, funk, indie-rock, country, bluegrass—you name it, Cincy’s got it!

This past year I was honored to be involved in a new documentary called "Queen City Kings,” that takes a look at the life and legacy of the people around King Records. Here’s a link to the video trailer below: https://www.facebook.com/afroc...

I’ve called Cincinnati my home now for over twenty years, and though I’ve spent the majority of my career on the road, I’ve always come home to great friends and a strong and supportive music community.

Patch: Who are some of your favorite Cincinnati musicians?

Kelly: There are so many great players in this town, I’ll give a shout out to a handful of great players I’ve worked with over the past few years. I have been honored to have toured and recorded with Funkmaster Freekbass on bass guitar, Ken “Big Bamn” Smith (R.I.P. 2015) on drums, Rikk Manning on bass guitar and Tobe Tobotius Donohue on drums. Jess Lamb and Tracy Walker are two very talented singer-songwriter-performers that I’ve had the honor of working with. And finally, Brian Lovely is one of the most amazing guitarists I’ve ever seen play, and I’m excited to announce that The Spear Shakers will be sharing the bill with Brian and his band Flying Underground this Friday at MVP.

Patch: What are some of your plans for 2019, recording and video-wise, regarding the Spear Shakers?

Kelly: The Spear Shakers just finished recording three new songs and three new music videos with Brian Lovely and Mike Reeder at Mike’s Music, The Village Sight, Sound and Stage—this new studio rocks!

Throughout my career, I’ve recorded sixteen CDs. The music industry has changed, and it’s time to take a different approach to the creative process. Instead of placing all of my focus on completing one CD at a time, I've mapped out a series of recording sessions that will allow us to write, record, and enjoy creating through an organic process instead of from a commercial mindset. I have a deep well of material to pull from, so I’ve hand-picked songs from my catalog that are a perfect fit for this configuration as we kick things off.

We’re currently wrapping up the final mixes for the release of three new audio tracks, and we’re putting the polishing touch on the first of three new music videos. The scheduled release date for the three songs and the first music video is Christmas Eve, and the other two videos will be released in January and February. This first release introduces the Spear Shakers: raw, in-your-face, blues-rock that you won’t forget!

Patch: Any parting thoughts?

Kelly: I’m more inspired that I’ve ever been. I teach guitar and do life coaching via Skype with clients all over the world, and I play live music with The Spear Shakers. I have a beautiful recording studio in my home where I enjoy writing and recording everything from blues-rock to ambient and trip-hop soundscapes… I’m entering the last semester of a three-year program in Columbus, OH, to become a spiritual director. I love what I do, and I’m thankful to be able to do what I love.

kellyrichey.com

facebook.com/aboutkellyrichey