SPOTLIGHT: KELLEY COLE

Meet Kelley Cole and tune into her newest single “illusions.”

You describe “Illusions” as a soundtrack for collective denial, what sparked the idea for this particular emotional lens?

This song came to me when I was exhausted after I got home from a long shift. This was summer of 2024 and I was feeling hopeless with the election coming up and all the of the craziness that was happening in the world. I was sick of scrolling TikTok and just seeing so many insane news stories that scared me. In that state its so easy to attempt to turn it all off and isolate yourself. So, thats where the song started

Your lyrics capture the tension between apathy and emotional burnout. How do you personally navigate that space as an artist?

I think music is always about feeling and emotion. Thats the root of everything for me, and I try to put that in the heart of everything I make. When it comes to making art theres no such thing as apathy for me. As a well rounded human, I think its important to have balance and make sure to take time your mental health especially in chaotic times.

What came first for “Illusions,” the lyrical theme or the sonic concept?

I remember being in such a low enery head state. I think I was finishing up some work late night after I got off my other job and I picked up a guitar while waiting for something to load. When I started playing the riff I knew I was done with work for the night and had to write it then and there. 

The song’s production mirrors a downward spiral. Can you walk us through how you shaped that sound in the studio?

I love this question. I went into the studio and literally pushed the session musicians to be as out of control as possible. we did a few takes, and I kept asking them to take it a little bit further. after we got the take, we ended up adding a feedback track where Sam Hunter, the guitarist fed back his guitar into his amp and just recorded it throughout the whole song. It sounds exactly like slowly losing your mind. i was obsessed. 

How much of “Illusions” reflects your personal experiences, and how much is commentary on the world around you?

I thinks its a very personal song for me. The bridge especially is literally just a train of thought that went through my mind. also i definitely have a tendency to isolate myself and not want to talk to anyone and live in my own little world, so that part is definitely personal to me. 

Your writing uses powerful metaphors: fake flowers, channel surfing, closing the blinds. How do those images reflect your state of mind?

These images were big metaphors that really distilled the meaning of this song to me. Dead flowers because it’s a small semblance of control. Changing channels because its an attempt to control the world you actively perceive. Choosing to be ignorant in order to avoid pain. i think these things symbolize avoidance in a really unique way. 

Is “Illusions” meant to challenge listeners or comfort them, or maybe both?

I don’t like to tell people how their supposed to feel because i love how the same songs can mean so many different things to different people. But for me i think its a challenge to myself to   stop falling into old patterns and to hold myself accountable. to show up and speak out more . 

The line “what I don’t know can’t hurt me” hits hard. Was there a moment or event that made that sentiment resonate for you?

This line to me is really about just how many things that we have to worry about today and how disheartening it is to pay attention all the time. I think a lot of this song came from all the tragedy and heartbreaking stories coming out of Gaza. “What I don’t know can’t hurt me” comes from the idea that avoiding the stories can somehow save you from the pain they cause. 

There’s an intense push-pull between chaos and calm in this track. How do you balance vulnerability and grit in your music?

I always value vulnerability and honesty first. If that expression calls for angst or grit, I’ll take it as far as possible to get that feeling across. 

What role does humor, dark or otherwise, play in your songwriting, especially when tackling heavy subjects?

I’ve been leaning into humor a lot more recently in my newer songs. i think just being ironic or singing something absurd helps gets the point across in such a unique way. 

How does “Illusions” fit into your broader discography or artistic identity? Is it a departure or an evolution?

I think this song really cemented a new path for my sound. It was as big and epic as my songs have ever sounded and it changed everything. It was the first song i recorded with session musicians here in Nashville and it was an out of body experience hearing these musicians just instantly get it.

You’ve said the song doesn’t offer solutions, just solidarity. Why is that distinction important to you?

The distinction is important because the last thing I want is to make any song that sounds preachy or tells someone how to think. i wanted this song to make people feel less alone in how their feelings, and to let them know they’re not the only ones going through this craziness. This song just expanded on one specific way of coping without saying that it’s the right or wrong way. 

Do you see music as a form of activism, therapy, or storytelling, or something else entirely?

I see songwriting as pure self-expression. Somedays it’s purely emotional release, somedays it’s trying to tell a story and other times it’s about capturing a feeling. One of my jobs is at the historic songwriters venue The Bluebird Cafe. So a few days a week I get to run sound for some of the best songwriters in the world and just absorb everything. Being exposed to that has really pushed me to write in a more clever, constructed way, but I definitely also have moments of a more emotionally charged writing. 

What would you say to listeners who feel seen by this track but don’t know what to do with that recognition?

I would just say that recently, I’ve found that doom scrolling is the worst way to cope. Find anything else to do. Color, go for a walk, put on a record, pet your cat. The world seems scariest when you aren’t actually living.

Can you tease what’s next for you after “Illusions”? Will you continue down this emotionally raw path?

Yes! That has always been the focus and always will be. I have so much music in the works this year, and some very, very soon!

Listen to Illusions here.