Sarah Kelly is a Christian rock singer-songwriter from Rockford, United States, born in 1976. She releases music on Gotee Records and is described as a U.S. Christian rocker. She is also a Grammy-nominated artist.

Early musical background

Kelly begins playing piano at a very young age, and that early training shapes her development as a songwriter and performer. Her music is presented as a way of expressing emotional honesty and giving voice to experiences that are difficult to say directly.

Recording career

Her debut album is Take Me Away, and one year later she releases the follow-up Where The Past Meets Today on Gotee Records. The second album is framed around personal struggle and persistence, and Kelly describes its sound as sitting between Keith Green and Led Zeppelin, with earthy vocals and classic rock elements.

The record is produced by Mike Clink in Los Angeles. It also features contributions from Chris Chaney of Jane’s Addiction, Slash, Lincoln Brewster and Nick Lashley, with songs written by James Michael and Marti Fredrickson. Kelly says working with these musicians pushes her beyond her usual musical boundaries.

Lyrical themes and personal testimony

Much of Kelly’s writing draws on difficult personal experiences, including abusive relationships and the process of healing from them. One of the focal songs, “Out of Reach,” grows out of a live performance in the midwest in 2005, when she stops a show to speak publicly about her past for the first time. During that performance, members of the audience come forward to respond, and she prays with them individually rather than continuing the concert.

Another song, “Between the Lines,” centres on the idea that beauty can be found in brokenness, with Kelly explaining that flaws and problems can shape a person’s uniqueness. Across her work, she emphasises that honesty in song helps create healing and peace.

Touring and teaching

Following her first album, Kelly tours steadily and also teaches piano to large numbers of students, with nearly 900 piano students mentioned. She presents teaching as part of her wider aim to help young people have access to music and to use that access as a means of personal and spiritual change.

Other artists with the same name

There are other performers using the same name, including the lead singer and songwriter for Australian trio The Red Sun Band, who also performs solo, and an Australian singer-songwriter who sometimes sings for Bebo Guru.