Moosic: Do you have a story behind your artist name?
Michael Robert Kelly: Yes. When I was a child I shared a room with my older brother, Matt. He was the one with the stereo and we used to always listen to hardcore records and tapes, classic rock, etc. We both became musicians and had a band together, then later on went our separate ways musically. After many years of playing bass in my own original bands and him playing with his band I decided I wanted to finally approach doing my own solo record around 2012. It was a feat I was not prepared for completely due to lack of singing experience, but having all the other musical experience I had I figured I had to start somewhere. I asked him to play on a few songs and it sparked an idea. With him on these songs you’d be listening to brothers making music together. The childhood room and stereo nostalgia came to mind and “The Brother Stereo” was born. It’s a name that has meaning to me in a couple different ways.
Tell us a bit about your music journey. How has it shaped you?
Kelly: Well, growing up in a musical family with my brother and father being drummers, it wasn’t long before my bro asked me to get a bass guitar. I was 7 when I got Cort Slammer bass for Christmas. I tried lessons but I was too small to reach the first fret comfortably even on a short scale bass! So I put it down until about the age of 11 when I met Shawn Pelkey, now The Brother Stereo’s drummer, in the 6th grade. We started a band together with me singing but he soon found out I had a bass, so he yelled at me in excitement to bring it over next time. It started there for me and I never looked back.
From there I started playing in cover bands with much older guys a few times a week all over New England. I formed an original band called Naked Vinyl and we soon became TREBEK. We played a lot of shows around Boston in the early 2000s. I started playing bass with Blues Legend James Montgomery in 2009 as a first sub for Dave Hull because Dave had to go sub for Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith again. Playing with James really upped my confidence to a more professional level. I got to play with J. Geils, James Cotton, G.E. Smith, Trombone Shorty, Paula Cole, Joan Osborn, David Maxwell, Simon Kirk. All because of James. I still to this day do some sub work with James.
I played banjo, mandolin, bouzouki, acoustic guitar, ukulele on tour in Germany, Poland, and Czech Republic with my cousin Jimmy Kelly (of Kelly Family fame) for a couple years from 2012 to 2013. My most recent endeavors have been playing bass in late 2022 on the This Machine Still Kills Fascists tour with with Dropkick Murphys, subbing for Kevin Rheault, and then in summer of 2023 I subbed for Jeff DaRosa for a number of festivals playing banjo, acoustic guitar, mandolin, bouzouki. I had been teching for Jeff a bunch between 2019 and 2022 so I was very familiar with the show and up for the challenge of learning his parts. I think this has shaped me into a musician who is confident, humble and always ready for the next bigger challenge.
How would you describe your sound to someone unfamiliar with it?
Shawn Pelkey: In these songs you’ll find vibes of bluegrass, singer songwriter, and blues, all packed into a pop sensible format with a twist of alternative. We’ve managed to cover a lot of ground with this record while maintaining a strong level of cohesion. I’m not sure our exploration phase is over, as it still feels like we are in the process of finding ourselves. At the same time, the path already feels laid out for us and it’s just up to us to step into it.
Kelly: Deep. Dark. Mysterious. Thought Provoking.
What drew you to the genre /instruments you’re playing right now?
Kelly: The sound is just a culmination of things that come out of me naturally so since I had a bunch of songs ready to go, Shawn and Buddy [Sullivan, guitarist] were like, “Let’s just record them ALL.” Those two are such a huge part of what makes these pieces come to life. I may have been playing them for years acoustically but whatever is happening here is to my liking so if it’s a genre, then I’m drawn to it. I mainly like to write everything on acoustic guitar so that is, at the moment, my main role here as well as vocals. I’ve always loved the pureness of acoustic instruments. I also play the bass on the recordings and maybe some banjo and a bit of electric… possibly some glockenspiel and a bit of melodeon too… oh, and piano. In the future, who knows what that may grow into but we all love to experiment and see what fits with trying not to overdo it!
What inspires you to write music?
Kelly: The sound of an instrument has, for so long, been very therapeutic to me. Knowing the result you can get from an idea growing into a song is very intriguing. My songs hop all
around as far as subject matter so just putting the pen to the paper is a way of figuring out whatever is on my mind. I’m not always writing and have never considered myself a writer but the music comes very easily and I always have hundreds of ideas there. Somehow I get these songs together and I can put a stamp on them!
Would you tell us about your current project, album/EP, or song you’re promoting?
Kelly: The project is The Brother Stereo and the new song title is “Time in History.” The Brother Stereo consists of myself, Shawn Pelkey (drums) and Buddy Sullivan (guitar). Shawn and I go waaay back to 6th grade and I just met Buddy last year. Past collides with the present! I love working with these guys. “Time in History” is about the insecurities and complacency of today’s world coupled with the nostalgia of growing up and the longing for yesterday’s world. We have another release after this one that is ready and will be part of an EP, and eventually a full album.
What do you want listeners to take away from listening to your music?
Kelly: One of my favorite feelings I get from listening to a great song is that it’ll put me in a place that is so familiar, but I know I’ve never been there or can’t quite put a finger on it. I think this music we are creating together has that special extra sauce that is deep and relatable. We’re not just banging out tunes and getting our rocks off (and there’s nothing wrong with that because I love that too); we are working as fans of music and trying to put down what we would like to hear and feel.
Who are your top three artists right now? If that’s not a fair question, what’s your favorite song right now?
Kelly: I don’t think I have anything very current to say here because I’ve never been one to seek out new music, and I don’t write like my favorite songwriters. However, I am always open to being introduced to great music and am a sucker for sentimental stuff. The most recent songwriter I have fallen for is Mark Erelli. Everything he sings sounds and feels so personal. Also Iris DeMent is a huge love of mine. We even named our daughter after her. And if I were to pick a band it’s always going to be RUSH. I know, I know, typical right? I’ve been listening to Geddy Lee’s “My Effin Life” audio book and not that it had to rekindle my love for them, but it gave me a deeper look into where it all came from. I love that stuff. Plus, he (and JPJ, of course) is the bass player I studied the most. I can never get enough of that bass/drum relationship. And the passing of Neil Peart hit me hard as I am sure it did a lot of others. Anyhoo…
What’s the easiest way for fans to connect with you?
Kelly: Best way to connect with us is @thebrotherstereo on Instagram or emailing us at thebrotherstereo@gmail.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebrotherstereo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebrotherstereo
Bandcamp: https://thebrotherstereo.bandcamp.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0fZbR9QdDDa5KO0dxS27Rn?si=mmwPGxxYReap2puondNMPw&nd=1&dlsi=c0f386948fd84063
What’s next for you?
Kelly: Next is to play a bunch of gigs, hopefully form a following, play more gigs, get more people involved, join a tour, pay rent, stay married, have some Coronas, write more music. Repeat.
Anything else you’d like to add or let us know about?
Kelly: Yes. We are currently working with a great PR guy named Michael O’Connor Marotta of Knyvet PR @knyvetpr. If you are on the East Coast please look him up and hire him. He takes on all the things musicians don’t know how to do and makes sense of it all. He makes it like an interactive game you need to constantly be aware of and nurture. It’s a lot of fun!
Bio: The Brother Stereo is an alternative rock trio based in Massachusetts. Formed by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Robert Kelly, the brother of Dropkick Murphys drummer Matt Kelly and the Boston punk band’s substitute touring bass, banjo and mandolin player, the band is rounded out by guitarist Buddy Sullivan and drummer Shawn Pelkey. Debut single “After The Rain” dropped in May 2024, followed by “Time in History” in August of that year. More new music is on the way, leading to The Brother Stereo’s debut record set for release in the not too distant future.
