Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Seidel.
Hi Kelly, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, and attended Appalachian State University in Boone. After college, I moved to Nashville 11 years ago with the dream of being an artist. At the time, I had no idea that writing songs professionally for other artists was even a career path.
About a year after moving to town, I dove headfirst into my own artist project, but then experienced a major setback when I completely lost my voice for nine months due to illness. What felt like a devastating moment ended up changing the course of my career. During that time, I discovered the world of songwriting for other artists and immediately fell in love with it.
Since then, I’ve dedicated myself to writing full-time, collaborating with other songwriters and any artist I could get in a room with. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to have more than 40 songs recorded by a variety of artists. Looking back, what seemed like a detour ended up leading me exactly where I was meant to be.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. As I mentioned before, my path into becoming a full-time songwriter started with a pretty major setback when I lost my voice for nine months. But beyond that, this business comes with a lot of rejection. You hear “no” far more often than you hear “yes.” You have meetings that don’t pan out, songs that don’t get recorded, and plenty of moments where you get your hopes up only to be disappointed.
Over time, though, I’ve learned that every disappointment carries a lesson and often ends up being a blessing in disguise. Creative people are some of the most resilient people on the planet. We keep showing up because we believe in what we do. Every time your heart gets broken by this industry, it’s also a reminder that you still care deeply about the dream you’re chasing. The same thing that can break your heart can also give you some of the happiest moments of your life, and that’s what makes it all worth it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a professional songwriter, and my specialty has always been ideas. Every writer starts a song differently, but I’m what I call a “title and hook girl.” I love finding a word or phrase and twisting it into something unexpected. The storytelling aspect of songwriting is what excites me most, taking a simple idea and building a world around it that people can connect with.
In a writing room, some writers show up with a melody or a musical track. 99% of the time, I’m walking in with a concept ready to go. I’m constantly collecting titles, phrases, and observations from everyday life, and those often become the foundation for a song.
What I’m most proud of is building a career doing something I genuinely love and having more than 40 songs recorded by various artists. Every cut represents a songwriter, artist, and team believing in an idea that started in a room somewhere, and that never gets old.
What sets me apart is my passion for concepts and storytelling. I’m always searching for a fresh angle or a new way to say something people think they’ve heard before. Great songs make people feel seen, and I love the challenge of finding the words that do that.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is connection. At the end of the day, songs are about making people feel something. Whether that’s joy, heartbreak, hope, nostalgia, or simply feeling understood. The reason I fell in love with songwriting is because of its ability to connect people through shared experiences and emotions.
I also value authenticity. The best songs come from a real place, and I think people can tell when something is honest. Whether I’m writing with another songwriter or an artist, my goal is always to find the truth in the story and tell it in a way that resonates.
Beyond music, relationships matter most to me. This industry is built on people, and I’m grateful for the friendships, collaborators, and mentors who have been part of my journey. Success is meaningful, but being able to share it with people you care about is what makes it worthwhile.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellyseidel
