Full name – Brian Kelly
Birthdate – 12/24/1997
Hometown – Westchester, New York
Current city – Westchester, New York
Musical influences – Sam Hunt, Goo Goo Dolls, Luke Bryan, Justin Bieber, Vincent Mason
Label – Independent (Tape to Tape Music)

Current Single – “coulda been”  (as of date of article: 07/06/2026)

We say it time and time again, but we love championing artists from our home state. New-York based artist, Brian Kelly is a true artist that everyone should be paying attention to. We chatted with the singer-songwriter about his transition to music, his upbringing, and of course his new single that recently came out last month.

Growing up in Westchester, New York, the rising singer-songwriter always loved music, but hockey was his main focus. Throughout elementary and middle school, he would occasionally sing solos at school, while his mom always had music playing around the house. Still, he never imagined music would eventually become his career.

“I always loved music, but never got into it,” he shared, when asked about his early experiences with music.

Like many kids growing up in the early 2010s, his playlists evolved over the years. He went through a Justin Bieber phase, got hooked on EDM and The Chainsmokers, before eventually discovering country music through artists like Sam Hunt, Florida Georgia Line, and Luke Bryan. “I really fell in love and started loving country music with Sam Hunt,” he shared. “I think it was just the timing of when it was coming out.”

For the singer-songwriter, everything changed while attending the University of Vermont, where he played Division I hockey. After suffering an injury during his junior year, he suddenly found himself with plenty of free time in his dorm room, sitting in the corner was a guitar his mom had bought him. “I picked it up and started strumming away and learning on YouTube,” he shared. What started as learning covers eventually turned into something much bigger.

The Turning Point:

As Kelly became more comfortable playing guitar, he started to dabble in writing songs.  “I’ve always had the idea that I wanted to write,” he shared. “Being able to tell stories through songs is something that you really can’t do any other way.”

Although songwriting was new to the artist, looking back, he realized he had always enjoyed creative writing and poetry, making the transition into songwriting feel surprisingly natural. “I think the creative aspect of the poetry side and the rhyming side was something that I enjoyed growing up,” he shared.

Soon, he began posting covers on TikTok and Instagram, slowly building an audience while also performing cover shows and bar gigs around New York. As his confidence grew, he started mixing original songs into those sets, giving audiences an early glimpse at his own music.

I got comfortable enough to go out and play a couple bars in New York and start playing live shows. I think teasing some of those songs was super exciting too, and being like, ‘Hey, this is something I wrote,’ while playing those covers,” added the singer-songwriter.

Along the way, fellow songwriter Matt Roy became an important mentor, helping guide him through the songwriting process while introducing him to more of Nashville’s music community.

Over the last year, things have continued to pick up. Between opening for artists like Taylor Holder and Tyler Rich and continuing to write, record, and perform, the singer is now ready to officially introduce himself as an artist.

Today:

Flash forward to today, and the singer-songwriter recently released his debut single, “coulda been.” The song first began as nothing more than a title sitting in his Notes app. “I had this idea of kind of the should’ve, would’ve, could’ve been,” he shared. “I had the hook and I had the idea and the title.”

From there, the story quickly fell into place. Built around the idea of wondering what could have been between two people, the song came together naturally and ultimately became the perfect introduction to his artistry. Bringing the record to life also gave him the opportunity to collaborate with several talented musicians and songwriters, including Matt Roy, Nathan Barlow, Carey Barlow, and Nick Autry.

For the singer, releasing “coulda been” marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter. As an independent artist, he’s embracing the opportunity to build his career on his own terms. “I’m doing it all myself,” he shared. “I think that’s the exciting part of it.”

Looking ahead, fans can expect another single shortly after the debut single followed by an EP hopefully later this summer. He’s also hoping to continue playing shows throughout the Northeast while locking in more opening slots along the way.

With new music, more live shows, and plenty of momentum heading into the rest of the year, this independent artist is just getting started.

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about future Brian Kelly releases.

To keep up with Brian Kelly, follow him on Instagram and TikTok.

Brian Kelly’s music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.