Born in Berkeley, California, genre-bending singer-songwriter Kela Parker began making music in Portland, Oregon. She got her start playing some of Portland’s iconic venues, including playing her quirky piano compositions at The Old Church and opening for Madeleine Peyroux at The Aladdin Theatre. She has since played across the U.S., from Los Angeles’ The Viper Room to Rockwood Music Hall in New York City. 

Often compared to Jeff Buckley, Billie Holiday, and Radiohead, Parker’s distinct sound and unmistakable voice is nonetheless in a category all its own. Celebrated as “heady and tuneful” (Willamette Week) and “enticing…mysterious…dark yet angelic,” (A&R Factory), Parker’s songs often push the edges of pop forms and always bear the mark of her singular sound.

Kela has released three albums, most recently 2018’s ‘The Dreamer & The Dream,’ produced by Grammy-winning engineer Rocky Gallo (Norah Jones, John Legend). Her first two albums were made while the artist was trying to save a house from foreclosure (Houswife and Searching & Sewing), an experience that shaped her passion for music and social justice.

Kela’s fourth album is in the works and she is releasing one song a month throughout 2020.