ABOUT
KELSEY MICHAEL
The music of Penzance based singer songwriter Kelsey Michael is a hotline to West Cornwall’s nature and landscape, bonding listeners through a re-kindling of their collective experience of wild places. Her recent solo album 'Lethowsow' was released on vinyl and CD by Anglo/Irish label Dimple Discs in 2024.
Kelsey is known for her crafted songs on piano and often performs solo, duo and with her Cornwall based LETHOWSOW collective. The musical style of Lethowsow the album recalls in places ‘classic’ 60s/70s female artists such as Laura Nyro and Carole King.
In a bold move forward, Kelsey re-defines her sound for 2026, moving away from the piano, and lacing spell-like chants for nature into clapping patterns, ambient soundworlds and shifting shruti-box drones. Her forthcoming song Nymphs, a setting of a poem by Katheryn Tynan for Irish History and Music Project Bring Your Own Hammer, will be released mid February 2026. This fresh sounding recording finds her collaborating with Norfolk based slide guitar and jaw harp/mouthbow duo The Happy Couple (David Ross and Judith Goodman) following their live performances together in 2025 and 2026. A rich exchange of musical approaches is infused with the minutiae of nature balanced with the cosmic and awesome. Kelsey is excited to continue working with David and Judith with plans afoot for her to sing on Happy Couple compositions.
Lethowsow (pronounced Laith-oh-so), means ‘the milky ones’ in old ‘Kernewek’ language. It was used as a name for the treacherous Seven Stones reef on the way to Lands End, a large stretch of vertical rocks like sharks teeth which are always always covered with white water. For Kelsey Lethowsow represents the awesome and humbling power of nature. Singer Songwriting, storytelling, folk and classic pop all work together in Lethowsow which has 'classic' elements but offers a very contemporary voice.
Additional singers join the band live whenever possible. Lethowsow the album
features Angeline Morrison whose album 'The Sorrow Songs' was Guardian Folk album of the year in 2022, Maria Heseltine, and Kelsey's daughter, May Robson.
Kelsey has sung on five albums by Sean O'Hagan of The High Llamas. She also sings on contemporary classical composer Jocelyn Pook's soundtrack for Stanley Kubrick's 'Eyes Wide Shut'. In the jazz world she has performed live with Liam Noble and Tom Bancroft. She is currently collaborating with fellow
Dimple Discs artist and former Stump bassist Kev Hopper, on an exciting new album which sees Kev in song mode with a return to playing the otherworldly singing saw.