"No one is perfect, and all we can do is strive to be the best versions of ourselves everyday."

Kelsey Coan is a singer/songwriter from Southern New Jersey. She performs regularly, solo and with her band, all over the South Jersey area. Her shows include both cover songs and music from her two original albums Don’t Give Up and Mind Games. Kelsey enjoys performing a blend of rock, country, and pop music to keep things fresh and exciting. Her biggest musical influences are Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, and Halestorm. Kelsey gravitates towards songs with a strong story or message, and has tried to incorporate this into her own songwriting.

 

Kelsey released her first album, Don't Give Up, in 2015. Many of the songs on the album draw from her personal experiences growing up. As an introvert and the youngest of three, Kelsey always struggled to find her own voice in an extroverted family. Around the age of 13 she decided to join show choir and immediately knew she had found where she fit in. It was around this time that Kelsey also started to perform in musical theater. She loved it! Unfortunately, she was bullied for her love of music by other children, and it really affected her self-esteem. It got so bad that Kelsey's parents had to pull her from public school and enroll her in private school for the rest of her middle school years. Kelsey's older brother has special needs, and has constantly faced adversity his whole life. This has inspired a passion for helping and encouraging others who may be facing the same things. Before committing to her music full time, this led Kelsey to work as an aid at a special needs school. She loved seeing how the students learned and grew as individuals, despite their challenges. The songs Don’t Give Up and Look At Me Now were inspired by these experiences and how she was able to overcome them.

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Kelsey also feel very strongly about those who have served our country in the armed services. Her grandfather was a Vietnam War veteran, and his story instilled in her a strong appreciation for our veterans. Kelsey's song Something to Stand For, co-written with Nashville songwriter Chuck Thomas, is dedicated to honor all who have served, or are currently serving, in our armed services.

 

In 2017, Kelsey released her second album, Mind Games, which focused more on her growth as a person, and bringing awareness to some mental health issues. Watcha See Is What You Get is about Kelsey accepting and being confident in who she is. "No one is perfect, and all we can do is strive to be the best versions of ourselves every day." Like many people of her generation, Kelsey has struggled with anxiety and depression. Broken Angel touches on where these issues may lead when someone doesn’t have a strong support system around them to help them through it. Mind Games and Drag Me Down were written about the toxic or unhealthy relationships people often feel trapped in. Kelsey wanted her audience to know even though it’s hard, there is always a way out. 

 

During the 2020 pandemic, Kelsey decided she wanted to take some time out of the music scene to start a family. After a few years off, she started performing live again in 2022 and has been working toward a full-time music career ever since. Kelsey is currently working on new original music, which she plans on releasing before the end of 2024! After several iterations, Kelsey is so grateful to finally have found band members who fully support her music and vision. "It is so much fun performing live, and I have recently rediscovered the passion that sent the little girl on this journey with music 15 years ago."
 

Writing and performing has truly helped Kelsey express herself and become more confident in who she is. She hopes that she can inspire others to find their passion and pursue it, no matter what anyone else may say. This is a message Kelsey has been lucky enough to share in many newspaper articles, and radio/talk show interviews.  Kelsey's first two albums, Don’t Give Up, and Mind Games, are available anywhere you can find digital music including Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music, and YouTube. Many of her songs are also played on radio stations around the world. Kelsey is so excited to release new music again and can't wait to share what she has been working on the last few years soon! Follow Kelsey on social media @kelseycoanmusic for updates and a behind the scenes look of her journey with music. Most importantly, follow your own heart and Don't Give Up! ​