ICYMI: #WomanCrushWednesday IG Live featuring Robin McKelle

BY LAURA HARPER/WWR Staff Writer

From New York to Paris and many places in between, few artists can say that they have taken their music career to quite as many different places as Robin McKelle.

McKelle was surrounded by music from an early age, as her mother worked as a choir director and gave her the opportunity to sing in church. Eventually, the mother-daughter duo would go on to perform at weddings, with McKelle singing while her mother played guitar and sang herself.

McKelle would later enroll in a jazz program in Miami, but later transferred to the prestigious Berklee College of Music to expand her music studies beyond the jazz genre. Then, after releasing her first album in 2006, she moved to Paris. McKelle credits Europe’s rich artistic history as the driving force behind their unique musical culture.

“Europeans are more open to things that exist outside of a box,” McKelle said. “They have more of an open culture musically and artistically.”

Early in 2020, McKelle released an album called Alterations that consists of her own personal spins on classic songs by female artists such as Janis Joplin, Adele, and more. McKelle says she was inspired to create this album after performing a few covers on tour a few years back and receiving a great response from the audience every time. She then chose the songs she covered on Alterations by focusing on female musicians who have inspired her.

McKelle planned to have a tour following the release of her album, but it was ultimately canceled due to the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The tour has since been rescheduled multiple times as a result of the ever-changing circumstances and continual lockdown in France, but she currently has some live shows scheduled for April that she is hopeful will be performed as planned.

In the meantime, McKelle has tried working on new songs for a future album, and while she has done some writing, she is finding it difficult to create new content. McKelle says she often pulls inspiration for new music from her live audiences.

“I love the connection with my musicians and the audience,” McKelle said.

Another challenge McKelle has faced in her career deals with the wide gender discrepancies that exist within the music industry, particularly some incidents of sexual harassment. At one point in her career, she performed as part of a wedding band in which the band leader would often make snide comments about her physical appearance.

“I was being looked at as a sexual object instead of as a musician,” McKelle said.

McKelle says one of the best ways to combat these issues is for women to support other women despite often being pitted against one another in the music industry. She also emphasizes the importance of confidence and taking charge of your own music.

“Don’t forget to listen to that little person inside of you who tells you what you want,” McKelle said. “When you feel confident, you can take charge.”

For more on Robin McKelle, you can check out the entire interview on the @OfficialWomenWhoRock IGTV channel.