Kelsey Rottiers Background Info

Kelsey’s father will tell you that her career started in a tree: when she was a girl, she sang high in the branches where she thought no one could hear her. Thankfully, she climbed down, and she’s been sharing her original compositions with the rest of us ever since.

In 2009, after graduating from the Contemporary Music Center on Martha’s Vineyard and earning her bachelor’s in music from Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kelsey had eleven years of training under her belt and a lot of music in her notebooks. Joined by Derek Turcsanyi (guitarist and back-up singer), she formed her band, Kelsey Rottiers & the Rising Tide, and hit the road, playing coffeehouse shows and festivals around East and Central Michigan. (via Facebook)

MarsBands Review

Wowzas! I knew from the very first seconds of hearing Kelsey Rottiers that I would be doing a review on her music. Usually when I do a review for a band or musician, I have to listen to the music a couple times before I decide if I’m going to write something up (which, by the way, is part of the reason it takes me so long to get to every submission sent to MarsBands). That was not the case with Kelsey. Everything I heard from her I immediately enjoyed. Each time I listened I found new things I enjoyed about the music.

For starters, Kelsey has a fantastic voice. It is very calm, very soothing, and brilliantly crisp, clean, and elegant. Her vocal range is impeccable. And when she decides to let loose, look out. I’ll be frank - Kelsey has one hell of a voice. I love the way she gets so into her music and how passionate she is. Every now and then she’ll give off a little “growl” when she sings which, for me, is one of the things I like most about her music. Her voice is the very embodiment of passion and emotion. Gives me chills!

Kelsey’s music is an intriguing mix of Pop and Folk. I say intriguing because I’m not so sure that I’ve ever heard anything quite like her music before. Sure, I’ve heard Folk and I’ve heard Pop. I’ve heard a lot of combinations as well. But I’m not so sure I have heard any music that can be so distinctly a certain genre while at the exact same moment being so distinctly another genre. When you listen you are immediately introduced to her Folky side, but at the same time you are also discovering the infectiously catchy Poppy side of Kelsey’s music. It’s exciting!

It is quite difficult for me to tell you which of her songs are my favorite as there are many songs and they are all exceptional. That being said, I am somewhat torn between Red Wonder Boots and Bear Hope. I love the Pop and upbeat vibe from Red Wonder Boots but I also love the spooky, intimidating vocals of Bear Hope. Kelsey really shows off her passion and vocal prowess in Bear Hope. I don’t know… I’m going to say Bear Hope but that’s subject to change. Give a listen to the awesome and incredibly talented Kelsey Rottiers via SoundCloud below and let me know what your favorite song was. Oh, and this is just a small sampling of her music. If you’d like to hear more, check out Kelsey Rottiers’ SoundCloud page and you’ll find oodles to listen to! Enjoy!