On The Record With: Kiely Connell

Emily Kulyk
September 22, 2026

Photographer: Cherry Mac

A playlist, not unlike a snapshot, is a moment in time preserved. It tells a story and holds on to what lit someone up or allowed them to rest. Coming from a performer, it could be labeled as the foundation to what they build upon. What a playlist means to an artist offers insight into their own life and how they show up under the bright lights of a stage.

Nashville-based Kiely Connell gave Lou Magazine a glimpse into a recent playlist of hers and was gracious enough to answer some questions.

Lou Magazine: Does anything influence how your own playlists are curated? What helps you create them?

Kiely Connell:
“Usually, if I’m making a playlist, I’m making it for a specific person or occasion. So I’ll usually go with a mood or theme and create based off of that. I slowly sift through artists who inspire me and choose songs based on whatever vibe I want the playlist to have.”

Your music touches on pieces maybe others wouldn’t be as brave to lean into, like deep feelings, self-discovery, mental health. How does music help you do that?

Connell:
“Music helped define my feelings better than almost any art form. It was always music and theater for me. The first time I REALLY HEARD Joni Mitchell’s “A Case Of You,” my life was changed. More recently, it was Fiona Apple’s “Valentine”. I’ve never had another woman describe something I felt so vividly, and every time you hear something like that, it inspires you. Music can make you feel braver to say things out loud that maybe you kept inside out of fear. Something about that performance aspect of creating forces you to buck up and be brave.”

Are you listening to anything before you get on stage? What would that be and why?

Connell:
“I typically don’t listen to music before performances unless it’s a song I want to run through in my head before a show. I like letting myself be fully present in that moment. I want to allow myself to feel a little anxious if that’s what I feel that day and feel the energy from the crowd. It’s a magical thing if you don’t distract yourself.”

Photographer: Cherry Mac

Kiely’s featured playlist.

From the playlist you’ve sent over, is there anything you use as influence and incorporate into your music?

​Connell:
“That playlist was created off of the track “Vampire Blues” by Neil Young. I’ve been listening to “On The Beach” a lot lately, and Vampire Blues is just such a cool track. So, from there, I just thought of all of my favorite moody songs from artists of all genres. I know I have Barbara Dane on this playlist and, in my opinion, she is THE MOST criminally underrated vocalist of all time. Go listen to anything she has ever sung, and you’ll think, “How have I never heard of this woman?!”, and you’ll hear a lot of things you can learn from her. She was an icon.”

Out of your playlist, is there anyone that would be a dream collab, someone you’d want to work alongside them and their style?

Connell:
"Beck is at the top of that list. I think he is a GENIUS. The other one I would love to sing with someday is Fiona Apple. She has been such an inspiration to me."

Is there a song you’d like to cover in the future? Any particular reason why? 

Connell:
“I’ve always wanted to cover “Young Girls Lament”. It’s such a cool, spooky tune, which is what I’m very into.”

If you could talk to any of the artists on your playlist, who would that be and what would you want to talk about or ask them?

​Connell:
“Well, I can’t believe that Dolly Parton has left this earth and shuffled off this mortal coil. The first song I ever learned to play was “Jolene”; I wish I could still talk to Dolly. I never did get my chance. I don’t know if there is something at the top of my list of what I’d ask her. I’d just want to talk to her and hear from her some of her favorite stories of her life.”

So much of music is discovered through word of mouth. Are there any artists, songs, or playlists someone else showed that you now listen to?

​Connell:
“My biggest word of mouth discovery was back when I first moved here. It was Jason Isbell. He had just released “Southeastern,” which ended up being a blueprint for the kind of songs I wanted to write. His songs just cut you.”

Photographer: Cherry Mac

If you could have anyone in music share their playlist with you, who would you want that to be?

Connell:
“I’d like to hear what Patti Smith is listening to. She has always had such cool taste.”

What are three songs that should be on someone’s playlist right now?

Connell:
“Dolly Parton- “We Used To”
The Byrds- “It Won’t Be Wrong”
Tom Petty- “U Get Me High””

There is a natural curiosity to know what others are listening to, especially when that someone is a musician. How do they do what they do? Well, a playlist is an outline that aids in that. You can see Kiely performing on the 5th floor of Chief’s on Broadway in Ashley McBryde’s Redemption Bar and follow her on Instagram. 

You can find more information on all that is to come for her here.