New York, NY – Concord Music Publishing, the world’s leading independent music publisher, joins forces with singer/songwriter, Ruston Kelly for an exclusive worldwide publishing deal representing future works. Kelly is set to have his next album of new material released by Rounder Records in 2020.
“Refreshing the air in a writer’s sphere is bittersweet but also necessary at times,” said Ruston Kelly. “Signing with Concord is just that for me, and I’m very excited to have such an enthusiastic and driven team here.”
Born in South Carolina, Ruston Kelly started playing guitar under the guidance of his dad, Tim “TK” Kelly, a pedal-steel guitarist who now performs in his band. Kelly moved to Nashville at 17 years old and began penning songs for artists like Tim McGraw and Josh Abbott Band. He continued working on his own material, breaking through with the release of his debut EP Halloween in 2017 and his full length debut album, Dying Star in September of 2018. Released on Rounder Records, the album continues to receive widespread critical acclaim; NPR Music praises, “Kelly digs down deep on Dying Star to fearlessly put forth a set of songs steeped in emotional twists, turns and complications…This here is powerful stuff,” while Stereogum declares it, “an emotional powerhouse.”
“Ruston is that rare, wonderful breed of writer – with one foot firmly planted in tradition, while constantly pushing the limits of contemporary creativity. He has an undeniable punk ethic, like many of the legendary greats before him,” said Tom DeSavia, SVP of A&R/Artist Relations for Concord Music Publishing.
“We’re so honored to have Ruston join the Concord family of songwriters. We are beyond excited to be a part of his creative team, and we can’t wait for the world to hear what he has in store,” said Brad Kennard, VP of A&R at Concord Music Publishing.
In addition to his solo work, Ruston Kelly has written songs for artists like Tim McGraw, Josh Abbott Band, Rob Baird, Hayes Carll, and Lucie Silvas. He recently played the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee and is set to perform at Lollapalooza in Chicago next month. Kelly will kick off his headlining Brightly Burst Tour in September of this year.