SunQueen Kelcey has two things at the center of her music: body positivity and radical self love. These are more than ingredients to her lyrics, they are her soul; and she has such a strong calling to these tenets that watching her at the mic is more than a concert. Her musical style is a genre-bending collage of hip-hop, soul, rock, and contemporary R&B, call it soul-rock. She delivers an energetic and passionate performance complete with her live band The Soular Flares. Specializing in blending her original music with Top Billboard Hit covers, she is the center of a universal sound that aims to unite her listeners over a shared experience. 

On her new album, “See Attached” available on all streaming platforms - her lyrics and artistry have been described as “visceral, elemental, emotional and raw” by her listeners. That magic is only enhanced by heavy bass lines dripping with sensuality, bluesy guitar strums, bright tones on the piano and clean drum hits to make your heart stop.

Kelcey grew up in a small North Carolina town called Southern Pines, absorbing a broad range of music from Mary J Blige, Nina Simone, and Jill Scott to Queen and Rage Against the Machine. In middle school she joined the choral ensemble and quickly fell in love with classical music, which influences her vocal arrangements to this day. A series of traumatic events when she was 13 affected her greatly. Kelcey’s father died and the family’s house burned down, destroying her first guitar, and deterring her from her goals. She has overcome a series of obstacles to get to where she is now, rising above loss and personal setbacks to find her own voice and pursue her artistic dreams.

She began her performance career with Dalton Village, a group that blended R&B and rap. As their lead vocalist, she gained experience performing live, but after the band broke up she was launched on a solo career. She decided to create a backing band for her music with the former guitarist of Dalton Village, Kolin Robinson, and called it SunQueen and the Soular Flares. Creating this group was a pivotal moment that led to her receiving the 2017 R&B Artist of the Year Award by the Artist Bloc. The band has two guitarists (Malcom Dickens & Kolin Robinson), a bassist (Darion Jones), keyboardist/trombone player (Tyrissa Swilley) and drummer (Jamese Moses). Every member is multi-talented, either bringing other instruments into the mix or by adding to the group through graphic design. The band grooves and together they add flare to the original lyrics created by Kelcey and accomplish dynamic covers.  

“I just like to empower people to love themselves, practice bodily autonomy, mind their business and allow themselves to feel a full range of emotions and not be ashamed of it. And of course, I stay promoting body positivity and radical self-love. It’s a gender-expansive movement and I’m committed to it” Kelcey says. Her commitment to empowerment is what helped Kelcey sign a record deal with indie label, Smart Mouth Records LLC based in Durham, NC. She is devoted to improving the space she is in, from organizing group events, to lending her talents to her countless friends. She is a rock star and a hometown hero.

 

Awards:
Winner of Best R&B Artist of the Year, The Bloc Awards – 2017

Press:
Go Triad - https://www.greensboro.com/go_triad/sunqueen-kelcey-will-perform-at-joymongers-as-part-of-represent/article_9487f5b2-c171-528b-b25e-14a79cdab9bf.html

1808 Magazine - https://www.greensboro.com/1808greensboro/entertainment/sunqueen-kelcey-ledbetter/article_cc2b873d-f81b-5caa-a7e5-ca84e14f6d1c.html


Festivals:
Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival, Pittsboro, NC
OUT! Raleigh Pride Festival, Raleigh, NC
LGBTQ Durham, Durham, NC
Aggie Fanfest for NC A&T State University, Greensboro, NC
EarthGirls Festival, Greensboro, NC
Bla/Alt Music Festival, Camp North End, Charlotte, NC
WhoDat Festival, Greensboro, NC
Black 2 HipHop Festival, Greensboro, NC
City Sunset Concert Series, Greensboro, NC
Summer Concert Series, Levitt Amp Foundation, Barber Park, Greensboro, NC
Ribfest, Winston Salem, NC | Greensboro, NC


Venues:
The Crown at Carolina Theatre, Greensboro, NC
The Vault, Durham, NC
Sofar Sounds, Greensboro, NC
Sofar Sounds, Raleigh, NC
Sofar Sounds, Charlotte, NC
Sofar Sounds, Brooklyn, NY
Sofar Sounds, Louisville, KY
Imurj Artists Cafe, Raleigh, NC
Joymongers Brewing Co., Greensboro, NC
The PourHouse Music Hall, Raleigh, NC
Boston’s House of Jazz, Greensboro, NC
The Van Dyke Performance Space, Cultural Arts Center, Greensboro, NC
Oden’s Brewing, Greensboro, NC
Fat Tuesdays, Greensboro, NC
The Blind Tiger, Greensboro, NC
Elm St Lounge, Greensboro, NC
Club Orion, Greensboro, NC
221 Lounge, Greensboro, NC
Petra’s Lounge, Charlotte, NC
NPR Radio, All Things Considered, Triad Stage, Greensboro, NC
International Civil Rights Museum, Greensboro, NC
Churchhills Cigar Bar, Greensboro, NC
Greene Street Nightclub, Greensboro, NC
The People’s Perk, Greensboro, NC
The Artist Bloc, Greensboro, NC
Elsewhere Museum, Greensboro, NC
Bulls Tavern, Winston Salem, NC
PB & Java, Greensboro, NC
The Shed, Durham, NC
The Food Bank, Southern Pines, NC
Hardpress Studios, Greensboro, NC

Radio Appearances:
WNAA 90.1 FM for NC A&T State University
WUAG 103.1 for UNCG
GateCity Podcast
NPR UNC Radio, All Things Considered

Community Work:
UnitedWay GSO and Fanatic, Community Album “Artists United to End Poverty”, Greensboro, NC
Artists4Justice, Greensboro, NC
Fundraiser for Hurricane Matthew, Greensboro, NC
Put Your Money Where the Art Is - Fundraiser for NoDAPL, S.O.N.G.  Greensboro, NC
Hunger Action Month, Aberdeen, NC