Kelli Ali

I believe that music is magic. When I make a record, I strive to capture a phantom and harness its spirit within the music.

I've been making records for almost half of my life. My love of music has most probably saved my life a thousand times and I can remember in the early days of my childhood, being spell bound and hypnotized by the wonderful music all around me. I still am.

I joined my first band when I was 16 and in my early twenties, I joined a band called Sneaker Pimps. We made an album called Becoming X in the mid 90's and for a couple of years, we toured all over the world with the album.

In 1998, just before we were supposed to make our next album, the band asked me to leave, so that Chris Corner, the guitarist, could take over as singer for the band.

Making records has become my primary interest in life. Each record I make means some new challenge, some different way of looking at things.

In 2001, I signed a solo record deal with One Little Indian records. My two previous solo albums, Tiger Mouth (2003) and Psychic Cat (2004) were both released on One Little Indian records.

Making records has become my primary interest in life. Each record I make means some new challenge, some different way of looking at things. Recorded sound is magic to me and sound itself is such an illusory and obscure medium, I have found working with sound and music to be the most fascinating and rewarding experience for both the mind and heart.

Every challenge and frustration that arises whilst attempting to make a meaningful record of beauty and depth teaches me a new lesson and as I continue to make music and records, one of the lessons that I have learned is that I make my music because of the listener. The soul that is uplifted, the heart that is comforted or elated by the music I make, is the reason for my endeavors.

Music is an exchange, an interaction which thanks to our ever evolving technology, can reach across vast distances of both culture and space. I am grateful to be able to partake in this mysterious and precious experience and am deeply grateful to those of you who continue to enjoy my music.

I am grateful to be able to partake in this mysterious and precious experience and am deeply grateful to those of you who continue to enjoy my music.

I have always enjoyed traveling and begin to feel confined when I'm in one place too long. In 2005, we left London to go traveling and write a new album.

Whilst journeying through Mexico and California, I wrote many songs and met many people. The trees and the mountains and lakes and the deserts, were our gracious hosts and their awesome mystery shaped my dreams and songs. I found my music and song writing taking a new direction, more natural, organic and ethereal like the nature and beauty that surrounded us.

I began to work on an idea for an album which would evoke the presence of our days spent wandering, writing all of the songs on an acoustic guitar, many times, by a camp fire under the stars, by the ocean or in the woods and mountains and in 2007 I completed writing for my Rocking Horse album.

In March 2008, I went to Edinburgh to work with composer and producer, Max Richter on my new record. I kept a journal about recording the Rocking Horse album, which can be found on the journal section of this site.

Rocking Horse will be released in Autumn 2008.

Read Kelli's full biography