Austin based R&B soul singer and songwriter Kelly Hafner is due to drop her debut studio album If it’s Love on February 22nd. Her show-stopping voice and unmistakably improvisational style keep listeners hooked from start to finish. Echoing the traditions of her soul forebears like Etta James, Lauryn Hill, Marvin Gaye, and Amy Winehouse, If it’s Love tests the boundaries of neo-soul in a refreshing way while lyrically navigating the human experience through a young woman’s eyes in the 21st century.
Kelly Hafner is a Berklee College of Music graduate, and grew up in northern California. Upon graduation, she returned to the Bay Area and began writing and recording music in her bedroom. She honed her live performance with a San Francisco-based live band, Fire, before moving to Austin. It is there she began her career as a solo artist and working on her new album. She met Sam Diaz, guitarist on the upcoming album, at the local Jazz club the Elephant Room where he was bartending.
For Kelly Hafner, the forthcoming album explores themes focusing on human emotion and connections to oneself, life, God, and lovers. If It’s Love was recorded with a mix of Hafner’s Austin based band, Sam Diaz (Guitar) and Daniela Pennycook (Violin); and a bevy of talented studio musicians including the winner of Guitar Center’s nationwide DrumOff in 2010 – Isaias Gil, John Shelton (Lead and Rhythm Guitars), Mark Riddell (Bass), Derek Hames (Drums, Bass, Mellotron, Percussion, Background Vocals), Jimmy Moreland (Hammond Organ, Wurlitzer), Preston Smith (Trumpet, Flugelhorn), Andre Hayward (Trombone), and Andrae Grant (Saxophone). They recorded at Edgewater Studios in Houston, produced by studio co-owner Derek Hames (The Drugstore Gypsies, National Park Radio, The Buffalo Ruckus), and engineered by studio co-owner John Shelton.
The new album takes a deep dive into a soulful journey that highlights the depth of Hafner’s voice. The 10 track deep album keeps you listening for more as Hafner’s voice takes you on a journey deep into Kelly Hafner’s heart with songs like the deep vintage vocal-driven title track and lead single “If it’s Love.” Today we are excited to premiere that song right here on Glide. The song is a perfect encapsulation of what makes Hafner such a unique musical voice. Musically, the song has sort of a bluesy lounge jazz vibe that complements the singer’s rich, smokey vocals that ooze with confidence and soul. There is a swooning feel to the song as Hafner shows off her dynamic vocals and pulls the listener into her orbit, and her voice feels like it could take the world by storm.
Hafner describes the inspiration behind the song:
“This track is about having faith in true love and about trusting your intuition. Sometimes I feel jaded about love and relationships, but I wanted to remind myself to keep going because love is beautiful and rare, and we’re lucky to have a chance at finding and feeling it.”
LISTEN:
If it’s Love is out on February 22nd. For more music and info visit kellyhafner.com.
