Korey McKelvy Music

Hello friend!  I'm Korey McKelvy, a Fayetteville-born, Northwest Arkansas-raised musician.  I still live in Fayetteville and work as a mental health RN to keep things stable while pursuing my love of music.  I have a sweet little boy named Jasper, and the best German Shepherd named Claud.  I'm blessed to get to make music with so many incredible musicians, one of whom happens to be my amazing partner, bassist extraordinaire, Tim Lauffer.

I've been singing since I could talk, and after high school, I was quite motivated to find a new musical outlet.  I found myself busking on the streets of Eureka Springs and receiving an overwhelmingly positive response with that beautiful experience.  I was so encouraged, I began writing my own songs, continued busking, and worked my way through nursing school.  In 2013 I founded bluegrass fusion band, The Ozark Travelers.  We released albums in 2014 and 2016, played festivals such as Highberry and Hillberry, and headlined at George's Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville.  

The Travelers disbanded in 2017, and I took a couple of years adjusting to motherhood, leaving a decade-long relationship, and re-discovering who I wanted to be, but I figured it out.  Then in 2019 the greatest blessing came to me in the form of Dandelion Heart.  I had yearned for an all-female project for years.  Now Lacy Hampton, Chase Hart, Willa Thomason, and I have created a unique sound that builds on our individual creative songwriting styles.  We've enjoyed opening for bands like Fruition and Vandoliers at George's, playing Hillberry and Roots music festivals, adding artistic flair to Art Nights at The Walton Arts Center and Crystal Bridges, providing the perfect atmosphere for Downtown Springdale's Street Dinners, Apple Seeds' annual fundraisers, and more.  Our debut album, Retrospect, released in 2020, and we've since released multiple singles.  We continue to grow our unique Americana sound, and work hard to share that with our community.

In the midst of all that, I was approached by good friend, Jonathan DerGazerian for an exciting one-off Fleetwood Mac tribute show.  But as it turns out, we couldn't do it just once, and so Deepwood Mac was born.  This project has allowed me to perform with some of the most talented musicians in our area, and truly grow my confidence as a "front-woman."  These shows are a blast!

I'm proud to say that May of 2023 saw my first solo release, folk-blues EP "The Other Side of the Mountain."  This project is a piece of my heart that I wish to give to all who are willing to listen.  These songs and this process have been so healing for me.  And out of this, through the encouragement of my funk-loving partner, I have begun to embark on an entirely new adventure: Korey McKelvy Band, a soul-funk, body-moving, booty-grooving machine.  So get ready, and I hope to see you at a show very soon. Thanks for taking the time to get to know me a little!