The Kelly Line

“We’re his blood line and we’re just continuing the story.”

This week we have Ben Hughes from ‘The Kelly Line’ a father/son songwriting duo. 

SWND: “Can you tell us more about your unique name?”

BEN: “Our name can be traced back to Connemara where, way back in 1897, Albert Kelly was born. A few years later, while no more than a boy, he ran away to sea. He had many fantastic adventures before finally settling in Liverpool and raising a family. 

We’re his blood line and we’re just continuing the story.”

SWND: So your album Manifesto is out Friday 25th March, can you give us a little bit of an insight? 

BEN: “Manifesto is our take on some of the issues that face us today. To borrow a line from the title track, We might not know what’s right, but we sure as hell know what’s wrong.”

“In the best traditions of the folk idiom, the songs champion the cause of the underdog and question the morality of hereditary privilege and inequality. Drawing as much from our punk background as from folk music, the tracks span intense full band efforts, to soft and introspective folk, to raw and impassioned solo songs.”

SWND: “What’s it like working together, as father and son?”

BEN: “To be honest, we don’t really think of it like that. We’re just songwriting partners who enjoy sharing a beer - which Dad always buys. The original concept was to see what kind of music just the two of us could make together, but has since evolved to include fellow musicians performing in a wide range of styles.”

Check out ‘Manifesto’ NOW

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