"Singer-songwriter" is a phrase that calls to mind a solo musician with standing behind a mic, guitar in hand, or seated at a piano, breaking hearts with deep-cutting, personal lyrics. While Keely Burn falls under such a mold, she's always looking to expand her musical boundaries- even if it only means that the guitar in hand becomes a ukulele in hers.
Humming songs in her crib before she learned to talk, one could say Keely Burn's fate as a musician was predetermined. Inspired by her favorite artists such as Joni Mitchell and Peter Gabriel, she wrote her first song at age 14, and went on to refine her craft first at the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp in Michigan, and then as a music performance major at Long Island's school for performing arts, Five Towns College.
In 2018, Burn recorded her EP, I've Never Been More Aware, at Recording Engineers Institute in Islandia, New York, before returning to her hometown of Richmond, Virginia post-graduation and accepting an internship at Sound of Music Studios. It was there that she recorded her debut album, Not My Masterpiece, released June 25th, 2021. Shortly thereafter, Burn formed The Tea Lights, an eclectic alternative pop collaboration with multiple Richmond solo artists.
An ardent fan of Richmond's vibrant music scene, Burn has made her own contributions by playing at local venues as varied as The Camel, Castleburg Brewery, and various farmer's markets. As a solo act, she has been booked alongside Letitia Van Sant in Bri Bevan's Woman Crush Wednesday Showcase, and performed at the inaugural Rhythm on the River festival. With The Tea Lights, she has performed at the Carytown Watermelon Festival and the Richmondstock festival at Another Round Bar and Grill. She has also worked as a sound engineer and session musician for Sound of Music.