Kelly Hunt

"Gut-punching in their truthfulness and beautiful in their imagery… the musical equivalent of a book you can’t put down." No Depression

A distinctive voice in contemporary roots music, Kelly Hunt blends old-time banjo traditions with sharp, modern songwriting and a clear, expressive vocal style. Her debut album Even the Sparrow—a finalist for the International Folk Music Awards Album of the Year—drew national attention for its vivid storytelling, melodic strength, and the warm, soulful character of her vintage tenor banjo, helping establish her as an artist with both depth and originality.

Rooted in tradition but never confined by it, Hunt’s music moves fluidly between past and present, balancing Appalachian and folk influences with a distinctly modern perspective. Rolling Stone Country noted her “lilting cadence of a folksinger born somewhere far away, sometime long ago,” while PopMatters praised her ability to “embrace modernity with unadulterated effervescence,” naming Even the Sparrow among its 20 Best Folk Albums of 2019.