Scott Kelly (musician)

Scott Kelly
Kelly in 2004
Background information
Birth nameScott Michael Kelly
Born (1967-07-16) July 16, 1967 (age 57)
Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
OriginOakland, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer, musician
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active1985–2022
LabelsNeurot, Relapse, Alternative Tentacles, Lookout!, Alchemy
Formerly ofNeurosis, Tribes of Neurot, Shrinebuilder

Scott Michael Kelly (born July 16, 1967) is an American retired musician. He was one of three founding members of California experimental metal band Neurosis, in which he was the band's lead vocalist and guitarist from its formation until his firing in 2019.[1] Kelly retired from music in 2022 after admitting to many years of physically abusing his family.[2]

Aside from Neurosis, Kelly was also a member of the bands Tribes of Neurot, Blood and Time, Shrinebuilder, Corrections House, Mirrors of Psychic Warfare and Absent in Body.[3] He released three solo albums. Kelly has also appeared on six albums by the American metal band Mastodon, featuring on all of their albums from 2004's Leviathan to 2017's Emperor of Sand.[4]

Career

Kelly formed Neurosis in 1985 originally as a hardcore punk band with bassist Dave Edwardson and drummer Jason Roeder. Kelly was the band's vocalist and guitarist, and the band released eleven studio albums together with him. Kelly was fired from Neurosis in 2019 after the band learned that he had been abusing his wife and children, but this remained unpublicized until 2022 for his family's protection.[1] Kelly admitted to committing the abuse in August 2022 and announced his retirement from music and public life.[2]

In Shrinebuilder, Kelly collaborated with Al Cisneros, Scott Weinrich, and Dale Crover, whose first and only album was released in October 2009. Kelly was also a member of the supergroup Absent in Body which formed in 2022, with Amenra's vocalist Colin H. Van Eeckhout and guitarist Mathieu J. Vandekerckhove alongside former Sepultura drummer Igor Cavalera.[5]

In addition to his musical projects, Kelly, along with his bandmates in Neurosis, was co-owner of Neurot Recordings. Beginning in April 2011, he began hosting a monthly three hour streaming radio show on Scion A/V.com channel 5 called KMBT. He had previously owned and operated an Internet radio station of his own called combatmusicradio.com that featured weekly shows from him as well as others such as Eugene S. Robinson, Joe Preston, and others.

Kelly also worked extensively as a solo artist, releasing three albums and doing over 400 solo performances worldwide since the year 2000, including involving Neurosis bandmates in his The Road Home project.[6]

Musical influences

Kelly cites Swans, Black Flag, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Die Kreuzen, Amebix, Jimi Hendrix, King Crimson, Neil Young, Melvins, Celtic Frost, Negative Approach, Townes Van Zandt, Voivod, and Hank Williams as important influences.[7]

Personal life

A native of the East Bay, Kelly used to reside with his wife Sarah and two youngest children in the woods of Southern Oregon. In August 2022, after admitting to abusing his wife and children, Kelly officially retired from music and public life, and his current living situation is unknown.[2] The other members of Neurosis said in a statement that they condemned Kelly's behavior and had expelled him from the band in 2019 after learning about the abuse, but had respected a request for privacy from Kelly's wife in not publicly discussing the matter at the time.[8]

Discography

Kelly performing in 2009

Neurosis

Neurosis & Jarboe

Tribes of Neurot

  • Rebegin (1995)
  • Silver Blood Transmission (1995)
  • Static Migration (1998)
  • Grace (1999)
  • 60° (2000)
  • Adaptation and Survival: The Insect Project (2002)
  • Cairn (2002)
  • Meridian (2005)

Solo albums

Blood and Time

  • At the Foot of the Garden (2003)
  • Latitudes (2007)

Shrinebuilder

Corrections House

  • Hoax the System / Grin with a Purpose (7") (2013)
  • Last City Zero (2013)
  • Know How to Carry a Whip (2015)

Mastodon (guest vocals)

Mirrors for Psychic Warfare

  • Mirrors for Psychic Warfare (2016)
  • I See What I Became (2018)

Absent in Body

  • The Abyss Stares Back - Vol. V (EP) (2017)
  • Plague God (2022)

References

  1. ^ a b Kennelty, Greg. "Neurosis Parted Ways With Scott Kelly In 2019, Issues Lengthy Statement After His Admission Of Abuse". MetalInjection. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Neurosis singer Scott Kelly retires from music and admits abuse". NME. August 28, 2022.
  3. ^ Solis, Matt (August 18, 2016). "Grace Period: Neurosis Talk Times of Grace's Companion Album". Decibel. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  4. ^ Shadows, Em (October 11, 2022). "Brann Dailor Says New Mastodon May Be Coming "Sooner Than Later"". MetalSucks. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  5. ^ Kennelty, Greg (March 10, 2022). "ABSENT IN BODY (Ex-SEPULTURA, NEUROSIS, AMENRA) Streams New Single "Rise From Ruins"". Metal Injection. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  6. ^ Sun, Jake (November 8, 2013). "Scott Kelly & The Road Home @ The Zoo". theMusic.com.au. Handshake Media. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  7. ^ Samudrala, Ram (2000). "Q & A with Scott Kelly of Neurosis". Music Ram-blings; www.ram.org. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
  8. ^ Kennelty, Greg. "Neurosis Parted Ways With Scott Kelly In 2019, Issues Lengthy Statement After His Admission Of Abuse". MetalInjection. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
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