Dr. Kelsey Miles finds the cure we’re looking for on Max Ink Radio

Who made that Wisconsin sounded so good?

It's Max and Gradyo.

We are local music.

Dr. Kelsey Miles is an award-winning blues artist, harmonica player, guitarist and songwriter

celebrated for her powerful voice, dynamic performances, and compelling original music.

Originally from Ohio, Kelsey moved to Madison in 2013 where she began her musical career

while earning her doctorate in chemistry at the UW.

She picked up a guitar for the first time in 2014, and by 2017, she had transitioned from

full-time chemist to full-time musician becoming a prominent figure in Wisconsin's vibrant

music scene.

Now, she's based in Kansas City, and Kelsey recently won the Kansas City Blues Society's

Road to Memphis competition, and will probably represent Kansas City at the next International

Blues Challenge in Memphis next month.

Kelsey is in Madison for the holiday to record and play a few gigs, including right after

this interview.

Kelsey Miles, welcome back to Wisconsin and Max and Gradyo.

Thank you so much for having me.

I missed you.

You missed me too.

You missed me too.

We miss you.

We feel honored that when you come back to Madison, you'll stop here to see us, and thank

you so much for joining us.

We cannot be happier.

When Rocker reached out to me, and I'm like, gosh, you guys thought about it before I even

had time to be like, yo, I'm coming in the town, I love you guys so much.

I love you all so much.

I'm so happy to be here.

We still play your music every weekend, and we always talk about you, and we're like,

oh, I hope she's doing great.

I hope she doesn't forget us.

I can't.

I can't.

And that's why I'm back.

In Kansas City, I have met lots of musicians, and they'll ask me, oh, can I be in your band

and I'll be in your band and do the dead.

And I think about it, and I meet some great musicians.

And then I think about my band here in Wisconsin, and I miss and love them so much.

Shout out to Todd Fipps on organ and Whirlitzer, Joe White on drums, Jared Lander on bass,

and Adam Naman on lead guitar.

These guys are so, so good.

Yeah.

If you hear any of their names playing anywhere in Madison, please check them out.

They are phenomenal.

And I have hopes for them to start their own band.

I just want them to, so they'll make some crazy name, and then it'll be Kelsey Miles and

the, whatever's they come with, you know, how cool would that be?

Maybe they could just be a Kelsey Miles tribute band, they could get somebody to sing your

songs.

Okay.

So they've already talked about this.

And Adam says all they need is one person to wear a curly blonde wig.

Yeah.

That's what I'm talking about.

He could be a rotating cast of characters.

Where they all wear curly blonde wig.

We'll get one wig and everybody will share that one wig.

Oh, Kelsey Karyoke.

Yeah.

Oh, my God.

There we go.

That's great.

Oh, Kelsey, you got the bug bad.

I mean, you're getting your doctorate degree.

You pick up the guitar for the first time, and then you're a full-time musician three

years later.

Um, wasn't anybody there to stop you?

Oh, so many.

In fact, I disappointed everyone that I knew close to me, you know, my, my family was worried

about me, my, you know, in chemistry that that was kind of a weird choice to make, you

know, my advisor wanted me to go into chemistry and, and I couldn't help.

I had a tug at my heart.

And you know this feeling, you get a pole to do something and you just got to.

If you don't, you know, I think Oprah talks about it like a little pebble that'll, you

know, life will throw a little pebble and, and hitch in the forehead.

And then if you stop, if you don't listen to it, life throws you a rock and then eventually

it throws a big old brick, you know, and so are you not listening?

I listened and, and it changed my world.

Um, and now, no, I found a bent nice balance of, of chemistry and music right now.

I'm a currently a chemistry professor in Kansas City.

Wow.

And so you're back to it.

I'm back to it.

And I've got a beautiful balance of both.

Oh, that's so great.

Yeah.

Really?

And so the time in my life in Madison, Wisconsin, whereas a full-time musician is so special.

Those, uh, several years where I did that and, and so I've, it's interesting how life

brings things to you and helps you rebalance and not, yeah, it's, you, you never know

what life's going to throw at you.

Well, tell us now more about Kansas City and how you're finding your way there.

Oh, I love the city.

Oh, it's so fun.

They've got some really, really phenomenal venues for blues jams.

And most importantly, it's the people, the same way I talk about Madison, it's, it's

really the people and the, the musicians I've met there are also welcoming and they share

a lot of gigs.

So even when I, as soon as I moved, all of a sudden I had all these gigs playing harmonica

and it, it's been really cool.

The blues society there is very supportive and so good.

It's kind of pulled me in and, and it's been, it's been really great.

I've enjoyed it so much.

Is there a, is there a big draw as some of the venues for the shows?

Yeah.

Is the community pretty supportive?

Yeah, they really like live music.

The, um, the one that I really love playing at is called Knuckleheads.

And so if you're in Kansas City, go to Knuckleheads and every Saturday and Sunday they have a great

jam and what'll happen is some musicians that are in town for maybe another show will

stop there.

And so you'll sometimes get pro level like Samantha Fish was just at the, you know, so you'll

just get some people coming in and it's a jam, but then all of a sudden it turns into

something pretty crazy.

I love when that happens.

How about barbecue?

Oh my God.

You're here in Kansas City.

I went to St. Louis in back in the fall and I found some pretty good barbecue there.

Tell me about Kansas City.

Oh, Kansas City, barbecue is so good.

Gotta go, you gotta go, you gotta go to Jazzy Bees.

It's just outside of Kansas City.

Is there at least some names?

I know.

It's so good.

Um, now I do have to shout out to my lead guitarist Adam Naman.

He is an amazing chef and he works at Brennan's and so if you want some good barbecue

that guy knows what he's doing.

So I'm just going to throw that out big name to for restaurant.

That's huge.

Is it typically, is it dry rubbed typically or is it, is it wet barbecue?

So most of it's wet.

Yeah, yeah, most of it's wet with, with sauce and stuff.

So, uh, yeah, there's, there's so many to choose from and I, I feel like I've just scratched

the surface.

Yeah.

They're probably like just around every corner.

They're really tiny ones.

Right.

Totally.

And so when I moved to, from Ohio to Wisconsin, my intake of cheese and beer, when I was significantly,

I would apologize, but I'm not going to.

No, and then I moved to Kansas City and now like, you know, it's like meat sweats.

You know, I eat so much meat now.

It's great.

Oh, that is funny.

Now, Kelsey, you brought your guitar and we know that you're going to be performing.

We're going to talk about a show on him, and I was wondering if you could maybe play

a song for us.

Would you?

Let's do it.

Okay.

Okay.

How lucky are we, you guys?

Kelsey Miles live in the studio.

She is.

Uh, a special treat here in the last show of 2024, playing a live song for us.

Take it away, Kelsey.

I'm so happy to be back, this song is called I See You.

You got a job to do, to pans on you, putting everyone around you first, and I know you're

tired.

You're losing fire, but I know you're strength to get you through.

You may fail and you may fall, so as it feels like nothing helps at all.

So let the song remind you things you are getting through.

It's true.

I see you, and everything you do, I see you, I see you, I want to know I'm through.

I see you, behind your mask, emotions grab everything you bought to put inside.

But you don't show it, I know you keep your focus.

It's your strength that's gonna get us back.

You may fail and you may fall, so as it feels like nothing helps at all.

So let the song remind you things you are getting through.

Thank you.

I see you, and everything you do, I see you, I see you.

And what you're going through, yes I see you, I see you.

And everything you do, I see you, I see you, I see you, I see you.

And what you do, yes we do, I see you, I see you, I see you, I see you.

Wow, that was awesome.

I bet you have one more.

I can do one more.

All right.

We're so lucky.

It's a Maxine Kira Civic Media.

If you want to sneak a question in her attack, you can do that right now, 8449672789.

Keep an eye on that.

Call her Texas from the Civic Media app.

Kelsey Miles is live in a studio.

Ask me all your questions.

And one thing I learned is that we all have this light inside of us.

And when we get real quiet, we can feel it radiating.

This song is called The Lighthouse.

You might forgive me, but I'll never change.

You're coming too strong, I'll still light your way.

You search for my reason, in a bright light that shines.

Now closer you get there, more it reminds you.

Turn around before your forehead hits the show.

The lighthouse will always call your home.

It's calling your home home home home home.

Patiently waiting, no matter the storm.

And my light never wavers.

So you can explore.

Turn around before your forehead hits the show.

When the lighthouse will always call your home.

It's calling your home home home home home home home home.

I still not, you'll remember when you see me.

Where are you auctioning the show?

Knock your phone and place your feet on the show.

Cause a lot of house we don't always.

I say when a lot of house we don't always.

Cause you have gone.

I asked you for your name it always calls your home.

Yes we live you're a lot of house we all think you're.

Call you home.

And a lot of house we all think.

Call you home.

Yes. Kelsey Miles live you're a maxing radio.

How lucky are we?

Thank you so lucky.

Kelsey thank you so much for coming in and playing music for us

tonight live on there.

As always it's like from the last time Kelsey what Miles is in the studio from the last time

there's always vocal improvement and just the way you sing it.

It's just so big and it hits you right in the heart.

It does.

And people if you are listening and you better be you really want to go see these

shows that she's going to be playing she's leaving right from our studio tonight

headed right over to Gamma Ray Barr in Madison.

She's she's going to be playing with don't mess with Cupid.

Oh man when you guys do this together whoa that's going to be really fun.

Then she has a show on Monday where she's going to be part of the cafe.

Coda Jam Cafe Coda is on really street in Madison.

And then Thursday she's just going to take over Red Rooster in Madison.

So she's a whole man right.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So why not?

The whole band.

I know.

Sorry rocker.

I think I might have to go to this.

What time do you play?

Seven.

Oh.

And rocker of course has a show just before.

We're done by 630.

We're old.

We don't play long.

We don't play late.

We don't play fast.

You're old.

Okay.

Good.

We've got a plan.

We have a plan.

And Kelsey's just all over while she's here.

So be sure to get out.

You're recording too right?

Yeah.

I'm recording at Blasthouse Studios with Landon Arkins again.

And we just finished my next album and working on new songs for the next next album.

That's awesome that you come back here to record your album.

Yeah.

You know when you find people that you love working with, that's where it's at.

You know.

You guys know this.

Like you don't have to.

You just look at each other and you know what the other person means.

That could be scary too.

Yeah.

Because they were not just thinking that were you?

We're just talking to Landon today.

We track something.

It's a new reggae song.

Oh.

And we tracked it.

And I said, Landon had that sound.

And he's like, yep.

And he's just, he's pretty quiet.

You know, he doesn't say tons of words.

And we all laughed because we know that he would tell us if it didn't sound great.

Yeah.

But he's so tactful when you sound bad.

He's so tactful.

But if you're not locking in.

And are you doing this now with your Madison band or your Kansas City band?

So I don't have a Kansas City band.

I only have one band, which is my Madison band.

Got it.

That's my family.

I've been playing with some of them for like Adam.

I've been playing with for like eight years.

Yeah.

I love.

Yeah.

So it's Adam Naman, Todd Fipps, Joe White and Jared Lander.

Oh.

Tell us quickly about your podcast.

Yes.

Because we don't have one.

Yes.

So my new podcast is called Authenticity Lab.

I write music to reconnect with my authentic self.

And I'm inviting you to join me.

Can I share the website?

Yeah.

Kelsey Miles.com.

Okay.

Slash the lab.

T-A-G-L-A-B.

And you can join the community.

And I'm just submitting my second episode on Tuesday.

And we will share this on all of our socials.

How exciting.

Kelsey is great to see you again.

Thanks for having me.

You're looking for something to do.

And I get down to the Gamma Ray Bar.

Don't mess with Cupid.

And Somas.

Am I saying that right?

Somas.

Sounds good to me.

Okay.

We'll go with it.

Yeah.

That's the Gamma Ray Bar.

And follow your website one more time.

Kelsey Miles.com.

K-E-L-S-E-Y.

And that's Miles, not kilometers.

M-I-O-E-F.

And say hi to say hi to Rody for us too.

And on core, I have a new addition.

Yes.

So now I have two cats.

Rody and on core.

Yeah.

You have two cats now.

Oh gosh.

How cool is that?

Thank you, girl.

I got a five.

I love you.

You should have brought the cats here.

That's all I got to say.

Next time.

Oh, I asked right away.

The question I asked right away.

The question I asked right away.

You know?

Hey, we got a double dip of the Jimmy's coming up

in just a couple of minutes.

But first.

I'll go back.

I'll go back.

Oh, to where.

Like a picture burned in my eyes.

And your memory drops my crazy baby.