SINGER-SONGWRITER, MUSICIAN
kalen
Leapt headfirst into early aughts Brooklyn - a vibrant music scene blooming in derelict DIY venues and undisclosed loft parties off the L train. With her ‘feet on the ground and her head in the sky,’ this New England native hauled her keyboard and amp up and down Bedford Ave, forging a sound rooted in soul, funk and electronic music. During residencies at Alligator Lounge and Spike Hill, Kalen became a neighborhood mainstay, performing high-kicks and jumping off amps in kinetic kinship with the audience.
Her music has unfolded through her punk funk ‘Ladybug Stingray,’ dance rock of ‘Kalen & the A-Listers’ (Roc-elle Records), sharpening into the fiery trip-hop ‘Kalen & The Sky Thieves’ (Rope-a-dope Records). More recently she’s exploring electronic music through the sinewy beats of her ‘Death By Piano’ (Hi-4-Head Records) project and performing with ambient rock band Late Sea, all while continuing her solo project KALEN.
Regardless of musical genre, KALEN grabs your collar and pulls you into a compassionate embrace -- her voice at once playful and penetrating, jazzy and soulful. Her confessional lyrics, heralded by American Songwriter, reveal the joys and heartbreaks of artisthood in the midst of Brooklyn’s culture-shifting drumfire.
She’s performed at Brooklyn Bowl, Rough Trade, & Joe’s Pub, DC9 (Washington D.C.) and Hotel Café & The Mint (LA). During the pandemic, KALEN brought us into her world streaming her moody tunes in late night solo sessions. Performing live again KALEN tailors each performance (and the accompanying visuals) to the specific site and space, from analog slide projectors coupled with poetry and acoustic bands in Brownstoner salons to projection mapping and thumping tracks with a full electric band on stages around NYC.
KALEN’s latest record, Velvet Night (Hi 4 Head Records, Fall 2025), is a stripped-down collection of twelve songs—six new and six reimagined acoustic versions of her earlier work. It includes some tracks from her 2023 indie-pop EP, Silence Like Sirens, which was created in collaboration with Izzy Gliksberg (Late Sea), Will Bradford (SeepeopleS), and Eric Zeiler (Little Daylight, Me Not You, Young Saab). She will touring and playing the album through 2026.
KALEN’s theatrical darkwave, trip-noir group, Death by Piano, will see new releases in 2026 and 2027 to follow up 2024’s VOW ep – produced by Tom Marsh (Lana Del Rey) with visuals by Robert Lester. Each one of these recent releases is brimming with singable songs, but is otherwise a world unto itself.
What People Are Saying
“…from the opening vamp of the title song and lead-off track “Velvet Night” as she introduces a coy, slinky piano intro rife with jazzy blue notes, extended harmonies, and a descending chord progression topped off with vocals that sound at once world-weary and unbowed, like a hotel lounge-bar lifer bathed in moody chiaroscuro lighting playing the role of the femme fatale in a classic noir with shades of Joni, Rickie, Myra, Fiona circa Idler’s Wheel, or heck even Tom Waits himself”
— The Deli MAG (2026)
“The Izzy Gliksberg-produced track is elegant dark-pop cloaked in mystery and deep pools of sound. Skittering drums and delicate, layered instrumentations set KALEN up to let her dynamic vocals as she offers power and vulnerability with each turn.”
— IMPOSE MAGAZINE (2019)
“What makes the debut LP from Brooklyn, N.Y.-based 'Kalen & The Sky Thieves' so compelling is the vintage lushness of mix, which comes through in the cavernous synth and guitar echoes of "Island" and in the layers of artfully compressed sound on the radio-ready "Rabid Girl." Kalen Lister is a singer-songwriter with real character.”
— BILL MURPHY OF RELIX (2014)
“KALEN’s intimate songwriting style is on full display on Silence Like Sirens, as she delves into themes of denial, redemption, and healing.”
— BACKSEAT MAFIA (2023)
“the album highlights KALEN’s dynamic vocal character, shifting effortlessly from vulnerability to vibrant intensity.”
— KALTBLUT MAGAZINE (2025)
“Featuring Kalen’s undeniable skills as a pianist, songwriter, and vocalist “Weak” is a beautifully written love ballad about the highs and lows of love.”
— BUZZ MUSIC (2019)
"KALEN trades in the raw, compelling power of a voice laid bare through the overwhelming emotional depth of jazz and blues balladry. Her album “Velvet Night” (accompanied by a handmade zine) is a testament to this, a collection of stripped-back songs that showcase dynamic vocal character and elegant piano-based composition. With its wider digital release slated for 2026, along with a live album and new music from her theatrical project Death By Piano, KALEN’s year is about reaffirming a commitment to tangible, substantive craft."