AUDIO: Kelli Baker – “Granite (Badlands)”
There’s something about Kelli Baker’s voice that stops you cold. Her new single “Granite (Badlands)” showcases a power that feels both effortless and devastating. This isn’t your typical blues fare that sounds like everything else on the radio.
Baker comes from Phoenix, which you can absolutely hear in her sound. There’s this desert heat that runs through everything she does, this wide open space that lets her voice breathe and roar when it needs to. The single drops today, and it’s pulled from her upcoming EP “Granite” that hits in October. Gulf Coast Records snagged her this year, and honestly, smart move on their part.
What gets me about this track is how personal it feels without being overly sentimental. She wrote it for her father who passed away back in 2015, and you can feel that weight in every note. But she doesn’t hit you over the head with it. The grief is there, woven into the melody and her delivery, but it never feels manipulative or forced.
Her voice has this incredible range that goes from whisper quiet to absolutely thunderous. She started out singing gospel in Phoenix, which explains the power behind her vocals, but somewhere along the way she found her way to blues and rock. The combination works beautifully. There’s reverence for traditional blues, but she’s not stuck in the past either.
The production on “Granite (Badlands)” gives her room to work. It’s clean but not polished to death. You can hear every crack and growl in her voice, every guitar note rings clear. This feels like music that was recorded by people who actually understand what makes blues powerful.
I’ve been following Baker’s rise over the past year or so, catching her at a few festivals and smaller venues. She’s one of those performers who commands attention the moment she steps on stage. Not through gimmicks or flashy moves, but just pure presence. The connection she makes with an audience is genuine.
This single makes me excited for the full EP. If “Granite (Badlands)” is any indication, we’re in for something substantial. Baker has found her voice, both literally and figuratively, and she’s using it to create music that actually means something. In a world full of manufactured emotion, that’s worth celebrating.