Quick look: Jeremy & Kaci NEELY are a husband wife Pop\Rock duo based out of Nashville, Tennessee.
The Band: After years of musicians coming and going, NEELY has a solid backline consisting of Ryan McLintocK on lead guitar, Robert Finnell on Bass, and Kenny Schneider on Drums.
Discography: “Everything I Am” (2009), “The Zod Archives” EP (2008).
About: Life offers up many twists and turns, hurts and pains, and struggles that few are immune to. Consequences of poor life choices (our own or those of others) as well as mindlessly following the cultural crowd looking for acceptance seem to be a burden that we all carry in this life. Hidden hurts boiling under the surface of a charade of smiles seems to be the act that a majority of us play on a daily basis. Hailing from Bennington, Kansas, husband and wife duo NEELY (made up of Jeremy Neely and Kaci Neely) are impacting today’s generation with a meaningful message, and a collection of heartfelt songs that are changing lives.
Hailing from Bennington, Kansas, husband and wife duo NEELY are impacting today’s generation with a meaningful message, and a collection of heartfelt songs that are changing lives.
“Music is a medium that really reaches people. With music, you can say things to people in a way that you might not ordinarily be able to convey,” explains Jeremy. “There is a whole generation of people today that express themselves through music. That expression combined with our deep longing to do music is why we feel like we are drawn to this particular medium.”
The pop/rock duo, have spent the last decade sharing their joys and pains, along with their own life experiences through song, as they challenge themselves and others to become all that we were created to be.
NEELY pens their own original songs and they talk about everything from rebellion, drugs, alcohol, and partying to the consequences of pre-marital sex. One example is a ballad called “Falling Down,” off of Everything I Am, which talks about how beautiful it is to fall down and fully surrender our lives to God.
“We were both born and raised in the church, but have both gone out and mindlessly lived our lives with reckless abandon. With our songs, we talk about the consequences of those lifestyles, and we open ourselves up to sharing about how God heals and has brought us freedom. Some of our songs like ‘Tear Stained Pillows’ share our own stories. That song speaks of the emotional consequences of the moment, as well as, how sex outside of marriage can impact your future,” Kaci said.
“‘Falling Down’ is the story of my life, through the eyes of a prodigal son. It is a story about the beauty of falling down and surrendering my life to God, but it also reflects upon on the scarier images of falling down into snare of my passions and desires,” explains Jeremy.
The song, “I’m Alive” is another favorite that was written as a result of hearing the personal story of a girl who struggled with cutting, the addiction, and the emotional burden she carried.
“The song talks about how coming into a relationship with the God helped to free her from that,” Jeremy shared. “There is so much hurt and pain in this world today. If we could all just stop and truly look and listen the outcome can be incredible and a lot of hurt that life can offer can be totally avoided. The important thing to note is that it’s a relationship factor.”
“We get feedback from our fans about how our music is so honest, truthful and real,” said Kaci. “People tell us that they are challenged by our songs. Even though everyone deals with things like hurt in their lives, but there is also hope and that is what our songs convey.”
Jeremy and Kaci feel an incredible need to continue sharing songs with hope-filled messages. “Our goal to date has been to encourage people to live a life that’s pleasing to God. Not just something that you clock in and do as a response to music on Sunday mornings, but to live that lifestyle,” Neely said. As NEELY, we continue to support those core values, but put them in context of real life issues that all of us deal with. Our intention is not to alienate people by singing about the hope we found in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, this is a decision everyone has to make in life and it’s not our place to make that decision for anyone.”
While NEELY’s sounds is comparable to Lifehouse or Chris Daughtry, NEELY admits that their music draws on a wide range of influences across multiple genres from country to hip-hop to rock.
NEELY has played shows that have spanned across the globe, from Alberta Canada to Indiana, Arizona, and south Texas. NEELY has worked alongside of other artists, including White Lion, Mitch McVicker, and Sharif Iman, among others.
For more information about NEELY, visit www.NeelyMusic.com
“YOU AND ME”
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