A HEXHAM musician is celebrating after the launch of his first solo EP last month.

Singer-songwriter Chris Kelly is well known in Tynedale as the lead singer of popular alternative rock band Blind Buffalo, as well as for playing at Corbridge festival.

But, after the band decided to take an extended break in 2016 due to the band members’ university commitments, Chris decided to pursue his own solo career whilst studying at British and Irish Modern Music Institute, or BIMM as it is more commonly known, in Manchester.

While Blind Buffalo have now permanently broken up, Chris released his debut single Chelsea Days in 2016, and other releases have steadily followed since.

Now, however, the former Queen Elizabeth High School student has gone one better, with the release of Letters to You, his debut EP which launched on November 11.

Chris explained that the EP has been a long time in the making.

He said: “I released it earlier than I expected, but I just really liked the songs and they fitted together.

“They were written over a long time. There’s two songs from ages ago and two which are brand knew.

“I just thought they fitted together really well, and the longer I waited to make an EP the less further apart the songs could be.

“Reception has been so far so good. It’s been really nice.

The four-track record, featuring the songs Lay Down With Love, Rory, Armed With Apologies, and Not Tonight, can be listened to, streamed, and downloaded at songwhip.com/album/chris-kelly/letters-to-you.

The tracks are in what’s becoming Chris’s signature Americana influenced indie music, and he cites his influences as mostly coming from across the pond.

He continued: “Pretty much all the people I listen to are American and they have a big following over there.

“Brian Fallon is probably the main influence of the EP – he was in a band called The Gaslight Anthem but they broke up and he’s gone solo.

“From a guitar point of view, Ian Moore is the big boy when it comes to that.

Despite his skills as an impressive multi-instrumentalist – Chris can play piano, bass guitar and guitar to go with his own words and voice – he has enlisted the help of some fellow musicians and producers to create the EP.

“Jay Danter is a producer,” Chris continued. “He did some recording at his house, and the rest I did with Jamie Forsyth at the School of Sound Recording in Manchester.

“That was lovely. They have four studios and it sparks creativity.

“The EP features some other people – Connor Hignett, who’s also from Hexham, is on bass, Frank Harris is on drums and Tasha O’Reilly on keys.

In the run up to the release, Chris was hard at work playing gigs all across Manchester to promote the EP and his music career – although he’s soon to return to his native North-East for the Christmas break for a well-earned rest.

Letters to You’s launch continued a busy period for Chris, after he embarked on his first ever UK tour.

He joined Oli Ng, a fellow singer-songwriter, on a six-date tour, acting as both a support act and playing guitar for Oli himself, playing in Manchester, Leeds and Northwich.

Chris continued: “It was really nice to play in cities that I’d never played before.

“Every city is different. It’s hard to put into words how but it’s a good thing.

“Oli went to the same uni as me. I supported him on some gigs in March because he knew me through the uni network.

“We’re planning a new tour for the new year – I need to come to Newcastle.”

Although he’s focusing on Letters to You right now, Chris does intend to release another EP in the future, with a large selection of material to chose from already.

Once he’s grown his fanbase enough, he’ll turn his attention to releasing his first album.