Emmett Kelly

Emmett Kelly is a widely traveled session and touring musician and the artist responsible behind <a href="spotify:artist:7cDnvtUp5opTIxBQtWy45G">the Cairo Gang</a>. Before establishing his nom de plume, he lent his talents to recordings and tours by <a href="spotify:artist:6U9PwS3WsiKBVewf7wtwIZ">Joan of Arc</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6wL46DGMLvBRIjlfZZsJYb">Azita</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6mKqFxGMS5TGDZI3XkT5Rt">Angel Olsen</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:189npwiCoBxlFNEDfiOtqu">Sonny Smith</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6cLEWhEKQl6nAvgr60M7zC">Beth Orton</a>, and others, all before <a href="spotify:artist:7cDnvtUp5opTIxBQtWy45G">Cairo Gang</a>'s self-titled debut appeared in 2006.

Kelly continued work as a session player as well as making his own appearances. In 2008, <a href="spotify:artist:7cDnvtUp5opTIxBQtWy45G">CG</a>'s full-length, Twyxt Wyrd, was issued briefly by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Blackest+Rainbow%22">Blackest Rainbow</a> before selling out of its initial pressing. It was reissued in 2010, the year that <a href="spotify:artist:7cDnvtUp5opTIxBQtWy45G">Cairo Gang</a> was credited largely on <a href="spotify:artist:2zAvisjImPICTNsRgagqlV">Bonnie "Prince" Billy</a>'s critically acclaimed album The Wonder Show of the World. Though Kelly had worked with <a href="spotify:artist:2EEw2tt8AJcH9qXUeB96Oc">Will Oldham</a> since 2006's The Letting Go, the credit went to his alias, which boosted <a href="spotify:artist:7cDnvtUp5opTIxBQtWy45G">Cairo Gang</a>'s profile significantly. It resulted in a series of collaborative efforts and concert appearances. Kelly continued working on others' records, including <a href="spotify:artist:4ENNORrr0p2n5eaYl4ZXgG">Susanna</a>'s Wild Dog in 2012. The same year, <a href="spotify:artist:7cDnvtUp5opTIxBQtWy45G">Cairo Gang</a> released the full-length set The Corner Man.

In 2013, Kelly relocated to Chicago and expanded his group from a one-man band to a fully realized ensemble. Joined by bassist Ryan Weinstein, drummer Ben Babbitt, and guitarist Sam Wagster, he set about working on a short mini-album called Tiny Rebels released that summer. They followed it with the cassette Live at Burger Records, Vol 3 in 2014 -- Kelly was busy working on records by <a href="spotify:artist:2WH0j5DM0bzoj1KRKpJFh9">Doug Paisley</a> (Strong Feelings) and <a href="spotify:artist:62Q7wxquvNCXOcqBu6rOfc">Rachel Ries</a> (Ghost of a Gardener). <a href="spotify:artist:7cDnvtUp5opTIxBQtWy45G">The Cairo Gang</a>'s next album, 2015's Goes Missing, again found Kelly playing most of the instruments, with occasional help from Marc Riordan on drums and <a href="spotify:artist:3dxrYg5kXIGgs3jHVFPneg">Joshua Abrams</a> on bass. The guitarist returned the favor by performing on two sets by the bassist: <a href="spotify:artist:3dxrYg5kXIGgs3jHVFPneg">Joshua Abrams</a>' Natural Information and Magnetoception.

The following year, Kelly appeared on <a href="spotify:artist:58XGUNsRNu3cVOIOYk5chx">Ty Segall</a>'s Emotional Mugger, <a href="spotify:artist:4ENNORrr0p2n5eaYl4ZXgG">Susanna</a>'s Triangle albums, and in collaboration with Chicago jazz icon <a href="spotify:artist:7uWd7df9GwjSZqo1cVF7Qs">Rob Mazurek</a>, released the experimental collaboration Alien Flower Sutra. ~ Fred Thomas & Thom Jurek, Rovi