Kelsey Wild’s signature headband cuts across her forehead, paired with cascading strawberry blonde curls. Her look encapsulates the sound of her music, a marriage that’s edgy and demure. The result is something like the love child of Regina Spektor and Cat Power, both of whom Wild lists as influences.
Wild, a Communication freshman, has quietly worked to make her mark on the Chicago music scene as a songwriter and performer for the past two years.
Her aspirations to be a professional musician are relatively recent.
“I did high school choir and took a lot of piano lessons, but I really started doing what I’m doing around my junior year in high school,” Wild said.
Fans say they’re attracted to Wild’s voice, which has a breathy, warbling quality, and her wide vocal range. The 18-year-old drew about 100 people to the Evanston club S.P.A.C.E last Thursday. Her MySpace page has amassed more than 344,000 plays.
“She brought a huge crowd with her,” said Jake Samuels, general manager of S.P.A.C.E, 1245 Chicago Ave. “It speaks to her draw and her appeal with Northwestern students.” Samuels said he booked Wild after hearing about her from his interns, who are students at NU.
“They heard about her over the summer,” Samuels said. “Apparently, she had already generated a buzz.”
Stan DeRuijter, a Weinberg freshman, was one of the students who attended the performance. He said he learned about Wild’s music while participating in Project Wildcat with her this summer.
“She sang for us a couple of times, and we all thought she was incredible,” DeRuijter said.
Wild is a far cry from being a national sensation, although she did receive praise from the Limewire Music Blog, a popular showcase of indie music. At the very least, she’s getting to a point where she can choose where she plays.
“I’ve played all sorts of venues, from county fairs to bars to birthday parties,” Wild said. “My ideal show is at a venue where people are there to see you. When you’re background music, it’s kind of a downer.”
Wild said she is interested in remaining an independent recording artist.
“When I first put music up online, I was 16, and I had a lot of offers,” Wild said. She said that she declined because “they fully expected me to drop everything.”
“I think that it’s a very interesting time in the industry, and it would be great to be able to do it on my own,” she said. “It’s something I’m definitely going to pursue.”
Kelsey’s mother, Sue Wild, said she supports her daughter, but for now is satisfied with her being “fed and schooled.”
“We’re trying to be patient and go slow,” she said. “I hope four years from now, when she’s ready to graduate, everything is all lined up for her to pursue her dreams and hit the road.”
