Kelly Zutrau is a painter who got sidetracked with a music career. It happens more than you’d think in the music world. A visual artist heads to art school, starts writing wonderful songs in their downtime, finds other multi-talented people in their circle and, before you know it, form a band. Creativity is needy and nagging, and many artists need varied outlets to satisfy theirs.

So goes the general synopsis of Kelly’s rise to prominence as the lead singer of Wet. A rebellious youth who dropped out of high school by 16, got kicked out of her mom’s house, and spent the next couple years aimlessly couch surfing. But her art was something she could actually focus on. When she was accepted into the prestigious Cooper Union, she found purpose, passion, and new talents. It wasn’t long before she met Joe Valle and started their first band, Beauty Feast.

After Cooper Union, Kelly did a stint at RISD in hopes of becoming an art teacher, but the music kept pulling her back. While she still paints (and sells her work via Instagram) she has fully embraced her role as a career musician. She’s picked up production and recording know-how along the way, and taken a bigger role in the overall feel of Wet’s latest LP, Still Run.

Hear us discuss her journey as an artist, both visual and musical, her troublesome teen years, and staying sane on tour. Thanks for tuning in, be sure to subscribe for more episodes.

Show Highlights

2:30 Kelly shares what music she’s feeling while on tour

4:47 Kelly talks about how her acceptance into the prestigious art school Cooper Union saved her life and led to a career in music

9:50 Kelly talks about her history with the unusual diet of Macrobiotics

14:20 Kelly mentions some musical influences from her childhood

27:40 Lee and Kelly talk about millennial’s struggle with saving money and Lee’s theory on why several musicians develop in art school

29:30 Kelly and Lee talk about how fan and label expectations negatively affect true artistry

32:00 Kelly talks about how Wet formed out of a giant folk band with friends from art school

37:10 Kelly shares how she feels about whether or not her creativity to write songs will last

40:12 Kelly talks about how her success with Wet has affected her romantic relationships

43:00 Credits and discount code for headphones