Rising Stars Kelly Brightwell & Woody Moran On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry
An Interview with Elana Cohen
Success is a long game. And perfectionism is not your friend. It’s important to continue to show up, do the work, and keep dreaming. In the end, the road of creating art is worth the trip no matter where you end up!
As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Kelly Brightwell and Woody Moran.
Portland, Oregon’s Brightwell & Moran emerged last year as the champions of the Talent Is Timeless 2022 global songwriting competition. The breakout duo just released the winning song, ‘Bare Boards’ in conjunction with Talent Is Timeless and Jam Records London.
Their new single was recorded at the legendary Abbey Road studios in London. ‘Bare Boards’ showcases the duo’s poignant lyrics and upbeat Americana-infused folk-rock sound. The recording features a stable of stellar UK players as well as a back-up choir of Portland area singers (recorded remotely at Artichoke Music).
Talent is Timeless is an international organization that is designed to give songwriters over 50 years old the opportunity to connect and support each other’s creative projects. The celebrity-judged contest gives older musicians a second chance to have their music discovered. Fergus McNeil, the 2021 global winner and one of last year’s judges, said “I was looking for… a song that someone only over 50 or so could write, a perspective of someone with life experience, and facing the challenges that come to you at that time of life… ‘Bare Boards’ was my favorite.”
Kelly Brightwell & Woody Moran were already seasoned songwriters with solo careers when they began co-writing in 2014. They are excited to have this moment in the spotlight , with a new EP to be released March 17th, and plans to carry on the Talent is Timeless mission in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Woody: hahaha, too long ago. Grew up in Texas, the oldest of 5 kids, so I was always the one trying new things.
Kelly: I grew up in the NW suburbs of Chicago, IL. I was always an extra-sensitive kid, a little out of place. I became smitten with poetry in 4th grade, and started playing trumpet in the school band in 5th grade. I was also a girl scout, a gymnast and a cheerleader! In junior high, I left the trumpet behind and began composing instrumental pieces on an old, out-of-tune upright piano that was in our basement, left by the previous homeowner. I performed in school talent shows, and found that the music could communicate my feelings in a way that words couldn’t. And there was something about having taught myself how to play that really anchored it in my soul.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
(W) I had taken a long hiatus from playing music and a good friend had a surprise birthday party at Tangiers in Los Angeles. His wife asked me to play a few songs. I said yes, not realizing who was going to be at the party; Mike Garson (MD/piano David Bowie), Tom Scott (LA Express), Calvin Banks (Roy Ayers, Big Mountain), Freddy Ravel (MD/piano Earth, Wind, and Fire). Calvin Banks approached me after my short set and asked if I had any recordings. When I told him I had never recorded, he invited me to record in his studio. So, having only two original songs, I needed to start writing.
(K) Music is the one constant in my life. I went away to college, and took part in a traveling environmental program for the first 2 years. I couldn’t bring the piano with me, but I learned to play guitar (and a little banjo and mandolin) as part of the American Music, Dance and Folklore curriculum. I started singing just to accompany myself and harmonize with others. This was during the New Folk wave that included the rise of artists like Shawn Colvin, Indigo Girls and Tracy Chapman. Once I started writing my own songs, I never looked back. I would get temporarily distracted by a job, or school, but I just kept coming back to music, until I finally realized, “I want to DO something with this!”
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
(W) Le Jazz Club, Paris, France. A friend hooked it up and gave the house musicians copies of my CD’s. It was totally unexpected. We dropped in for a glass of wine and the song the 3-piece jazz band were playing sounded familiar. As it turned out, it was my song. My friend pushed me up on stage. They played, I sang. I felt like I was in one of those black & white movies from the 50’s. Surreal.
(K) I did have an early brush with “fame” when a friend of one of the members of Def Leppard saw me play a house concert and decided she would shop my first album to him. We’ll just say that the friend was more interested in finder’s fees than the fact that our genres weren’t compatible at all! So in another reality I could be fronting an 80’s metal band…
It has been said that mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
(K) Well, I’ll start off by saying that I am by nature an introvert, and I used to blush and stammer if I had to speak in front of a class. I was performing in the talent show during my junior year of high school. That year, the directing crew was trying to link all of performances together with a storyline. In my case, I had a microphone near me so I could say a few lines before I started playing my instrumental piano piece. I also had a few props. During the actual performance, when I started playing, these props started falling off the piano and onto my hands and the keys. Because there was a microphone near me, every expletive I thought I was uttering under my breath was broadcast to the audience. I was mortified! But I lived to tell the story. And I learned to hold my performances much more lightly, even as I prepare for them extremely well.
(W) hahaha, no way I can touch Kelly’s story.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
(W + K) We recently released a reimagining of our own song, “Bare Boards” which we recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London. In addition, we have an EP titled “Land of Plenty”, produced by Dean Baskerville who did Sheryl Crow’s Soak Up The Sun”, set to be released on March 17, 2023.
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
(K) Success is a long game. And perfectionism is not your friend. It’s important to continue to show up, do the work, and keep dreaming. In the end, the road of creating art is worth the trip no matter where you end up!
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
(W) What a huge question. At its best, film and television are a reflection of our society. When diversity is absent, we are no longer telling the complete truth about the world around us.
(K) Often times the stories that haven’t been included — intentionally or not — are the ones we most need to hear. And if we as artists or public figures have a platform, it’s our responsibility to share it with those who have not had historically had access. Let’s make a bigger tent that includes as many voices as possible.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
(W) Collaborate. The first time I attended the ASCAP Expo in Hollywood, the keynote speaker announced that ASCAP had given out 65 songwriter awards the night before and asked us to guess how many awards went to songs with single songwriters? The answer was none. That made a huge impression on me and started me on my first collaboration with Phoebe Blume, whom I met at that same ASCAP Expo. But the idea of collaboration also extends to playing with other musicians. You learn so much playing with other musicians; new changes and progressions, different rhythm patterns. What I’ve discovered is that a good song can be interpreted many ways and our song “Bare Boards” is a great example of that. Originally written as ballad, then “Bare Boards” was reimagined at the Abbey Road recording session as an Americana/country song.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
(W) #1 — It’s okay to take a break and recharge the batteries. #2 — Don’t be afraid to co-write.
(K) #3 — It’s vital to have other interests/activities/outlets to keep you engaged and participating in the world — this can lead to a wealth of inspiration and perspective. #4 — Treat others as you would like to be treated, with kindness and respect. You never know what may come of a connection, and a bad reputation travels fast. #5 — As tempting as it is, try not to compare yourself and your journey to other’s. We all have gifts and challenges, and something essential to contribute. Go for your personal best instead.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
(W) We’ve sort of latched on to the folks at Talent Is Timeless over in the UK. This is where we won the Global Songwriting Award which propelled us to recording at Abbey Road. The founder of TisT is focused on bringing experienced (50+) songwriters back to the forefront, while simultaneously bringing joy to songwriters who are still very creative.
(K) I’m really interested in working with musicians to create works that bear witness to Climate Change. It often takes a non-rational approach to affect people’s hearts and minds. I think art in general — and music specifically — gives people a container to help people feel and process their feelings. And that catharsis can lead to transformation, of the self and the wider culture.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
(W) Without a doubt, my songwriting and performance partner, Kelly Brightwell. I just love writing music with Kelly. It is an enormous “high” to create music with another human; finding the melody, creating the chord progression, and bouncing lyric ideas back and forth.
(K) Thank you , Woody! I agree! And for me, I will always remember my 8th grade English teacher, Mrs. Schmidt. She took me aside after my talent show performance and told me that I had talent and should follow my dreams. That made a huge difference to me!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
(K) “Make positive effort for the good.” This was something I read in a Natalie Goldberg book. She writes about using writing as a practice, like Zen Buddhism. It’s a way to watch your mind and befriend it. I kept this quote was on my wall for many years, and it saw me through difficult moments, times when I couldn’t get out of bed and felt betrayed by the world. Sometimes, that positive effort was just getting up and brushing my teeth. Sometimes it was playing a song. Whatever you can manage in the direction of “good” — that is enough.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
(W) Dave Matthews immediately comes to mind. Great songwriter and exciting performer.
(K) I’d love to hang out with Karin and Linford of the band Over the Rhine. They have spent decades together, making the most soulful music, negotiating a marriage and a band, and creating a community out on their farmstead in Ohio. That’s living the dream, right there.
How can our readers follow you online?
Website: www.brightwellandmoran.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/brightwellandmoran
Instagram: www.instagram.com/brightwellandmoran
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt28uYE5A6Ap4HFqER37UMQ
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
