Musician, songwriter, voice coach and Midwest native Karri Daley came to Key West on a whim after hearing stories of the tropical paradise being an epic place for musicians. Of course, she was sick of the brisk winters of Wisconsin, too.
“Music has always been a passion of mine since I was a little girl,” said Daley. “I started playing at coffee shops around the suburbs of Chicago and then playing in Clyde Stubblefield’s band who was the original drummer in the James Brown Band.”
Funk, rock and blues are major influences of Daley and she is a huge fan of Parliament Funkadelic. She said she is influenced by so many artists it’s hard to pinpoint one or two, but a lot has to do with living in close proximity to Chicago.
“Every area has a different sound made up of the different musicians that play there. Blues in New Orleans sounds different than Chicago,” she said.
Her music is evolving. She plays with her two cousins, Topher James (guitar and vocals) and Mike Loy (drums) in the band Bluesion Fusion and the group is putting together its first CD. Unlike many original songs out of Key West, (think trop rock) the sound features a dubstep sound with heavy bass, electronic beats and fast rhythms. The new CD is all original music and she and her band mates said it is pretty exciting seeing as it’s their first.
Originals include many tracks Daley wrote. One of her personal favorites is “Rose Colored Glasses.”
“It is about being happy no matter what. Most of my songs are about experiences in my life and are emotionally driven,” said Daley.
There is no release date for the CD yet but she hopes it comes out sometime early next year. In addition to the originals, the band also plays covers in the classic rock, rock and roll, blues and funk genres.
Daley is also a writer and Keys Weekly readers recognize her name from the music column featuring local music acts. For more on Daley, visit www.karridaley.net or check out the Bluesion Fusion page on Facebook.
