Like many unrepentant nerds, I am a huge fan of the Life is Strange series of video games. I’ll blame my wife for this, as she’s even nerdier, to the point that she has followed the game developer DONTNOD into uncharted territory with the hope that their non-series games will be of a similar ilk. Fortunately, her inkling was correct, and last year’s Lost Records was a lovely look into the lives of a handful of teenagers in the 90s. The soundtrack was also excellent, featuring Ruth Radelet of Chromatics fame. One song in particular caught my attention, though: “See You In Hell”, a riot-grrl punk rager by Montreal group Nora Kelly Band.
I immediately went down the rabbit hole and found their 2023 album Rodeo Clown, and was pleasantly surprised to hear that it was much more in the alt-country realm. Songs like “Lay Down Girl” and “Purgatory Motel” lean into a bluegrass tone, with tongue-in-cheek lyrics and Kelly’s wonderfully twangy vocals at the forefront. I was hooked.
And lucky for me, Nora Kelly Band has more music on the way, having dropped three singles from their upcoming album, titled So Wrong For So Long. Kelly herself was kind enough to answer a few questions about her band’s new work, as well as her involvement with Lost Records.
A good chunk of your fanbase found you via the Lost Records game. What was it like working on a song for a soundtrack? Any particular reason you went for more of a rock sound like your previous project DISHPIT?
Writing a song for Lost Records changed my life. I’d never been commissioned before — they found me on DISHPIT’s Bandcamp and reached out; at first I thought it was a scam. The game is set in 1995 and follows a group of teen girls who form a riot grrrl band, so I wanted the song to fit that world even though I hadn’t been writing in that style for a while. DONTNOD gave me creative freedom, which boosted my confidence as a songwriter, and since the game’s release I’ve continued pursuing commercial songwriting opportunities.
Tell me a bit about your upcoming album! What sort of ideas were running through your head during the writing process?
So Wrong For So Long explores my evolving understanding of strength. The album cover shows me as the caricature of toughness—a heavily tattooed sailor with oversized arms—but the songs unpack what strength truly means. Sometimes it’s softness in the face of hardship; sometimes it’s staying hopeful and offering grace when things get rough. Strength isn’t bullying or stoicism; it’s vulnerability and authenticity.
What inspired the “Port City Blues” music video? It’s so fun to watch, I’m curious if you were ever a community theatre kid.
The video came directly out of the whacky mind of Dr.Cool, aka Jordan Minkoff. I asked him if he wanted to make a music video for us, and he chose “Port City Blues” because of how cinematic it was. I remember our first meeting. He said he imagined a video where I fall in love with a human-sized lobster and I was immediately in.
I did a few musical theatre summer camps growing up, but I wish I’d gotten more involved in my high school theatre program. Looking back, I would have felt right at home as a theatre kid and probably had more friends growing up then I did.
I have a feeling “Imposter Syndrome” is going to resonate with a lot of people, particularly artists. Can you tell me about your struggles with it, and how you’ve managed to move past it?
I’m a self-taught musician and have often felt like a fraud because I don’t know music theory or about gear. I wrote the song to cure that feeling, and it really helped. Now when we play it live, I ask the audience if anyone has experienced imposter syndrome — almost everyone raises their hand. The realization that we’re all walking around worried we were not experienced enough or good enough made me reconsider my own inadequacies. I try to not focus on that stuff anymore and just have fun.
So Wrong For So Long releases on May 22 via Mint Records. You can pre-order the album on Nora Kelly Band‘s Bandcamp here.
Keep an eye out on their social media as well for upcoming tour dates over the summer throughout all of Canada and the East Coast of the US.
Nora Kelly Band is:
Nora Kelly – vocals, guitar
Rachel Silverstein – keys, backing vocals
Ethan Soil – drums
Pat Rendell – guitar
Isaac Seglin – bass
Dylan Keating – pedal steel
