About Kelli
SINGER. SONGWRITER. PERFORMER.
"Kelli with an i … Bruno with an o”
New Jersey’s live-looping one-woman-band Kelli Bruno is folk-pop bourbon for the soul. Her breathtaking vocals, thoughtfully crafted accompaniment, and engaging stage presence have been exciting audiences for more than a decade. Drawing inspiration from Joni Mitchell and Ingrid Michaelson, Kelli's original music is grounded in folk with flares of indie-pop melodies, soaring strings, and campfire percussion. Catching her live is a musical journey through piano, guitar, or ukulele, all while Kelli uses both feet for percussion and the loop pedal to awe audiences with her signature arrangements.
Based in Central New Jersey, Kelli performs around the tristate area as a solo artist and as part of the band Mushmouth. A regular at venues like The Stone Pony and Crossroads (Garwood, NJ), Kelli has built a solid following through her original music and her covers that span from American Songbook classics to soul, classic rock, R&B, and pop. She teaches part-time at Lakehouse Music Academy in Asbury Park where she offers private lessons in voice, piano, guitar, and bass, and leads group classes in rock bands and general music.
In 2024 Kelli released Love & Games, a pop-funk summer bop inspired by a writing prompt that challenged her to write a song as if she was co-writing with Ed Sheeran :) She released her first album Nomahegan in 2018 and her sophomore album Company in 2022. You can find her music on all streaming services, plus her first two albums are available on CD and vinyl - contact to order!
From 2015 to 2023 Kelli proudly worked as a Senior Program Manager at the nonprofit Musicians On Call (MOC), the nation's leading provider of live music in hospitals. She also spent more than a decade volunteering with MOC to perform at the bedsides of patients in NYC hospitals. If there is anyone who truly knows about the healing power of music - it's Kelli!
When she's not performing, you might catch Kelli going on hikes with her wife and dog, watching the New York Rangers, or enjoying a craft beer with friends and family.
