Canvas Rebel Magazine

Written By SunQueen Kelcey

We were lucky to catch up with Kelcey Ledbetter recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kelcey, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

So let’s just say, I’m happy for the most part. It’s hard to define happiness from this perspective because not only do I do music, I also work a regular full-time and a part-time job. Now let’s back up to 2020 because that was when I tried the route of doing music full-time and was hit with reality quickly. I was back in school and I made the decision to quit my full-time job two months before the pandemic started and immediately felt the devastation of having no job and no other streams of income coming in; everyone was suffering, well except for the rich, lol. I do not come from a family of wealth so I couldn’t depend on someone else to pay for this and that. And even though I hustled by doing virtual shows, selling merch, songwriting for others’ projects and various side hustles; I soon realized that I wasn’t cut out for that life; I am not a hustler in that regard, lol. I was always exhausted, always working, trying to keep up with the accounting/administrative tasks of having a business but not enough financial support and never rested. Which is wild because I love to sleep. In addition to the social unrest and economic upheaval that was happening at the time, my choice to “do music full-time” was something I almost regretted. I made a promise to myself that I would try this “music only” thing out for one year and if I still couldn’t do it then I’m going back to work so I can have a W2, lol! I felt some relief in 2021, things began opening back up and I had quite a few outdoor gigs and intimate shows but Miss Rona was still alive and well so some events were cancelled too. Towards the end of that year, I finished school and I decided to look for a part-time job. And baby, that was one of the best decisions I ever made. To admit that I failed and have the humility to get back in the workforce was so liberating to me. As much as I would love to do music full-time again, I am more than happy to know that I have two steady jobs that don’t exhaust me and help me fuel my music career. Now I can plan for my future better and make decisions that are not based on desperation, lol! You know what I mean? Like when people ask you to do a show that you really don’t wanna do but you need some coins? But when you get there you regret that you said yes? Hmmhmm, like those kinds of decisions. So, when the time is right, I will pursue a full-time career in music again. But I’m someone who enjoys safety with a lil’ risk on the side and I would rather have multiple streams of income coming in than take another leap of faith knowing what I know now.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is SunQueen Kelcey, a singer-songwriter and musician out of Greensboro, NC. I was born and raised in a more country/rural town of Southern Pines and they are known for their Pine trees and golf courses, lol, but I don’t like golf, go figure. Being a professional vocalist has always been on mind since I was a child. My mama introduced me to R&B, Soul and Jazz and my dad got me into Rock n Roll, Gospel and Hip Hop. I was placed in choir early and that’s where I fell in love with classical music and began writing poetry. Songwriting didn’t happen until I moved to Greensboro, NC to go to college though.

I started a band with a few friends called Dalton Village years ago. We disbanded and I decided to go solo because music was still on my mind. I consider my music to be a genre-blend of R&B, Rock, Soul, HipHop and Jazz, I call it “Soul-Rock” and I have my own backing band called SunQueen and the Soular Flares. One member from Dalton Village named Kolin Robinson is still rocking with me to this day. Our sound is reflective of our musical influences like Jill Scott, Queen, Mary J Blige, R.A.T.M., Etta James and the Fugees. I also play a lil guitar so that skill helps me arrange my songs and translate my ideas to the band. I have a passionate and energetic stage presence and adore crowd interaction. And with the band, the energy is increased ten-fold. We have done big gigs like Shakori Hills Festival & Aggie Fest for NC A&T and small gigs but have treated each show like we are performing for the Grammy’s. And yes, I’m speaking that into existence, lol!

This lil’ city of Greensboro has been real good to me. I have cultivated such strong friendships that have put me in places I could never dream of and I am so proud of my community because we have shown up for each other in ways I couldn’t imagine. From supporting each others shows to lending a helping hand on a project, donating funds when in need, sharing knowledge and info or passing along the word to a promoter who is looking for talent. There’s literally talent everywhere here and I am always happy to see my friends doing their thing on stage.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

“I’ll sleep when I die” or “I’m on my grind and won’t rest until I’m rich”. Both of those or any variation of them is a recipe for disaster for me. I learned that lesson the hard way when I first began my music career. I wanted to be everywhere and be in every show. I had late nights, over-booked schedules, missed birthdays & appointments, unpaid bills and very little time to breathe. Exhaustion caught up with me tapped me on the shoulder and said I’m not a hustler and I know better . It took me some time to realize that I don’t like that lifestyle and wanted to use rest as resistance. Because in reality, doing the most because you are worried about missing out on something is a catch 22. You can have the most booked schedule out of anyone and still miss out. It’s not worth being sleep deprived over because those things can wait and fun will always be there. There are more important things in life than being seen, heard and in the mix. Do I work hard? Yes. Do I deserve nice things? Yes. But do I deserve to never have time to myself or to rest? Hell No.

One other thing that I do know about this world is that being able to rest is a privilege to some. I cannot speak for those that do not have the choice to rest. But I can tell the people that have rest as an option, to always choose it. Your body is tired so you should give it what it needs and it will thank you for that.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Changing my idea of success was the most rewarding aspect. Some artists have dreams to be mega superstars and to be known internationally. I thought that was what I wanted but I realized that the probability of that happening is very miniscule. And the downside of having that dream is that when it doesn’t come true, people think they have failed.

My actual dream is to make a lucrative career out of music; to live comfortably, have fun, travel, perform for big-name festivals and make positive impacts on people with my writing and presence. I want to always be employed in some musical way whether it be for performing, collaborating, public speaking, teaching workshops or songwriting. And I actually have already achieved my dream because that is what I do now. And that is successful in my eyes.

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Image Credits
Santana B Photography Joseph Hill Photography Jordan C. Jones Teddy E Bee S. T. Murphy

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SunQueen Kelcey
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