Music of the Mountains: Where to be and what to see -- Sky Kelsey

Together, Sky Kelsey and Marty Smith serve as founding members of the traditional Irish band The Safehouse. Kelsey and Smith have been the consistent leading members of the group and have played together for many years.

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, they honed their sound as a duo for the first time. Kelsey and his then-girlfriend (now-wife) stayed with Smith for a few months, and they locked in completely on finding a sound together.

Since then, they’ve switched between performing with a band lineup in The Safehouse and as a duo group. Both projects focus on playing traditional Irish music.

Smith grew up in Wyoming while Kelsey grew up in Alaska. Neither environment is known for its vibrant Irish music scene. However, both individuals found Irish music in their communities.

In particular, Kelsey embraced the music developed in southern Ireland’s County Clare. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a native County Clare band, The Ceili Bandits, brought much of the county’s traditional music to Alaska.

 Completely captivated by Clare music, he embraced Ireland’s oral tradition. He started learning fiddle from age twelve under the mentorship of James Kelly, who Kelsey cites as his biggest influence. By the time Kelsey was old enough to gig in bars, Clare music had been well established in his community, so he completely embraced the music and started learning music from across Ireland.

Meanwhile, growing up with folk music, Smith has performed in countless groups even outside of The Safehouse. These groups include Avourneen, their spinoff duo Smithstein, and Coisir.

Smith started by playing dance tunes from the British Isles on the hammered dulcimer, and he now primarily focuses on playing the Irish bouzouki and singing. He’s been mentored by bouzouki teachers such as Andy Irvine, Aaron Jones, and Roger Landes.

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