Kelly Hogan

Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, singer-songwriter Kelly Hogan has spent most of her musical career in Chicago, Illinois. Hogan’s debut came in the early 90s as the singer and guitarist for The Jody Grind; she later joined Rock*A*Teens as a guitarist and backing vocalist. After relocating to Chicago, Hogan released a number of solo albums, the latest being 2012’s I Like to Keep Myself in Pain. Hogan has worked extensively as a backing vocalist for musicians like Neko Case, Jakob Dylan, and Mavis Staples, and has collaborated with a number of other artists, like The Mekons, The Decemberists, and Alejandro Escovedo, to name just a few. She is also a member of Chicago-based group The Flat Five, who released their latest album Another World in 2020. Most recently, she has spent time touring and performing live with The Flat Five and as a backing vocalist for Mavis Staples. Hogan appeared at the very first SarahFest in 2015, where she performed a live show at the Powerhouse Community Arts Centre; she went on to serve as Sarahfest’s inaugural Artist-in-Residence in 2021. Hogan describes her experience as “amazing”; for her, a key takeaway was seeing how “each student was motivated in unique ways - what different things/methods excited or inspired each individual to learn and have confidence to perform - to forget about everything else but the music and not be afraid to make mistakes. Mistakes are very punk rock!  Clams rule!”