Kelly Pardekooper
Singer and songwriter Kelly Pardekooper is a journeyman performer known for his rough-hewn but tuneful alt-country and songs about honest, emotional tales of life in the Midwest. It was this rootsy, lived-in quality he brought to his debut, 1998's 30-Weight, as well as albums like 2000's Johnson County Snow, 2004's Haymaker Heart, and 2011's Yonder. Pardekooper's music has attracted the attention of Hollywood, nabbing placements in shows like True Blood, Sons of Anarchy, and Justified, among others. The title track to his 2014 album Milk in Sunshine was featured in the drama Virgin River. He has continued to dig deeper into his country style, releasing 2016's City at Night and 2022's Autumn, the latter of which he recorded in Nashville with Teddy Morgan and Wilco's Pat Sansone.
Born and raised in Iowa City, Iowa, Pardekooper became interested in music at a young age listening to his parents' LPs, including classic albums by the Beatles, the Kinks, and Neil Young. Later, in his teens and while attending the University of Iowa, he drew inspiration from local songwriters like Bo Ramsey, Greg Brown, Joe Price, David Zollo, and others. He was 32 when he cut his first album in 1998, a stripped-down affair called 30-Weight, which was released through his own Leisure Time Records imprint. Iowa City's independent Trailer Records label signed a deal with Pardekooper for his second album, 2000's Johnson County Snow, which featured frequent Greg Brown and Lucinda Williams sideman Bo Ramsey on guitar, as well as Pardekooper's backing group, the Devil's House Band. It also included the track "Fly on the Wall," which was featured on an episode of HBO's True Blood. Pardekooper collaborated with guitarist Teddy Morgan for his third album, House of Mud, recorded in Florida in the fall of 2001 and released in the spring of 2002. He then pulled up stakes and relocated to Nashville, where he recorded 2005's Haymaker Heart.
He moved again, settling in Madison, Wisconsin, where he got married and began working as a housepainter and ad salesman for a local newspaper. However, Pardekooper, who had gained a sizable cult following in Europe, wasn't about to give up music completely, and after signing to Sonic Rendezvous Records in the Netherlands, he released his fifth studio set in 2007, Brand New Bag. More rootsy albums followed, including 2011's Yonder and 2014's Milk in Sunshine. The title track from the latter LP garnered Pardekooper more attention after it was featured in the Netflix drama Virgin River; also on the album was the song "Tell Me You're the One," which was featured in the FX biker drama Sons of Anarchy. Another full-length, City at Night, arrived in 2016 and was recorded in an old church in Bloomington, Indiana, with producer Paul Mahern.
In early 2021, Pardekooper moved yet again, this time to Las Vegas, where his wife had taken a job. Hunkering down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he began writing more songs. In 2022, he returned with his tenth studio album, Autumn, which found him working with longtime associate Teddy Morgan and featuring contributions by Wilco guitarist Pat Sansone.
© Matt Collar & Mark Deming /TiVo
Discography
14 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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AUTUMN
Alternative & Indie - Released by Kelly Pardekooper on Mar 4, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Milk in Sunshine
Alternative & Indie - Released by Kelly Pardekooper on Oct 21, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
House of Mud
Alternative & Indie - Released by Kelly Pardekooper on May 24, 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
City at Night
Alternative & Indie - Released by Kelly Pardekooper on Nov 25, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brand New Bag
Alternative & Indie - Released by Leisure Time Records on Jan 1, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
3 Song Slices
Alternative & Indie - Released by Kelly Pardekooper on Oct 6, 2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
ARCHIVE
Alternative & Indie - Released by Kelly Pardekooper on Apr 3, 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
50-Weight
Alternative & Indie - Released by Leisure Time Records on Oct 26, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
ARCHIVE
Alternative & Indie - Released by Leisure Time Records on Oct 31, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Johnson County Snow
Country - Released by Leisure Time Records on Apr 3, 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Haymaker Heart
Alternative & Indie - Released by Kelly Pardekooper on Mar 22, 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bloody Gasoline
Alternative & Indie - Released by Leisure Time Records on Jan 1, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Black Wearin' Fellow
Alternative & Indie - Released by Leisure Time Records on Apr 3, 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Like A Rose
Alternative & Indie - Released by Leisure Time Records on Jun 23, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo