Simple, Silly, Soulful.
A Detroit native raised a little bit of everywhere else, Kristen Merritt has played everything from intimate coffee, bar and lounge settings, to larger festival-style events, and has delighted crowds no matter the room capacity. As a solo artist, Kristen has found her sound in the neo-soul genre, and spices up her set with the occasional funk or soulful pop song, telling a new story with every original and cover she gives her unique flavor to. And speaking of flavors, her favorite oscillates between peach and pineapple.
My experiences at William & Mary, and the times with my bandmates, solidified my desire to pursue music professionally. My favorite part of every show we played (other than just enjoying the music we were creating), was seeing moments in the audience where people connected with each other based on something we played. I make music for the joy of connection, and while it feels phenomenal to connect with an audience member, where they sing along or really resonate with something I've expressed, seeing music connect other people in real time is incredible. My first experiences with that special connection were in W&M spaces, and that connection continues to delight me as I continue my career!