We’ve been featuring the remarkable music of Washington DC, USA-based artist Kelsie Kimberlin for over a year now and she never fails to impress with her range of sounds and lyrical messages.

By Graeme Smith

Since the back end of 2023, Kelsie has given us political punk to personal pop. As a Ukrainian-American, much of her music has focussed on the plight of her nation as it suffers under Vladimir Putin’s invasion. Cleverly, she had teamed the topic with her personal experiences. In January 2025, I shared her single and video Walking Away. Shot in Kyiv, Ukraine, it told the story of escaping a toxic relationship.

Like Walking Away, her latest track, Sally, combines Kelsie’s personal experience with the plight of the Ukrainian people. The titular Sally has lost her father, something to which Kelsie can relate, as can many people who have lost loved ones during the war.

The track also has a video shot in Kyiv (directed by Kelsie and conceived with Pavlo Khomiuk) and tells a tale of finding new connection after loss. It’s perhaps Kelsie’s best effort to date. There’s a classic rock feel about it, pairing an earworm melody with an energetic performance. It found itself way naturally into my head and made a home for itself there.

Sally is out now and you can give it a listen below.