Kelly Hunt’s last album, Ozark Symphony, was one of the highlights of 2023. Now, the Memphis native, returns with her third release, Requiem for a Sleepless Night, which will be issued on Compass Records on 18th September 2026. Although rooted deeply in traditional forms, Hunt is far from a traditionalist, crossing at times into markedly modern territory. Her songs step beyond the constraints of genre, navigating the tension between past and present, old world and new. Self-taught on banjo and guitar, her style is highly original, a study in nuance – drones, inflections, pulsing rhythms, finger-picked rolls mixed with percussive strumming, drumming, and frailing.
For Requiem for a Sleepless Night, Hunt teamed up once again with Dirk Powell, who played on and produced Ozark Symphony, at The Cypress House-Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. This time they worked in trio form with Powell’s daughter, Amelia, on harmony vocals. The album marks a shift of focus to the guitar, with banjo featured on a few key tracks but playing a subsidiary role overall.
You can pre-order Requiem For A Sleepless Night at this link. The third track, Clouds, has been released as single with accompanying video. The song features a hypnotic percussion track while Powell’s fiddle and the melody intertwine. Over them Hunt’s vocal swoops through the song applying some distinctive phrasing.
