Becky Camille Kessler
Audio Feed
Old State House Square
Hartford
Aug. 18, 2026
Becky Camille Kessler, who played the latest summer outdoor Audio Feed concert Tuesday in Old State House Square, was born into a musical family. Her father played the piano, but it was her mother who introduced her to the instruments she resonated with most, the guitar and the human voice. Even still, Kessler wasn’t sold on the life of a musician, and told me that if she hadn’t discovered her love for writing music, she might not be performing to this day.
“Creating songs has a weird, magical feeling,” she explained.
Weird and magical are actually the perfect words to describe Kessler’s overall sound, in a good way, as demonstrated by Tuesday's performance. There’s a haunting, ethereal feeling to her music, where the words hang in the air as if part of the spell for a conjuring of memory and emotion. Kessler’s voice is smooth and melodic, moving from just above a whisper to arcing pitches that evoke longing.
Her lyrics match the dream-like quality of her sound, and it’s easy to see that Kessler enjoys building the metaphors and images that make her work unique. Consider the lyrics from her song “Machine Take”:
You’re a star in a rainstorm
Lost to static haze
Chasing dreams like wild geese
Far from Honah Lee
Hungry after the feast
You’re better off a machine
Music is often about going deeper into emotions and throwing caution to the wind. Kessler is advising the opposite to the subject of the song. “Hungry after the feast” is such a great line, as we’ve all tried to get more out of every situation than we should expect, whether it’s dealing with a lover or a friend. There’s no way to mitigate that greed either- better off not having those emotional desires in the first place.
“Machine Take” is indicative of the realistic melancholy that characterizes Kessler’s work. It’s not about the rainbows and butterflies of love, but it’s also not about wallowing in sorrow either. She takes an unblinking look at life, and presents it with rawness and vulnerability.
Kessler reminds me of a blend between two of my favorite artists, Jeff Buckley and Bjork. That may sound like an odd duo, but Kessler combines the soulful cries of Buckley, and adds the experimentation of Bjork’s most famous works. She sands down the harsh edges of Bjork’s electronic style though with her Buckley-like accompaniments that don’t overwhelm her voice.
In fact, Kessler told the audience that she was ending her concert with one of her more experimental pieces. She called us her “guinea pigs”, but I don’t think any small mammal has been treated to seeing the inner workings of a musician that isn’t afraid to be both soothing and experimental, to commiserate with the audience but also challenge how we deal with our feelings.
Kessler brought a new, fresh energy to Audio Feed that I really enjoyed. She’s part of the Violent Mae, and the next chance to see her perform in her full milieu, I’ll be there.
NEXT
Jamil goes to learn about the literary scene in Hartford.
