Upcoming Shows…
May 13 2025
Modo Yoga East Vancouver
Vancouver, BC
8:30pm
May 18 2025
Modo Yoga Olympic Village
Vancouver, BC
12:30pm
May 21 2025
Modo Yoga Olympic Village
Vancouver, BC
7:30pm
July 3 2025
Sidekick Brewery
Chilliwack, BC
TBD
May 25 2025
Modo Yoga East Vancouver
Vancouver, BC
7:00pm
May 27 2025
Modo Yoga East Vancouver
Vancouver, BC
8:30pm

BIOGRAPHY
KAY BRETTE is the solo project of Kelsey Brette, a Vancouver-based indie artist whose music explores the raw, often overwhelming nature of human emotion. From a young age, Kelsey turned to songwriting as a form of self-soothing and emotional processing—a deeply personal outlet that has grown into a powerful vehicle for storytelling and connection. Her work is rooted in themes of heartbreak, existential searching, and the slow, difficult journey toward self-acceptance and emotional clarity.
Her upcoming debut EP, The Mess and the Martyr, marks a defining moment in her artistic evolution. Written with urgency and unflinching vulnerability, the project draws inspiration from therapy sessions, personal unraveling, and a desire to confront and move through deeply held pain. Through this process, KAY BRETTE found not only a more authentic sound but also a clearer sense of self.
The Mess and the Martyr is slated for release in October 2025, preceded by two singles: Coca Cola (August 2025) and the EP’s title track (September 2025). With a sound that weaves between indie rock and folk, KAY BRETTE creates music that feels both intimate and expansive—an honest reflection of the internal landscapes she’s spent years learning to navigate.
PRE SAVE
PRE SAVE
Upcoming Release
The Mess and The Martyr
A relational tale exploring the realms of self and external validation, vulnerability, radical acceptance, and knowing your worth.
LYRICS
-
Got a taste of being happy
It wasn’t long enough
got a taste of being happy
before you spit into my cup
And I drank it just the same
As if you’d made it any other way
I guess that’s the catch with this
I’d down it no matter how bad it is
My intellect tells me to stop drinking
She’s drowning out she’s under & sinking
But the pit in my chest that needs you so bad
Doesn’t waste time thinking it’s just fuckin’ sad
Got a taste of being happy
It wasn’t long enough
And it was only after falling down
I’d forgotten why
I’d forgotten why I jump
And now my hands are tied
Not like I imagined
Take a breath and sigh
Pull apart what had happened
Trying to salvage a conversation
You’re so in your head you can tell you’re not making any sense
Of your entire situation
And I’ve been patient, I’ve been patient
You’re a mess I’m a martyr
Always left and always right
“I’ll get you a glass of water”
While you try and decide
While you try and decide
-
I wanna hold you, not like the other girls did
I wanna roll with you, around town and into bed
I always said that I’d be alone making eyes at an empty phone
But now I think that I’m in trouble cause I’m so used to being on my own
I wanna take time, and turn it page by page
I’m not interested in reading a whole chapter every day
It’s not self-help but it’s intriguing
I help myself by not exceeding, or comparing, or competing
But it’s not quite there to our dismay
Barely even turned a page
Stranger, lover, to estranged
Funny how the title changes
I feel angry I feel blind
Thought it could be it this time
You swung left when I went right
Wasn’t what I had in mind
I know I wanna
I know I wanna
I know I wanna
Help them all if it’d just help my self
-
It feels bad
How I feel right now
I sat next to you in bed
for the third time and somehow
I’m already hurting inside
rampant ideas rage in my mind
as I roll over to see you
you are scrolling and preoccupied
Can I really be that boring
half-naked in the morning
You told me I was intriguing
but not as habit forming
I’m still trying to find
and tight-rope walk on that fine line
Do you really hurt me
is at all damage over time
‘Cause if I’m not sad
when I’m alone
It’s probably cause to contemplate
this may be overgrown
I hate second place
it’s not where I belong
and I don’t wanna question if you want me
I don’t have another sad song in me
I’m used to being alone
Could I be overreacting
This could be worth unpacking
I’ve been stepped on before forgive me
I have trouble relaxing
We’ve had the conversations
the smack-talking and the ranting
Of those who came before us
who reeked the havoc and caused the blackening
We’ve listened with intention
with desire to make it happen
We gave way to the fear
in hopes to revel in the rapture
But as you stare at your screen
I’ve never felt less seen
And I still can’t tell if I ‘m a mess
or if you’re really being mean
‘Cause if I’m not sad
when I’m alone
It’s probably cause to contemplate
this may be overgrown
I hate second place
it’s not where I belong
and I don’t wanna question if you want me
I don’t have another sad song in me
I’m used to being alone
-
You’ve come back again
That feeling
There’s no rain outside
It’s not the season
To wear the weight of it
I was done healing
Thanks for being here
When are you leaving
When are you leaving
I am wading, I’m not in water
I am hurting, I need a doctor
I need help I think I’ll call her
Help me settle in to unpack the imposter
When are you leaving
Take all your grieving
When are you leaving
Got me believing
This is the last time I survive
You can only be struck so many times before you have to decide
Do you pack it away
Do you try to hide
Well I’ve already paid my dues to darkness
Now its time for the light
I’ve already paid my dues to darkness
Now its time for the light
I’ve already paid my dues
I’ve already paid my dues
When are you leaving?
Take all your grieving
When are you leaving?
Im still healing