[NO COUNTRY PREMIERE] Hear Kellen of Troy’s “Selfish Kind of Love” Ahead of Debut LP

Since we first introduced you to Kellen of Troy, the solo vehicle of former Apache Relay (RIP) fiddle player turned solo artist and multi-instrumentalist Kellen Wenrich, in early 2016, we’ve been hotly anticipating his promised debut full-length, Posthumous Release. While it’s taken a bit longer to materialize than expected, the record finally has an official release date, Jan. 5, and today, we’re thrilled to bring you an exclusive premiere of first single “Selfish Kind of Love,” before it drops on digital platforms tomorrow.

A two-time veteran of a our Acme showcase series, Kellen released his first EP, The Sad Bastard, earlier this year, collecting a section of songs that didn’t quite fit the direction of Posthumous Release. Juxtaposing poppy, intimiate, timeless sonic tones with self-reflective and somber themes, Wenrich relishes in the duality of his style, which he likens to the many less-happy-than-meets-the-eye pop songs of the ’60s, previously telling us “Happy music with a happy message is too praise-and-worshippy. And moody, melancholy music with a sad story is too often boring, unconvincing and self-indulgent. I think songs hit harder if they combine both sides of the coin.”

The EP and the LP seem to have come together in tandem, and we expect the latter to continue Kellen’s journey of discovering his own musical identity while adjusting to life after being in a successful band, which resulted in an amazing reflection of his artistic individuality and impressive musical range on The Sad Bastard. “Selfish Kind of Love” certainly seems to continue on this trajectory, and serves as a strong introduction to what promises to be a cohesive and personal first full-length.

On the new tune, Kellen tells us “‘Selfish Kind of Love’ is a messed up love song that deals with the narcissistic side of monogamy. I wrote the tune shortly after my wife and I started dating; I was on the road a lot at the time, hoping she’d be waiting around for me back in Nashville. I wanted to treat her right so she’d miss me when I was gone. It’s a tune about wanting someone to be longing for you at home, waiting anxiously in the widow’s watch for your return. It’s a bit egomaniacal and conceited really…glad she still married me.”

Hear “Selfish Kind of Love” below, look out for Posthumous Release on Jan. 5, and celebrate with a hometown release show Jan. 4 at The 5 Spot. We’ll bring you more info as the dates approach!