Music & Writing of Kira Lesley

I'm a Portland-born singer-songwriter, historian and author. My music and research are informed by my life experiences and passions. A high-achiever all my life, I had a mental breakdown as a young adult under the weight of severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. I began using alcohol and pills to cope, and quickly became addicted. My descent was rapid: in the span of 18 months, I was hospitalized in psychiatric units 13 times (mostly involuntary), in inpatient rehab 5 times, and bounced in and out of drunk tanks, detoxes and ER rooms countless times. Three weeks short of my 22nd birthday, I got clean and sober in an unorthodox rehab community which has since disbanded, with the group's founder having his license revoked by the State of Oregon. In the years sense, I've found effective treatment for my mental illness and enjoyed a full life of joy, pain, loss and love as a sober person.

My songs are steeped in folk and country traditions, with strong storytelling elements and rye humor. In my music and writing, I tackle the topics that fascinate me: mental illness, substance abuse, recovery, recovery programs and communities, poverty, the culture of poverty, social welfare programs. In addition, my mother's side of the family were post-WWII Ukrainian refugees, and my father's are rural Oregonians from tiny dots throughout the west. You can hear the influence of both cultures in my musical content and approach.

As an American historian who dabbles in architectural history, I have a lifelong love affair with old buildings, including ghost towns, abandoned buildings, adaptive re-use and urban exploring. I love playing off-the-beaten-path venues and I've had plenty of opportunity to do so at venues throughout Oregon and in New York. I've performed at Pride Northwest, and my music has been heard on Local Roots radio and included in the Rogue Valley Messenger 2019 music compilation.

Brushes with fame: As a child, I sang in the children's chorus that provides backing vocals on Pink Martini's "Brazil" from their debut album Sympathique. That same children's choir was in a scene of the Lifetime Original Movie "Fifteen and Pregnant" starring Kirsten Dunst--you can see half my head, take my word for it.

This is my official web site, but you can also find me on YouTube, Spotify, Instagram and TikTok. Thank you for stopping by.