Arizona blues singer Kelli Baker has officially joined the Gulf Coast Records roster and will release her debut EP, “Granite,” on October 24, 2025. The five-track collection showcases Baker’s powerful vocals over a backdrop of dark blues and rock influences drawn from her Southwest roots.
The EP was recorded at VUDU Studios with engineer and producer Mike Watts. Fans can pre-order digital and CD versions now at www.officialgcrstore.com.
Baker’s voice carries the weight and emotion that defines authentic blues music. Her live shows have been turning heads across the region, with audiences captivated by her commanding stage presence and the raw honesty in her delivery. She’s backed by a stellar group of musicians, including guitarist and harmonica player Noé Socha, who has worked with Paula Cole and Vanessa Collier, plus drummer Tom Curiano anchoring the rhythm section.
The EP’s lead single, “Silk Flowers,” drops August 1, 2025. Baker wrote the track about the complexities of modern relationships and the facades people create. “I wrote this about struggles in an evolving relationship in modern times,” she explains. “The cover art is a photo of my great-grandparents, and represents the long-time loves in each of our lives, if it be great-grandparents, parents, friends, life partners. My grandmother used to decorate her house with silk flowers — to me, it represents nostalgia, and a fabricated reality, lacking substance. ‘Silk flowers don’t mean a thing, don’t you give me your roses when I’ve got a garden green.’ I know what you’ve been up to, don’t pull one over on me kind of energy.”
The second single, “Granite (Badlands),” arrives September 9, 2025. This deeply personal song deals with grief and loss, specifically the sudden death of Baker’s father. “This number taps into my desert roots and personal loss,” Baker says. “I wrote it about my Dad, who passed suddenly while we were apart. We were incredibly close, and it’s haunted me that I didn’t instinctively feel his passing due to the fact he was alone at the end. The title comes from his playful alter ego, Luke Granite, a name he used when we pretended to be private detectives.”
The recording captures an intimate moment between Baker and Socha. “We recorded it as a live take, just me and Noé Socha, who played guitar and harmonica simultaneously. I was blown away by the arrangement, just listen at 2:21 for the beautiful live harmony between the guitar and harmonica.”
The album artwork for “Granite (Badlands)” was photographed at an abandoned Texas gas station during the band’s recent tour, perfectly capturing the song’s desolate emotional landscape.
With “Granite,” Baker establishes herself as a compelling new voice in contemporary blues, one that honors the genre’s traditions while bringing fresh perspective to timeless themes of love, loss, and resilience.Retry