Getting to Know Local Musician Carley Kleban

By Amy C. Balfour

If you ask Carley Kleban to play Wagon Wheel, we’re sure that she’ll oblige. And we’re also sure you’re going to have a good time listening. This upbeat singer-songwriter has been playing live gigs since she was 13 years old, and she knows how to entertain a crowd.

But if you want the just-right soundtrack for a Lowcountry afternoon, request Caught in the Rain or one of Kleban’s other original songs. Her specific sound? Let’s call it breezy Southern rock with hints of blues and jazz – think Norah Jones meets Colbie Caillat.

Kleban’s passion for self-expression through music started early – soon after she learned how to write. “I started putting poems together and then eventually my mom was like, you know what? We should get her some guitar lessons,” said Kleban. A guitar was purchased, and Kleban remembers carrying it just about everywhere. By age seven, she was flipping her poems into songs she could play on her guitar.

After Kleban’s grandmother passed away, Kleban was so moved by her grandfather’s grief that she wrote a song for him. “He was so distraught, and I wrote a song called You’re Going to be Alright, and he held onto that,” said Kleban. “That helped him, a little kid singing a song.” Ever since, her mission has been to help people through her songs, which delve into her personal experiences in ways she hopes are universally relatable. Authenticity is what she strives for.

A native of Marietta, Georgia, Kleban was thrown into the rough and tumble of playing live music when she was 13 years old after family friends opened a pub in nearby Roswell. The new bar didn’t have much money to pay a musician, but Kleban agreed to play for free in order to practice her craft and learn how to play for crowds.

Kleban worked as an event planner for Live Nation Entertainment in Atlanta after she graduated from college. After the pandemic hit, work slowed down. Kleban decided to hit the road for a five-month cross-country road trip with her mom. On their way down the East Coast the duo stopped in Charleston, and Kleban fell in love with the city. She decided to stay while waiting for her job to restart, and she settled into an Airbnb – and she’s still here three years later.

“I just started gigging around, and I started playing for the Old Village Wine Shop – one of the most popular places that I play,” said Kleban. “It just took off. I didn’t expect it to be as lucrative as it was but then people were like, can you play for my wedding, can you play for my rehearsal dinner, can you play for this?” Kleban hasn’t looked back, and she’s extremely thankful and grateful for the warm reception she’s received here.

Although Kleban isn’t a chef, she enjoyed all the benefits of having a chef-intraining at her home while growing up. Her brother Colton Kleban, currently a chef at Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta, attended Florence Culinary Arts School in Italy. On his trips home, he’d test his culinary creations on Carley and the family. Roasting meat was his specialty, but he worked extra hard on perfecting his risotto – which her family dubbed ‘midnight risotto.’

“In the middle of our sleep, he would knock on the door and say ‘Try this risotto! I need to have it perfect,’” said Kleban. “If he ever opens a restaurant, he’s going to have that on his list.”

Another fond food memory? Mama K Fry Nights, named for her grandmother. During big family gatherings – it’s worth noting that Kleban has loads of aunts, uncles, and cousins – the women would peel potatoes all day and cut French fries while the men cooked the meat. The potatoes were fried up in huge pots. “All of us cousins would just line up,” recalled Kleban, and then dig into the crispy fries. Fry nights remain a family tradition during holidays and big family gatherings.

Locally, Kleban has several food and restaurant favorites. For a nice meal she heads to the Obstinate Daughter on Sullivan’s Island, where she’ll likely dig into the farro bowl. The Island Cabana Fish Bowl at the Island Cabana Bar, where she also performs, is another favorite. For the perfect mix of food and setting, she recommends the seafood grouper plate with fries at the Ellis Creek Fish Camp on James Island. “It’s outdoors, right on the marsh, it’s got hanging lights,” said Kleban. “I just love the vibe with that one.”

Kleban plays regularly, often on Fridays and Saturdays, at the Coastal Crust restaurants on James Island and in Mount Pleasant. She also plays at the Oyster Candle Company in Mount Pleasant. For a list of upcoming gigs and details about hiring her for an event, visit www.carleykmusic.com. You can also follow her music adventures @carleykmusic on Instagram.