"One of my colleagues is an avid supporter of [AWP], and she had recommended that if anyone felt compassion for the cause to come help," Kelly says. AWP is a small cat shelter that champions the "undercat" — cats with diabetes, feline leukemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus, seniors and timid cats, according to the shelter's monthly newsletter, "Biscuits and Toebeans." The organization is moving its location sometime in June to 1970 Kipling Street in Lakewood, and the building needs a complete redo.
"I achieved the goal [of ventilation], and there was some great airflow after" breaking the window, Kelly says. "But I felt so horrible, because I know how annoying windows are to fix and how expensive they can be." So he set out on a mission to raise enough money to replace AWP's window — $350, to be exact — and promote the shelter through a program he created called SongLight Denver.
Volunteers at AWP (left to right): Whitt Kelly, Karla Hernandez, Amy Geldean, Susie Dunlea, Sarah Florke, Brooke Sundermier and Danielle Kemble.
Courtesy of Whitt Kelly
He's also planning to create a music video in the existing AWP shelter and use it to highlight the organization's mission and staff. "Most [AWP staff] have full-time jobs and they're volunteering," Kelly says. "The woman that we worked with last week was taking a full week off of her job to do this [renovation], which is very admirable."
SongLight's first collaboration happened in February with Nowhere, a wandering coffee shop built in a 1973 Argosy Airstream camper. "I loved their coffee, and I found them to be this hidden gem," Kelly says. Through multiple coffee orders and conversation, he became friends with Nowhere's founder, Brandon Painter, who is also the artist behind the coffee shop's logo and merch.
"He is very connected to the community of people that go there, and I learned a little bit about his story, learned about why people love him," Kelly says. "[Nowhere] is this hidden gem that disappears and reappears, and I thought, if I can do something to help promote this, it would be awesome."
Kelly spent a morning hanging out at the shop, compiling customer interviews about the space's vibe. "In the project, I accidentally interviewed Benny; he's the trumpet person for the band Lettuce," Kelly says. "I had no idea he was there, and he was just giggling to himself...and then he was like, 'By the way, I'm in this band, and I'm a musician, too.'"
After the interviews, Kelly gave himself an hour to whip together a song using the answers he received as inspiration. The result of his Nowhere collaboration is a funky electronic ditty that perfectly matches the compact orange and white camper van and captures the love that Nowhere customers have for the small business.
As for his personal musical background, Kelly has had an "endless fascination with sound" from a young age. "To this day I've tried to quit many times, and I just can't do it," he explains, emphasizing his addiction to music creation. He plays the guitar and taught himself how to play the piano through Coldplay songs — and he still credits the band for his keyboard abilities.
"The pandemic actually gave me some extra time, and I learned how to produce," he says. "That was like lightning in a bottle for me, because I was able to take all of these pieces and then put it together in ways that people could listen to."
Follow @songlight_denver for updates on the Angels With Paws project.
