About Kay

Singer/Songwriter/Copyright Advocate/TV Producer

Kay Hanley began her career in music as the lead singer of Boston-based alternative rock band Letters to Cleo, releasing 3 acclaimed albums between 1990-2000, and spawning such hits as Awake and Here and Now. In 2002, Hanley released her first full length solo album, Cherry Marmalade, produced by longtime Cleo producer, Mike Denneen at Q Division Studios. Subsequent solo releases were The Babydoll EP (2005) and Weaponize (2009)

After a 16-year hiatus, Letters To Cleo reunited in 2016 to release new music and embark on several sold-out US tours. They are currently writing their 4th full length studio album.

In the late 90’s, Kay began expanding her work as a singer and songwriter into the TV and film world, writing songs for Warner Brothers’ animated series Generation O, providing the singing voice for Rachael Leigh Cook’s character Josie in Universal Pictures’ feature film Josie and the Pussycats, and performing cover versions of Nick Lowe’s Cruel to be Kind and Cheap Trick’s I Want You To Want Me in Touchstone Pictures’ hit film, 10 Things I Hate About You.

Today, Kay is a Peabody Award winning songwriter for animated television, penning original songs for shows like Disney Junior’s hit series Vampirina and Doc McStuffins, Dreamworks’ Harvey Street Kids, WB/Cartoon Network’s DC Super Hero Girls and Netflix series, Ada Twist, Scientist and We The People. Her latest project is Disney Junior’s Kindergarten The Musical, where she serves as composer and executive producer.

Kay is co-executive director of Songwriters Of North America (SONA), a non-profit advocacy organization that fights for the protection and value of songs and songwriters in the streaming music marketplace. As a result of her advocacy work, Hanley was chosen to represent songwriters on the Mechanical Licensing Collective, serving as vice-chair of the Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee.

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