Ahead of her November 13 Gulf Coast Records debut, Baker reaches No. 6 on the UK IBBA Top 40, earns Apple Music Blues editorial recognition, and builds on a run of shows with ZZ Top and George Thorogood & The Destroyers.
NEW YORK, NY, USA — November 2026 — Singer, songwriter and artist, Kelli Baker is arriving at a pivotal moment. Her debut full-length album, MOTHER, out November 13 via Gulf Coast Records, brings together the force of her blues-rock performances and an evolution of deeply personal artistic vision, just as her music begins to reach new audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.
The momentum is visceral. Ahead of its release, MOTHER has reached No. 6 on the Independent Blues Broadcasters Association (IBBA) Top 40 chart in the UK and was named the association’s November Album of the Month. Baker’s music has also appeared in Apple Music Blues’ New Blues Songs editorial selection, while the singles “American Running” and “Rats” have drawn radio and playlist support. UK rock station Planet Rock has repeatedly aired “American Running,” adding to growing international attention.
Produced in Nashville by three-time GRAMMY-winning producer Zach Allen, MOTHER features contributions from Keb’ Mo’, the McCrary Sisters and keyboardist Peter Levin, a five-time GRAMMY nominee. The record moves through blues, hard-edged rock and gospel textures without losing sight of its emotional center: identity, motherhood, endurance and the complicated inheritance of family. Its songs are direct, unsentimental and deeply connective, carried by Baker’s commanding voice.
The release follows a striking career ascent. After returning to music while raising her daughter, Baker built her audience from intimate stages outward. In 2025, she earned a standing ovation opening for ZZ Top at New York’s Beacon Theatre. In September 2026, she joined ZZ Top and George Thorogood & The Destroyers for six Northeast dates, bringing her music to major concert audiences. Her signing to Gulf Coast Records marks another milestone in that progression.
The album’s early reception reflects that widening reach. Get Ready to ROCK! awarded MOTHER four stars, while coverage has appeared in American and European music outlets. A cover feature in the UK’s Blues Matters! is scheduled for December. As Blues on Repeat observed: “Baker has something to say, and she is not about to whisper it.”
MOTHER is not simply a record of where Baker has been. It is the sound of an artist taking full ownership of her voice and stepping into a larger chapter of her career on her own terms.
MOTHER arrives November 13, 2026, on Gulf Coast Records. Baker will perform the album in full at New York City’s Bitter End on November 15.
ALBUM INFORMATION
MOTHER — November 13, 2026 — Gulf Coast Records
Preorder: https://srgstore.com/products/kelli-baker-mother
Artist website: https://www.kellibaker.com