Kay Hanley's remarkable music career commenced in the 1990s as the lead vocalist of the esteemed Boston-based alternative rock band Letters to Cleo, marked by the release of three highly acclaimed albums spanning the period from 1990 to 2000, featuring a string of notable hits, including the popular singles "Awake" and "Here and Now".
Following a 16-year hiatus, the band surprisingly reunited in 2016, which led to the creation of fresh music, the undertaking of sold-out US tours, and the conceptualization of their fourth full-length studio album.
Kay Hanley, the talented singer and songwriter, further diversified her creative endeavors in the late 1990s by venturing into the realms of television and film. Her multifaceted talents allowed her to craft original songs for the WB's animated series, Generation O, while also lending her voice to the character Josie in Universal Pictures' feature film adaptation, Josie and the Pussycats. Additionally, Hanley brought her unique vocal style to the silver screen by performing cover versions of Nick Lowe's classic hit, Cruel to be Kind, and Cheap Trick's iconic anthem, I Want You To Want Me, in Touchstone Pictures' highly acclaimed film, 10 Things I Hate About You.
In the year 2016, Hanley made a memorable appearance as herself on the popular NBC sitcom Park and Recreation, where she took part in the fictional Pawnee/Eagleton Unity Concert, a significant event that brought together the communities of Pawnee and Eagleton.
As a gifted songwriter, Hanley has earned numerous accolades, including a prestigious Peabody Award, for her original compositions featured in various television shows. Some of her notable works include original songs for Disney Junior's hit series Vampirina, a show that has captured the hearts of many young viewers, as well as Doc McStuffins, a popular program that has been praised for its positive portrayal of a young African American girl as a doctor.
Hanley's talents have also been showcased in Dreamworks' Harvey Street Kids, a series that follows the adventures of a group of friends growing up on a magical street, and WB/Cartoon Network's DC Super Hero Girls Netflix series, a show that reimagines iconic DC Comics characters in a new and exciting way. Furthermore, Hanley has contributed her skills to Ada Twist, Scientist, a program that celebrates science and learning through the adventures of its titular character, a young and curious scientist.
Hanley holds a dual role as co-executive director of Songwriters Of North America, a non-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding the economic worth and creative rights of songwriters within the dynamic and ever-evolving music industry. This esteemed advocacy work has yielded significant recognition, with Hanley being appointed to represent the collective interests of songwriters on the Mechanical Licensing Collective, thereby assuming the crucial position of vice-chair of the Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee.
