A native of Hibbing, Minnesota, Kellen Zakula draws from a diverse musical background including folk, indie rock, and classical idioms. He began his musical career as a fiddler, studying with Darol Anger and Bruce Molsky and earning a degree in classical violin performance from the University of Northern Colorado. It was during his last year in Colorado that he found his voice as a singer songwriter – utilizing fiddle, tenor guitar and claw hammer banjo for his original material. In the spring of 2008, Zakula relocated to Boston, MA, drawing inspiration for songs and instrumental tunes from the city's lush acoustic music scene.
Kellen's EP, "Hold On Loosely," is the culmination of a year of intensely introspective songwriting. The recordings feature instrumentalists Brittany Haas of Crooked Still, National Fiddle Champion Kimber Ludiker, Boston-based guitarist Andy Cambria, and Cody Walters of the April Verch Band.