Kelly Finnigan, the lead singer of Bay Area-based indie-soul auteurs Monophonics, has announced his debut solo album ‘The Tales People Tell,’ out April 26 on Colemine Records. Over the course of the album’s 10 new, original songs, Kelly channels a multitude of influences that reflect a lifetime immersed in the music and culture of soul, R&B, and hip­hop – it’s the story of an outsider that followed an unorthodox route, always guided by his own creative north star.

Kelly guided the songs on ‘The Tales People Tell’ from their conception all the way to the record pressing plant over the course of two years. He wrote and produced each track on the record and plays 10 instruments throughout, while enlisting the help of friends and legends like drummer James Gadson (Bill Withers, Marvin Gaye, Beck), members of Monophonics, and Kelly’s own father, prominent sideman/keyboardist Mike Finnigan (Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Etta James). The result is a timeless collection underscored by a sense of community, a family affair of a record that’s at once raw and gritty, tender and emotive, lush and symphonic.