Who I Am
Thanks for visiting! My name is Kelsey, and I’m a writer, musician, multi-disciplinary artist and creator based in Brooklyn, NY.
These days, you can find me on Instagram posting stairwell outfit checks and hitting up endless product launches, fashion previews, brand events, and more, but keep reading for a deeper dive if you’d like to know how I got here.
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, from dramatic entries about cute boys in my Lisa Frank diary to winning poetry and essay contests throughout my school years. Concurrently, I competed as a highland snare and tenor drummer with the Kanawha Valley Pipes & Drums, the group with which I found my footing as a lifelong musician. Middle and high school band was also a passionate pasttime of mine, and I won the trophies and ribbons to back it up during my years as a percussion section leader.
I got my first job as a professional writer at 18 after dropping out of Marshall University — an unwise but ultimately character-building move — and eventually returned to study Communications at WV State University when my high school band director found me waiting tables at Bob Evans and offered me a scholarship to come back to school in exchange for helping to build the percussion line.
I went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Communications and spent a year bartending at a local dive before moving to New York City in 2013. By late 2014, I was hired as the operations manager at a boutique heavy metal advertising network. After giving my bosses way too many ideas and pitches for free, I demanded to write for one of the websites in the network, which garnered me quick attention for my work and led to me contributing regular op-eds, columns, interviews, and reviews to websites like Vice, Alt Press, Kerrang, Dazed & Confused Magazine, Louder Sound, and many others. This led to my position as the staff writer at Revolver Magazine where I wrote thousands of news articles, interviews, and deep dives.
My next career move took me to the British news outlet The Independent, where I launched and acted as the sole writer, editor, publisher, and promoter of the Indy100 Wishlist vertical, a shoppable sector for the site’s American audience. My creative freedom at Indy allowed me to dig deep into fashion, beauty, and home decor while learning to craft top-tier commerce content with minimal supervision or direction.
After three years with The Independent, I took on a six-month contract stint at Dotdash Meredith, now known as People Inc., as a methodology writer on the commerce team’s health, family, and fitness team. A week after my contract ended in July 2023, I was offered my current role as a Digital Reporter in Commerce & Style for GoodMorningAmerica.com, where I have now written and contributed to hundreds (and maybe more) articles across the Shop, Style, and Culture verticals.
As mentioned earlier, I’m an accomplished musician with 30 years of experience as a percussionist. By the age of 12, I was named the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association Junior Drummer of the Year, followed by an even bigger win as the best tenor drummer on the East Coast later that year.
Outside of the niche subculture of traditional Scottish music, I’ve played in countless rock n’ roll bands across West Virginia and New York City. I’ve been lucky enough to star in several music videos — both my own and for national acts like Frankie Cosmos — and play at some of the city’s most legendary venues: Saint Vitus, the Knitting Factory, Alphaville, Berlin, and many others.
I’m also a visual artist and am proud to have had my work exhibited at Catland Books several times, including during the listening party for a Kenneth Anger album, as well as at the “My Bloody Valentine” show at 14BC gallery in 2024. A repainted bust of Jesus I made in 2014 appeared in the book “Jesus Now: Art & Pop Culture” by Laitetia Barbier alongside revered artists like Kehinde Wiley and Cindy Sherman. Most recently, I was curated into another Valentine’s Day-themed work by my dear friend and frequent collaborator, Mike Adkins, to which I contributed a video piece reading a triptych on grief inspired by the passing of my father, Michael Legg.
in 2025, I expanded my work at GMA with several pieces of video journalism including explorations of the Labubu trend (RIP), the Mothman of West Virginia, and the viral skeletons at Home Depot.
I also began freelancing for Apartment Therapy in 2025 and contributed several Halloween articles, as well as a tour of my own loft after decorating for my favorite holiday.
In my personal life, I’m a devoted dog mom, and senior rescues are my passion. My husband and I currently have four dogs aged around 12 to 15, as well as two cats that keep the rest of the herd in line.
I’m currently writing my first book very slowly while planning my second, and I’d like to have a draft done in the next year. I’m taking volunteers for people who would like to comer over and scream at me until I actually do it.
For a link to my current work that updates daily, visit:
https://amp.abcnews.com/author/kelsey_chapman
Or find me on Instagram for the latest in my day-to-day life: