Inspired by the Beatles and modern country artists, MJ Kay developed his songwriting skills at HP Studios in Ringwood.
His debut modern country album, Country Storm, was released in June 2025, featuring 14 original songs. He is now working on his second album, with around 20 songs in development and plans to release several singles, including She Showed Up.
M J Kay had three lifelong ambitions: to write a book, paint a picture and write a song.
Having published his first book in the early 2000s and appeared as a wildcard on Landscape Artist of the Year at the Eden Project, he turned his attention to music.
After performing a few cover sessions at a club in Milford on Sea, he decided to pursue songwriting and found HP Studios in Ringwood.
Starting with vocal training and recording cover tracks, he gradually developed into a studio-based singer-songwriter. Inspired by the storytelling of the Beatles, alongside country artists such as Willie Nelson, Brad Paisley, The Petersens and Mary Spender, he settled on modern country as his genre.
After writing numerous songs, 14 made the final cut for his debut album, Country Storm, released in June 2025.
He is now working on his second album, with around 20 songs in pre-production, and plans to release several singles, including She Showed Up, which tells the story of a mechanic helping a heartbroken man. For MJ Kay, modern country music is the perfect way to tell life’s stories.
