The Jody Grind

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Hogan sang with the cabaret, country, jazz, and punk band The Jody Grind (a Cabbagetown, Atlanta, Georgia, band originated by Bill Taft), singing on their full-lengths One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure (1990) and Lefty's Deceiver (1992). The Jody Grind toured with singer Robyn Hitchcock.^[7] The group disbanded after two of its members were killed in a car crash.^[1][13]

Rock*A*Teens

In the mid-1990s, Hogan joined the indie rock band Rock*A*Teens, another Cabbagetown area band,^[14][15] appearing on their 1996 EP and the 1997 full-length Cry. Kelly Hogan played guitar and sang backing vocals in the band from 1994 to 1997. After the release of Cry, Hogan left the Rock*A*Teens and relocated from Atlanta to Chicago.^[16]

Solo career

Her debut solo record, The Whistle Only Dogs Can Hear, was released in 1996, and contained covers of songs by Will Oldham and Vic Chesnutt.^{[citation needed]}

Hogan released her first record for Bloodshot Records entitled Beneath the Country Underdog in 2000. The record, "brilliantly intuitive readings of other people's songs," was produced by Jon Langford (Mekons, Waco Brothers).^[17][18] The Pine Valley Cosmonauts were her backing band.^[19]

Her second solo Bloodshot release, Because It Feel Good, was released in 2001 and was produced by Hogan and former Sugar bassist David Barbe.^[17] At the time of this record's release, rock critic Peter Margasak described Hogan as "principally an interpreter, capable of wringing more from a cover than most people can find in their own material," even though with this release she wrote two songs (with Andy Hopkins) on the record.^[17]

There was a comprehensive fan club page and mailing list^[20] focused on Kelly Hogan until 2006.^[21]

Hogan released her most recent solo record—and first record in 11 years, I Like To Keep Myself in Pain, on ANTI- in 2013. The album is a collection of songs either written for her or chosen for her by songwriter friends Andrew Bird, Vic Chesnutt, Jon Langford, Stephin Merritt, M. Ward, and others.^[7][22] The title track was written by Robyn Hitchcock.^[7][23] For the recording of this record, "a dream-team band" was assembled: organist Booker T. Jones, drummer James Gadson (Bill Withers, Beck), bassist Gabe Roth (The Dap-Kings), guitarist Scott Ligon (NRBQ). They recorded at EastWest Studios (Pet Sounds) in Hollywood, California.^[19]

As of 2021, Hogan continues to occasionally perform as singer/bandleader, especially in Chicago, often with accompanying musicians such as Nora O'Connor and Andy Hopkins,^[24] and with the Flat Five.^[25]

Collaborations

Compilation contributions

• "13 Nights" – Down to the Promised Land: 5 Years of Bloodshot Records- as Kelly Hogan & the Pine Valley Cosmonauts (Bloodshot, 2000)
• "1,000,001" (by The Sadies/Kelly Hogan) Making Singles, Drinking Doubles (Bloodshot, 2002)
• "Hanky Panky Woman" (by J. Owen/L. Johnson) Making Singles, Drinking Doubles – as Kelly Hogan & the Mellocremes (Bloodshot, 2002)
• "It's Only Make Believe" (by J. Nance/C. Twitty) Making Singles, Drinking Doubles – as Kelly Hogan & John Wesley Harding (Bloodshot, 2002)
• "Chicken Road" – For A Decade of Sin: 11 Years of Bloodshot Records – as Kelly Hogan & the Wooden Leg (Bloodshot, 2005)
• "Gotta Have My Baby Back" – Too Late to Pray: Defiant Chicago Roots (Bloodshot, 2019)^[45][46]