Kelsey Lu faces a reckoning on ‘So Help Me God’

For Kelsey Lu, losing the cello they’d played for 20 years was more than the loss of an instrument. Stranded on an island during the pandemic, Lu was forced to confront decades of memories. They say it’s an experience that would help shape their new album, So Help Me God.

Lu calls the record a reckoning. Raised in a strict religious household, Lu found themselves wrestling with faith, belief, identity and authority.

Today, the singer and cellist joins World Cafe to talk about making So Help Me God. Plus, we find out about the very different career path Lu once imagined for themselves — one inspired by a childhood spent digging in the dirt.

This episode of World Cafe was produced and edited by Miguel Perez. Our senior producer is Kimberly Junod and our engineer is Chris Williams. Our programming and booking coordinator is Chelsea Johnson and our line producer is Will Loftus.