Playing everything from bluegrass to heavy metal, Laura Petersen and the Old Souls are a Milwaukee, WI based genre defying creative duo consisting of singer-songwriter Laura Petersen and multi-instrumentalist Elliot Killian.

Laura Petersen playing live at the Saloon on Calhoun

Laura is a singer-songwriter who has been writing songs since childhood and plays acoustic guitar. Laura has a unique way of pairing emotion with melody. Her songs are written from a combination of observation and experience. She hopes her music encourages people to take a deeper look into the meaning of their lives. 

Laura’s first studio album, Breaking the Hollow, was released in June of 2015.  This fully produced album was recorded in Nashville, TN.  In 2019 Laura was nominated “Singer/Songwriter of the Year” by the Wisconsin Area Music Industry.

Elliot is a hard rock guitar player turned bluegrass/folk multi-instrumentalist. Before joining musical forces with Laura in 2017, he was the lead guitar player in the traditional heavy metal band Lords of the Trident, and appeared on four releases with the group (Chains on Fire, Plan of Attack, A Very Lords of the Trident Christmas, and Frostburn) from 2010-2015. 

While bringing musical intricacies and a harder edge to some of Laura’s songs, Elliot has also expanded his musical versatility to better suit the array of moods and themes present in Laura’s songwriting. 

Elliot plays acoustic, electric, and resonator guitar; banjo, mandolin, keys, and bass, and is producing and co-engineering the first, upcoming Laura Petersen and the Old Souls album.

Elliot Killian playing guitar on stage

Elliot is a hard rock guitar player turned bluegrass/folk multi-instrumentalist. Before joining musical forces with Laura in 2017, he was the lead guitar player in the traditional heavy metal band Lords of the Trident, and appeared on four releases with the group (Chains on Fire, Plan of Attack, A Very Lords of the Trident Christmas, and Frostburn) from 2010-2015. 

While bringing musical intricacies and a harder edge to some of Laura’s songs, Elliot has also expanded his musical versatility to better suit the array of moods and themes present in Laura’s songwriting. 

Elliot plays acoustic, electric, and resonator guitar; banjo, mandolin, keys, and bass, and is producing and co-engineering the first, upcoming Laura Petersen and the Old Souls album.