Kylee on stage in pink and red light, looking out past the lighting rig while playing a red Stratocaster

Guitarist · Songwriter · Arranger · Teacher

Kylee
Cox

Rock guitarist with Versus Vitality and RED STATE, and a senior at Columbia College Chicago. Writing, arranging and scoring for stage and screen, and teaching guitar and music theory.

Book a show Hear the music

01 / About

Everywhere from metal to jazz.

Kylee on a purple-lit stage with a seven-string guitar, a projection screen glowing behind

Kylee Cox is a Chicago guitarist, songwriter and music director finishing a BMus in Contemporary, Jazz & Popular Music at Columbia College Chicago. They play lead guitar and write songs in alternative hard rock band Versus Vitality, and rhythm guitar in metalcore band RED STATE, where they are one of the lead songwriters. A versatile musician across composition, performance and music education, Kylee plays guitar and bass, works fluently with modern production tools, and brings a strong work ethic, adaptability and real love of collaboration to every project.

Plays: Guitar (lead & rhythm) · Bass
Based in: Chicago, IL
Studying: BMus, Columbia College Chicago · Dec 2026
Bands: Versus Vitality Lead guitar & songwriter

RED STATE Rhythm guitar & songwriter
Tools: Logic Pro · MuseScore
Pronouns: They / them

Original music

02 / Written, arranged & scored by Kylee

A Original compositions

Original songs Kylee co-wrote, produced and performed on, plus beats built from the ground up.

Sweet And Sour Co-writer · producer · backing vocals Credits Kirstyn Smith · 312MAFIA · Eli Gallaugher (audio engineer)
Stepping Stone Co-writer · producer · guitar Credits Kirstyn Smith · 312MAFIA · Eli Gallaugher (audio engineer)
House Beat Original production

B Arrangements

Jazz standards reimagined: Kylee's arrangements of tunes by Herbie Hancock, Joseph Kosma and Bart Howard.

Dolphin Dance Herbie Hancock · co-arranger
Autumn Leaves Joseph Kosma · arranger
Fly Me To The Moon Bart Howard · arranger

C Sound for media

Music written to picture: the original score and sound design for the short film Nature Walk, plus two standalone horror pieces, an underscore and a cue.

Nature WalkOriginal score & sound design · video · 2:30Credits Video by Teerath MajumderWatch →
Horror Underscore Underscore
Horror Cue Cue · suspense

Bands

03 / Who Kylee plays with

Kylee playsLead guitar & songwriter · since 2025

Chicago-based hard rock band playing all over the city. Kylee joined in February 2025 on lead guitar and as a songwriter, and since then the band has recorded and released their self-titled debut EP and a music video, streaming everywhere.

Stream

Spotify Apple Music YouTube YouTube Music

Follow the band

Instagram @versusvitality TikTok @versus.vitality All links (Linktree)

“Out Of Time” · Official music video

Debut EP Versus Vitality 5 tracks · Streaming everywhere

Credits Greta Hugen · Kash Fokken · Abdiel Diaz · iBiza · Eli Gallaugher (audio engineer) · Jonah Sutton (photographer) · Mackenzie Atwood (cover art editor)

Versus Vitality shows & flyers →

RED STATE

Kylee playsRhythm guitar & songwriter

Chicago metalcore band formed in September 2025, with Kylee on rhythm guitar and as one of the lead songwriters. Their full-length debut album is written and recorded, and is being mixed and mastered for release soon.

Credits Kirstyn Smith · Libby Rousseau · Oz Ordonez · Ayden Polecastro · Joey Fraider (audio engineer)

Album: coming soon Instagram @redstate.music RED STATE dates →

Experience

04 / Credits & training

Bands & ensembles

Versus VitalityLead guitar & songwriterFeb 2025 – present · Chicago

RED STATERhythm guitar & songwriterSep 2025 – present · Chicago

Rock and Roll ProductionsCo-president & music directorSep 2023 – May 2026 · Columbia College ChicagoAn all-majors club of Columbia musicians playing rock from the mid-1900s to today, building to a big showcase each spring. Performed from 2023; from September 2025, co-led the club and directed weekly rehearsals, built the set lists, and worked with music faculty, ASL interpreters and photographers to stage the spring showcase.

Stages

Unofficial Riot Fest Pre-ShowSushi's StoreFront, Chicago · with Versus Vitality · Sep 2026

ManifestColumbia College Chicago · with RED STATE · May 2026

Biggest MouthEpiphany Center for the Arts, Chicago · with RED STATE · Apr 2026

Popakademie Baden-Württemberg International Band and Business CampBayerische Musikakademie Hammelburg, Germany · Columbia College Chicago music exchange, closing with a public concert · Mar 2026

Battle of the BandsReggies Rock Club, Chicago · with Versus Vitality · Dec 2025

Education & teaching

Columbia College ChicagoBMus, Contemporary, Jazz & Popular MusicSep 2023 – Dec 2026 · 4.0 GPADean's Scholarship · Columbia Scholar Award · Faculty Recognition Award

Peer tutorMusic theory & guitarAcademic Center for Tutoring, Columbia College Chicago · Aug 2025 – present

Skills & tools

Composition & arrangingOriginal songs, arrangements, sound for media

Music theorySight reading · theory tutor

Logic ProRecording & production

MuseScoreNotation, scores & charts

Full experience on LinkedIn →

Shows

05 / Live

SunOct 25 Halloween SpooktacularCounterfit Thrift · 1333 W 18th St, Chicago, ILwith Moon Destroyer, Spider Baby & Tonight's Sunshine Versus Vitality Doors 6 PM · Show 6:30
$10
ThuSep 17 Unofficial Riot Fest Pre-ShowSushi's StoreFront · Chicago, ILwith Spider Baby, Anna Henson + a surprise guest Versus Vitality 7 PM · 18+
FriSep 11 Camp Lonestar Benefit Show & Open Mic2100 S Morgan St, Chicago, ILLive music benefit show and open mic Versus Vitality 5–10 PM
SatMay 16 Manifest Arts FestivalHaus · 623 S Wabash Ave, Chicago, ILSessions @33 stage with Please Return, Voidtheory, 180Mindset & more. Columbia's 25th annual end-of-year arts festival RED STATE 12–4 PM
Free
FriApr 24 Bassline2239 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, ILwith little mystic, Clean Break & Trial & Error. Presented by Force Music Group & Sessions @33 Versus Vitality 6:30 PM · 18+
$10 adv · $12 door
ThuApr 16 Biggest MouthEpiphany Center for the Arts · 201 S Ashland Ave, Chicago, ILColumbia's student music competition, presented by the Student Programming Board RED STATE Doors 6:30 · Show 7
Free
SunApr 12 Chicago MiniFestThe WC Social Club · 920 Roosevelt Rd, West Chicago, ILPresented by Bridging the Music, with Jesse Vaughn, Jarrel Young, Reva K, Vales Madre & more Versus Vitality Festival
Week-longMarch Popakademie Baden-Württemberg International Band and Business CampBayerische Musikakademie Hammelburg · Hammelburg, GermanyColumbia College Chicago music exchange, ending in a public concert Columbia music exchange Public concert
FriDec 12 2025 Battle of the BandsReggies Rock Club · 2105 S State St, Chicago, ILWith Clean Break, Claim Ursa, Sangram + special guest The Raspberry Jams. Presented by Columbia College Chicago Versus Vitality Doors 6 PM · Show 7
17+
MonNov 17 2025 Reggies' Music Joint2105 S State St, Chicago, ILwith Venturer & Sangram Versus Vitality Doors 7 PM · Show 7:30
21+
WedApr 9 2025 Bookclub presents Versus VitalityBookclub · 2871 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, ILwith little mystic Versus Vitality Doors 7 PM · Show 8
18+
FriFeb 14 2025 Color Club4146 N Elston Ave, Chicago, ILwith Lemons & Howsblow Versus Vitality Doors 6:30 · Music 7
All ages · $12–18

Gallery

06 / Photos

Kylee headbanging mid-riff on a green seven-string guitar in a brick-walled club

Kylee on stage under red light, crowd reaching up

Kylee playing a seven-string guitar on stage, streaked with purple motion blur

Close-up of Kylee playing a green seven-string guitar on a video shoot, camera rig in the background

Kylee under blue stage light, looking down at a black Stratocaster

Kylee in a recording studio on a couch with a green seven-string guitar, smiling and throwing a peace sign

RED STATE promo shot: Kylee seated on a Vox amp in star face paint

RED STATE promo shot: Kylee kneeling with a green seven-string guitar, in a red shirt, tie and black vest

Backstage in a dressing room: Kylee and two friends holding up books

RED STATE promo shot: Kylee in star face paint holding a green seven-string guitar behind their head, amps and newspapers around them

07 / Booking & contact

Put Kylee on your stage.

Booking a show, planning a session or project, or just want to say hi? Kylee is based in Chicago and open to on-site, hybrid and remote work. Send a message and they'll get back to you.

KyleeCox