Country star Kelsey Hart speaks to Polly Havelock about his upcoming album, and hit single, ‘Life With You’.
Hi Kelsey! Congratulations on the announcement of your upcoming album “Life With You”. To anyone who’s never listened to you before, how would you describe your sound?
Thank you! My sound can change depending on what I want the song to say. I like the soulful piano sound but also feel like in some of the heavier production stuff I have a country rock sound.
The title track “Life With You” has become a huge success, gaining 40m streams worldwide, gathering over 240m TikTok videos, and topping charts. Did you expect to receive such a great response and how has it inspired you moving forward?
It’s been amazing to see what “life with you” has done for my career. It really opened a lot of doors for me and I can’t wait to see what’s next!
Why do you think “Life With You” has resonated with so many listeners, and what overall meaning did you aim to convey?
I think “life with you” has connected with people because of the simplicity of the straight forward approach on the lyric. I feel like it’s easy for someone to think of their person and their life together when listening to the song.
Can you talk us through the creative process of the album, and any challenges or breakthroughs you encountered? How did you overcome these?
Making this album has been a lot of fun but also challenging. In 2016 when I started this journey in Nashville I didn’t realize it would be 2024 before I would put out my first full length album haha. I’ve had a lot of life changes happen over the years writing for this album. That is what I love about writing, its a way to process changes.
The album is described to be a mixture of hard-hitting anthems and tender love songs – what else can listeners expect?
I really wanted to take the listeners on a journey so there are a mix of love, everyday life, party, and breakup songs- hopefully something for everyone.
Do you have a personal favourite from the album?
I honestly can’t pick a favourite on the album. I’m really excited about each of them!
You’ve collaborated on the album with artists such as Kelly Lovelace and Blake Bollinger. What did you learn from working alongside these renowned writers?
I’ve learned so much from writing with all the great co writers and producers in Nashville. They have shown me how important it is to know what it is you’re wanting to say with your music. This town is full of the best writers in the world in I’m so lucky to be able to work with them.
Do you have any personal advice for new up-and-coming artists in the country scene?
Just stay true to yourself and stay the course. Nothing worth having happens overnight.
Lastly, what are you currently working on and what are your hopes for the future?
We are currently working on a deluxe album to follow this album that will have a couple added songs! I’m so excited to be out on the road more this year playing shows and meeting fans. It has been really cool to see people at the shows who know the songs!
