"I love coming to towns like Balclutha — to really know small towns you have to grow up in one. There’s nothing like that way of life and I think they’re the backbone of our country," Waimate-born singer-songwriter Kaylee Bell says.
"I grew up on country females like Shania, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood.
"There was always music in the house. Mum used to take me and my brother and sister to music lessons and we played at talent quests around the country.
"But we played a lot of sport, too. I loved my childhood, all my best friends are still my best friends and I’m grateful to have grown up in such a small supportive community."
Bell decided on a professional music career at 18, and has been making her biggest strides in the years since Covid. A clip of her performing on The Voice Australia a year ago is a sensation with over 3million views on YouTube.
She has kept striking while the iron is hot with her latest tour right on time for her third album, "Nights Like This," released on March 15.
"It’s gone gangbusters, on Australian country radio ... and it’s likely to arrive this week in the New Zealand mainstream charts.
"We’ve sold a lot overseas, which is really exciting because a lot of my audience is global now."
Bell made a professional move to Nashville, Tennessee last year and estimates 60% of her following is now American.
"We’re seeing music every night and going out riding every day ... in Nashville we’re so busy you hardly know what day it is, which is intimidating and inspiring at the same time.
"It’s really good to be releasing some new singles.
"I’ve got songs on the radio; Good Things and Life is Tough which I released with my good friend Navvy, and Take it to the Highway, the first track off the new record."
"It’s uplifting country-pop — country with some energy. I love playing live so it’s really important when I’m in the writing room I’m thinking about that element of my show, and I like to have a message in there ... songs that are empowering and remind people we can do hard things, we’re allowed to take risks, make mistakes and grow."
Bell has shared audiences of 80,000 with Ed Sheeran, but the 17-gig New Zealand-Australia Nights Like This tour is all about country roots with plenty of Kiwi town halls, including Balclutha this Tuesday night, before Invercargill and Dunedin.
