← Miss Understood with Rachel Uchitel
Miss Understood with Rachel Uchitel
Kaylee Bell: From Viral Keith Urban Moment to Her Biggest Tour Yet
00:42:46
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- [00:00]
A
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B
On Misunderstood with Rachel Yukatel.
- [00:52]
C
Basically, I want to try and write a song using as many keys Keith Urban song titles I just remember Keith was the first to push his button and turn around. I moved to Australia and I won a competition there called Toyota Starmaker, which obviously Keith Urban won back in 1990. I feel like there was that moment of those sort of years that I was just like, this could actually be something. I was born in a tiny little country town of about 3,000 people in the middle of the south island in New Zealand and started singing when I was four years old. Never, ever thought I'd do it as a career. I think it's about chasing your dreams.
- [01:37]
B
And then you were opening for Ed Sheeran, Kane Brown, Brad Paisley, the Ed.
- [01:41]
C
Sheeran Stadium tour, like it didn't get any bigger than that. That was life changing for us.
- [01:52]
B
Did Keith ever say anything to you backstage or have you ever talked to him after? Every artist has a moment that changes everything. For Kaylee Bell, it was when she walked onto the Voice Australia stage and sang her song Keith written about Keith Urban, and then found herself performing it in front of Keith Urban himself. That performance went viral and overnight the world knew her name. But what makes Kaley's story remarkable isn't just that one viral moment. It's everything she's built since she's now the most streamed female country music artist in Australasia. She's toured stadiums with Ed Sheeran and Kane Brown and she's done it all as an independent artist without the backing of a major label. And now Kaley stepped into her boldest chapter yet. She's released her most personal album to date, Cowboy up, and is gearing up for her biggest headline tour across New Zealand. She's also navigating the brand new role, which is motherhood, while proving that women in country music that can define Success on their own terms. This conversation is about the dream that started in a small farming town in New Zealand, the viral moment that made the world pay attention, and the courage to keep betting on yourself when the spotlight shifts. Please enjoy my conversation with Kaylee Bell. Haley, thank you so much for joining me today on Misunderstood. How are you all the way from New Zealand?
- [03:48]
C
It is so nice to be on here. Thank you for having me today, Rachel.
- [03:52]
B
So I'm really excited to have you on because I sat and watched that video of you on the Voice with Keith Urban. You singing your original song to him and having him turn. Turn his chair. And honestly, I must have watched it five times, and I cried every time. I thought it was amazing. Honestly, like, I thought it was great. First of all, who was the woman with you?
- [04:18]
C
My friend. On the sidelines, you mean?
- [04:20]
B
Yeah. The one that was, like, spinning everywhere?
- [04:23]
C
Yeah. I get a lot of questions about this. She's one of my best friends at Australia. I moved to Australia when I was, like, 21 and basically had no friends. And she was one of my first friends that I made there. And so it was so nice.
- [04:36]
B
It's so sweet because they showed her so many times and she was so proud. She knew every line. She was jumping up and down. I just thought it was, like the sweetest thing ever. So I want to get to that moment, but before we get there, I just want to hear a little bit about you because it was so fascinating to see you up there with such confidence, and obviously you had made it so far at that point. So can you tell us a little bit about your childhood and where you come from?
- [05:02]
C
Yeah, sure. So I was born in a tiny little country town of about 3,000 people in the middle of the south island in New Zealand and started singing when I was four years old. We actually grew up on American country music randomly. My grandparents used to get it through, like, a Reader's Digest situation, and then we'd sing in talent quests. My brother and sister and I would sing in talent quests around New Zealand, like, almost every kind of second weekend. You know, we were always out playing country music. We had lessons every week. And I just really fell in love with it from such an early age. And, yeah, never, ever thought I'd do it as a career. You know, it was something that. It was just like a hobby. And, like I said, started with the family. And I moved to Australia when I was 21. I sort of bit the bullet and moved over there and started coming to Nashville for the first time about Then, too. So, yeah, just had a. Had a long, deep love of country music that started back with the amazing females of the 90s, I'd say. And even before that, you know, like Pam Tillis's of the World, the Faith Hills, the Shanias, the just so many amazing females that I got the chance to grow up on.
- [06:10]
B
But it's such a different thing to. To sing versus to write. Am I correct? I mean, it seems like they're totally different talents, and you seem to possess both. So did you do a lot of songwriting in your childhood or as you grew up?
- [06:25]
C
Yeah, I started songwriting when I was about 14. We had this competition through the schools called Rockquest, and basically, you put together, like, a rock band and you wrote your own songs, and that was kind of the way I sort of fell into it. But I'd always loved creative writing and poetry, and I'd always just been obsessed with writing was something I was always just doing. And so I think just naturally, you know, when you grow up singing, you kind of apply the writing to that. And it was something that kind of came quite natur. I just think through so many years of coming to Nashville and being surrounded by that songwriting community and understanding, you know, the value of songwriters and seeing people get up and do that for a job was something I didn't grow up with. So I was super fortunate to get over to Nashville so young and see that that was actually, like, a legit career path and how seriously it was taken. And so I'm just always striving to, particularly with my songwriter, be a better songwriter. I think that's where it all comes back to, is the song. And it's the great part because it humbles everyone, right? No one's more important or better than the song. And so I'm always just trying to write the best songs that I can.
- [07:37]
B
Well, I think country music is interesting in the way that the songs are so much more passionate, or I'm not sure what the word is, but there's so much more. I love country, and it's so much more fulfilling to listen to a song and. And I. I've heard myself say a few times to people, oh, my God, listen to the words. Or didn't you love that song? And they're like, yeah, it has a good beat, but they, like, miss the words. And in country music, it's not, to me, necessarily about the beat. It's about the words and how they fit with the beat. And it's such a good feeling. I'm getting married at the End of the year, and we have a country.
- [08:10]
C
Congratulations.
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B
Oh, thank you. But we have a guy who's flying in because he is a, like, a country dj, where he mashes all those great songs up with, like, you know, the 80s songs. But, like, because I love them so much, and they resonate with me, and it's just, like, my favorite of all, you know, the genres or whatever. So, anyway, I love hearing it.
- [08:31]
C
Yeah, I love hearing it. I think you're right. It's the lyric, and at the end of the day, I think that drives country music. And, you know, everyone in Nashville is always trying to write that hook. You know, it's like that little lyric twist that you didn't see coming, I think is everyone's kind of end game. And nobody does it better than Nashville. You know, the Nashville writing community is. It's kind of where it's at. And, yeah, I think you're right. I think there's a country song for every situation in life, and I think that's what's so special about it. I think it's those. Those storytelling components. And, you know, growing up on the other side of the world in a tiny little country town, I really felt like when I listened to countries, like I said, particularly the female artists, like the Trisha Yearwoods, and I really felt like they were actually talking to me, and, like, they were my big sisters, and I was learning lessons and life through them. So I totally understand what you're saying.
- [09:23]
B
Yeah, that's amazing. So what was the first moment in your life that you knew, like, oh, wow, maybe I could make this into a career? I know that at. And tell me if I'm getting this wrong. At 18, you won the New Zealand Gold Guitar Award. Is that the first thing that you won, that you were like, oh, I'm kind of good at this?
- [09:42]
C
Yeah, I actually think it was. I feel like that's kind of the pinnacle one in New Zealand. And it was sort of around the time that I'd just gone off to college or university, and so it was something that, you know, you're starting to kind of actually think about what you're wanting to do with your life. And that really was that thing that kind of cemented it for me, where I was like, okay, this could be a real thing. And then, like I said, I moved to Australia not long after that, and I won a competition there called Toyota Star Maker, which obviously Keith Urban won back in 1990, which was really amazing to be part of that whole Star Maker legacy. And I think between those Two things. I feel like there was that moment of those sort of years that I was just like, this could actually be something. Yeah.
- [10:29]
B
Right now, in between, did you have any other jobs?
- [10:33]
C
Lots of jobs.
- [10:34]
B
What did you do?
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C
Like, oh, my gosh, everything. I. I worked at a newspaper and I worked out at a farm. Stay in the evenings. I was juggling a couple of jobs at a time. I was doing full time cafe work. At one point. I was gigging like three or four nights a week. I always tried to make sure that I was regularly playing music, you know, even if it was pub gigs. I was always doing probably minimum two or three gigs a week in that space. I actually started doing the pub gig thing really young in New Zealand with a friend of mine. We actually played like every Friday and Saturday in my small town right from the age of 16. And it was kind of the way I paid for my college or my university. And I think it was those years of like, just teaching you how to handle every situation and, you know, how to sing for three or four or five hours a night and not lose your voice. So I actually. Yeah, I love that I, you know, did those sorts of things early on. I was juggling an early childhood career at one point, but I've always just done what I've had to do to make it work, you know, and it wasn't till the Voice that this has become a full time thing. So it takes a long time is what I've learned. And you kind of just got to do what you got to do, you know, till you can do the thing.
- [11:47]
B
Yeah. Okay, so let's get into the moment at the Voice. First of all, how did you decide you were going to get on on the Voice? How did you do it, and how did you write that song before that?
- [11:59]
C
So it's a bit of a journey, that song. I actually had the idea, like, in the middle of the night. It was on my. I just recorded like a little voice memo and it was basically just the chorus melody, like the da da da da da da. And I woke up the next morning and listened back, and I was just hearing like a lot of, like, Keith kind of titles as I was singing it, like, just how they would fit. And so I started writing it down and then I actually just didn't really think much of the idea. I sort of tried to take it to some national rights and then just kind of chickened out. And then I was writing with two really good friends one day, Lindsay Rhimes and Phil Bardon in Nashville, and I Was like, guys, I've got this idea. It's absolutely crazy, but basically, I want to try and write a song using as many Keith Urban song titles to tell the story, but to make it as subtle as possible so that if you weren't necessarily familiar with Keith's music, you would still. The song would still make sense.
- [12:53]
B
Right?
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C
And it was one of those songs that we literally wrote it in, like, 40 minutes. It kind of wrote itself in a way that I feel like some of the best songs I've had have been that way. You know, like, some days it's. It's a. It's a grind, and you're there from nine to five, and then some days you get these, like, little flukes of the universe helping you out. And that's what that song was. We wrote it in, like, 40 minutes. We had the demo that night, but then I sat on it for ages again, because I was just like, this is a terrifying idea to write, like, basically a tribute to someone I have looked up to my whole life.
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B
Right.
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C
And I didn't know, like, you know, is it crossing any weird lines? Like, so it just sat on my. In my demo kind of inbox for about nine months, and I'd be driving around every now and then and play it and be like, I think it's a good song. Like, I just think maybe at some point I'll just. I just need to put it out. So, long story short, put it out in 2019, went out into the world, kind of did its little thing. And then we obviously went into Covid, and we were getting to the end of 2021, and we'd been on some pretty harsh restrictions in New Zealand with what we could do, and I'd kind of got to that, really. I feel like probably a lot of people got to this point during COVID where it's just like, I had to stop feeling sorry for myself and be like, I'm going to start and make some positive changes. And I kind of decided it was this week, and I was just like, whatever the next opportunity is that falls into my lap, I'm going to do it no matter what it is and how scary it is. And it just so happened that the voice, the auditions came into my emails that next week, and I was like, here we go. I'm gonna try something new and something scary.
- [14:30]
B
Oh, my gosh. Wait. Okay. So was it just a random blanket, like, spam email that they send to everyone?
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C
Just the generic, like, we were looking for auditions? And so I, like, I said, I'd made that decision. I'm doing. I need to make some changes, get back on track with my life. And. And so I applied and got accepted straight away.
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B
Wait, wait, wait. How do you apply? What. Tell us how that worked.
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C
Basically, you just sent in a little video of a song and.
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B
Was it that song?
- [15:01]
C
No, it wasn't. I can't. I think it was. I think it was the Dixie Chicks. Because originally I was meant to be doing Landslide by the Chicks.
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B
Okay.
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C
I think that must have been the one that I sent in. So. Seen a little video in. They kind of reply, and you end up having like a video zoom and going through a bunch of different songs. So we went through. They kind of make you have a list of like 200 songs that you would potentially want to sing. Yeah. So I think we landed on the checks. Landslide. And so as far as I knew that's what I was going to be doing. I had the. The flight was booked. Like, this was all happening within like a two week period. Like, it was very quick.
- [15:36]
B
Time out, time out. When they're like, okay, you made it. You're gonna be on the Voice. Were you like, no fucking way.
- [15:42]
C
Yeah, like, I think. Cause it happened quite quickly. It was one of those things where you just like. Like more of a logistical thing. Like, okay, like it was Christmas time into 2021, and I was like, how. Like, I just, you know, like, the borders were all weird. Like, I knew if I was going to Australia, there was no way I was getting back home to New Zealand. So it was like. It was actually like a bigger picture thing of like, okay, like, is this gonna be a logistical thing that can work and I've got to tell the family I'm not gonna be home for Christmas and all the things.
- [16:11]
B
Right. Were they still quarantining? Were they still quarantining back then? I remember it was like 14 days.
- [16:18]
C
Yes. So, yeah, so you had to book like a place to get back into New Zealand. So it was December 1, 2021, that I flew out to Australia. But actually, I think. I think the borders were actually starting to become quite flexible. But as soon as I landed, it was like this new strain went through and then everything just shut down again. So it was. It was a little. It was a very weird time. Like, we started filming for the Voice and then basically we just had to go on like a full down lockdown again over Christmas. So it was quite a weird experience from memory. But basically I landed in Australia. I had to do three days of quarantine. Basically the Day I got out of quarantine, the Voice team rang me, and they're like, we've thought about this, and we actually think it's stupid that you're not doing your song. Keith. We love that song. And it just so happens that Keith Urban's a coach, so that was me finding out.
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B
You didn't know he was going to be one of the coaches?
- [17:12]
C
No, we didn't know who the coaches were yet, so it was just, like, a lot of information to digest at once.
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B
Wait, so in Australia, do they change the coaches all the time? I feel like in America, they're always the same, but I don't know.
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C
Yeah, they do. In Australia, they kind of swapped out. Like, I think Keith had been a coach the first year it had launched, which was, like, back in 2015, and then I think he just did the one year, and then someone new had come in. It was. It was like there was always, like, one kind of seat that was sort of interchangeable. And so, yeah, they weren't sure. They hadn't confirmed, obviously, covert. It had just made everything really difficult. So there was, yeah, no confirmation of who they were. So the day I landed, like I said, I basically had this overload of information of, yeah, the fact that I would be singing my original song, which is amazing for a TV show, you don't get to sing an original song very often.
- [18:05]
B
Totally.
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C
So what were your feelings?
- [18:08]
B
Were you like, I'm too scared to do this, or were you like, yeah, I've got this?
- [18:13]
C
Yeah, I definitely had that moment of like, have I done the right thing? If you know what I mean? It's just like, this could go in any direction. Like, there was no safety net, you know, it was very much like, this is. This is it. Like, I'm gonna be singing my song to the back of his chair with no idea if anybody's gonna turn around. Like, it was terrifying. I don't think I've ever been as scared in my life, actually, if I think about it.
- [18:40]
B
So do they have a. Like, a prep day with you where you get to practice? Is a band playing behind you or what? What is it that.
- [18:46]
C
So we went in for. We were going for a sound check. I feel like it was either the day before or the morning of. So the coaches aren't around a lot of the time in that sense. You know, obviously, they get pulled in when the actual filming starts.
- [18:59]
B
Okay.
- [19:00]
C
So I got. I got a sound check with the band, which was really, like, so necessary. That really just made all the nerves kind of feel like, well, at least I get to play my song with a really cool band, right? Yeah.
- [19:13]
B
And were they good? Did they get it the way you wanted it played? Immediately?
- [19:17]
C
I feel like they. Because that song was obviously recorded and like I said, we went into covert, so I actually hadn't had the chance to play that song live very much with a band. And it was such a. Even that alone, you know, it was like it went back to that decision that I made for myself that I was like, I can't be stuck in this, Ruth. That Covid's kind of put us all in. I want to take some responsibility for my life and some ownership back. And even that moment alone, I remember just thinking like, this is why I made these decisions, to take some opportunities. Because even just getting the chance to stand on that stage and play my song with that band that day was one of those feelings again, like, you can do this. Like you've got this. Like, it was such a nice reminder, having not had much, much stage time for the, for the previous couple of years during, during the lockdowns, you know?
- [20:08]
B
Right. So wait, I have a question. When you. Sorry if this is ignorant, but when you say I put this out, this song or this album out, you weren't necessarily working with like managers. Like, how. What do you mean put it out? Like you put it on YouTube. Like, what did you do that it was out? Because I remember in watching the clip, Keith said, I've heard this song. A friend of mine sent it to me. So what did that mean? How had the world heard it before?
- [20:33]
C
Yeah, so I released it. I've always been independent and self managed and that song was released like any independent artist can release the song, you know, on Spotify, on Apple Music. I. I actually did make a music video for that song in Nashville as well. And yeah, so that song was out in the world on every streaming platform. Um, but like I said, I don't. Didn't have management. I was an independent artist. So it was one of those things. When I released it, I always felt like that song deserved a bigger audience than I could probably have given it, if that makes sense.
- [21:08]
B
So up until that moment, I guess what I'm asking is, up until that moment, it was out for people to listen to, but had not a lot of people heard of it or did it do well on its own?
- [21:18]
C
Yeah, it did okay, I would say, in Australia, because I serviced it to radio myself and I was sort of growing a little bit of a fan base, you know, just through years of slog and yeah, like playing shows and putting music out and writing music. Like, I've always done that. Like. Yeah, that's always just been the thing that I've done. So people were kind of discovering it, you know, on their own terms, like you do. We were lucky that Spotify was really starting to become a thing in 2019, so it was starting to get discovered, you know, globally. But like I said, I just feel like it just didn't quite have enough of a team or a support around it that I guess a label or something could have given it at the time to have pushed it out to.
- [22:07]
B
A bigger audience, make it go viral. Okay, so now take us into that night. They're like, okay, you're filming at this time. What happens? Was there really a studio audience there that was as big as it seemed?
- [22:19]
C
Yeah, 100. So it was actually pretty much. Well, it was midnight I think, by the time I made it up on stage that night. So I was like beyond nervous. Like we'd been there since like, you know, they'd bring you in at 9am in the morning, being like your audition could be anytime. And at midnight I finally take the.
- [22:38]
B
Stage and did a zillion people go ahead of you?
- [22:42]
C
Yeah, it was just like all day. You're in a sort of a backstage room and I don't know, there's 30, 40 people. And each audition takes a lot of time, you know, so they have to reset every time between.
- [22:53]
B
And can you watch them all?
- [22:55]
C
No, not at all. Couldn't see a thing. So you kind of have no idea what you're walking into. In a lot of cases, that's what also makes it really nerve wracking. But I remember the. The minute they walk you over to the big arena that it's in, you just hear that, you know, that hum. There's like a humor of an audience that you're just like. If I wasn't nervous before, I'm definitely nervous now.
- [23:20]
B
Oh my gosh. Okay, so they set you up on stage. You have your guitar.
- [23:25]
C
I have my guitar. Woke up on stage. The. The most terrifying part of the Voice, of the Voice is those moments that you walk out. You see it on tv, right? The artist walks out. And then there's just like this waiting period of like. It feels like a long time. It feels like five minutes. It's probably only about 20 seconds, but it's just silence. And it's like, I will never forget that moment in my whole entire life. It was so daunting. You're like, my life could change in Any way right now, for the best or for, like, the worst reasons, you just never know.
- [24:06]
B
Right, Right. Oh, my gosh. Okay, so the band starts to play. You start with your guitar. You know, there's a countdown. Whatever it happens. The band starts to play, you start to sing. And from your. So the view as the viewer, when this all comes out, you see their faces first, and you start to see their reaction as a viewer, but obviously you're not seeing it. So what are you seeing up on stage and how are you feeling as you're singing? And what's the reaction from the audience? And obviously, your friend looks like she stood up and, like, tell me what that was like.
- [24:42]
C
Yeah, so like you said, you're singing to the back of four chairs. I mean, you don't know if the audience, like, this is an original song, right? I have no idea if the audience have ever heard this song. And so that's a whole other element that I think is different to most artists that get up there and sing a cover in the audience. So I like, oh, this is my favorite song. Or, like, I love this song. You know, like, there's like a. I feel like there's a reference point with a cover song that you can be like, oh, I like this version. Or, oh, this is different from the original. Whereas when you're singing an original, it's like a whole nother territory that you're in.
- [25:17]
B
Although. Although, don't you think that people can backfire? Like, if you love, like, a George Michael song or a Taylor Swift, whatever it is, and you love what they do with it, and then someone changes it, it might be really good, but it's not how you know it in your mind. So you dismiss.
- [25:32]
C
Absolutely. You're so right. So I guess there's. There was a freedom to it that it was just like, this is something completely new. And I just remember feeling a lot of, like, warmth and support from the audience. Like, I feel like they were working out what this song was about as it was starting to unfold. And I just remember Keith was the first to push his button and turn around. And I just remember feeling this, like, weight drop off my shoulders. It was like, oh, my God, I can breathe now. It was, like, so amazing, that feeling. And like you said, having my friend Tori on the side, like, jumping and singing every word. Like, I couldn't have picked a better hype, hype man with me that day. She was. I feel like she was such a massive support to me and that in that first moment of, like, that initial start of that song, like I said, when people are still sort of figuring out, like, the Keith references and then, yeah, Keith turnaround, which was, like I said, one of the greatest moments of my life. And I think all the coaches sort of one by one, started turning after that. And then I was like, okay, this is actually quite enjoyable now. You know, it's like, now I'm suddenly singing to these people's faces. And, yeah, like I said, I. I don't think I'll ever forget that moment. It was. It was a really good lesson of why you should do scary stuff sometimes, because it works out and it feels good.
- [26:54]
B
I love that. I love that you said that. So just one last question with that whole thing. Did Keith ever say anything to you backstage or have you ever talked to him after, you know. Oh, tell me. Okay, good.
- [27:07]
C
No, he hasn't actually, like I said, the filming of the Voice the year I did, it was a little different in the sense we kind of went straight into this, like, lockdown. And so the same kind of thing applied for all the contestants. We were kind of had to. Everyone was kept very isolated. Like, even as artists, we weren't allowed to share cabs going into the studio. It was. It was quite a different filming. But the comments that Keith made, like, on the show, obviously that someone had seen them. Song, like, thanks, whoever that was, that's awesome. And, yeah, I hope one day, I feel like the dream would be to one day get to play that song with Keith somewhere in the world. That would be amazing. Yeah. Until that moment happens, I just. I hope he likes it. You know, it was written as a tribute with all the best intentions. You know, he. Like I said, he was a massive inspiration to me. Being a kid from New Zealand, both of us moving to Australia and now sort of trying to take on the Nashville thing. And I've just always loved his music and respected what he did, what he's done for all of us. So. Yeah, well, it was.
- [28:09]
B
It was interesting to watch because first of all, that girl. Was her name Jess?
- [28:14]
C
Yes.
- [28:14]
B
She was obsessed with you. Like, would do nothing. Like, nothing was going to get in the way of her having you on her team. But Keith almost seemed, like, tongue tied is the way that I felt. Like, I don't know if he was not in a space to, like, take it all in enough at the moment. I don't know if he was so overwhelmed with it at the moment. Like, I'm not sure how to read him because obviously I don't know him, but I thought it was More awkward for him that he wasn't, like, all over you. Like, this is, like, almost like crying. Like, I cannot believe somebody did this for me, which I'm sure he felt, but I feel like I couldn't figure out if he wasn't in the right headspace or if it was just, like, he was so overwhelmed that he didn't want to get emotional. So I'm glad that someone showed you that much obsession with how good you were, because you totally deserved it, and all four judges knew it. I just was a little bit pissed that that Keith wasn't more vocal about how appreciative he was, is my opinion.
- [29:20]
C
Yeah. I think, like, you say these things go really fast.
- [29:25]
B
Yeah.
- [29:25]
C
Like, you think of the length of the song. Everything's pretty condensed. I think you only sing for about 45 seconds or something, so. Yeah. And I. I feel like a lot of it was. I'm not sure if the whole kind of audition has come out on YouTube. I think there's a lot of different versions of it. There was a few that he was. He was saying some really beautiful things, which was really nice. So. Yeah, I think there's definitely an element of, like, probably surprise, because. Yeah, I mean, he probably didn't see it coming, but.
- [29:54]
B
Yeah.
- [29:54]
C
Yeah, I. Like I said, I. I agree with you. I just hope that he really feels good about it because that's the way it's intended and written. And. Yeah. Hopefully one day down the road, we can do. Do something together in that space that feels right for him and. And for me. And. Yeah, I guess that's the reason I end up in team Jess. I was just like, she's gonna fight.
- [30:15]
B
For me, like, Exactly.
- [30:18]
C
Yeah. It was pretty cool to have somebody go that hard for you. Yeah.
- [30:21]
B
Well, that experience obviously changed the trajectory and blew you up much bigger. And then you were opening for Ed Sheeran, Kane Brown, Brad Paisley. Who am I missing? I mean, it seems like you've been with the biggest names.
- [30:37]
C
Yeah, we've been so fortunate. I mean, the Ed Sheeran Stadium tour, like, it didn't get any bigger than that. That was. I'd say that was the most amazing. It was six weeks that we were on tour with him.
- [30:51]
B
How do you get picked for something like that?
- [30:54]
C
You just get pitched like everybody else. And so one day you just get.
- [30:58]
B
A phone call, and you're like, ed Sheeran wants you to tour with him, and you're just, like, falling over on your bed or. Yeah, obviously he does. Like, how do you react?
- [31:09]
C
Yeah, like, I remember it well. I really do remember this whole experience really well. It was New Year's Eve and we were about to go on stage to play a festival called Rhythm and Vines in New Zealand. We were in Gisborne. And yeah, I got an email through being like, you guys are confirmed to play Ed Sheeran's shows, which were actually only happening. Like, I think we started three weeks later with him. So again, I think some of the best things are when they just happen really fast and you don't have time to overthink them. And yeah, I just cannot speak highly enough for Ed Sheeran. I feel like one of the nicest humans, hands down. Even if you took away all of his success and the fact that he was phenomenal at what he does, he's just a really cool human. Like, I just loved hanging out with him and talking to him and his crew and like, all our band and crew were all on WhatsApp chats with his crew. And like, they were just amazing. If, if there were more Ed Sheerans in the world, we would be in a much better place because he is a phenomenal human and he treats people so well right from the top, right down to the bottom. And it was inspiring. It's. It's really set us up with our touring culture to really treat it in that same sense of like, everyone's treated equally, family, you know, we look after our people. And so, yeah, that, that particular tour, that Mathematics Stadium tour with Ed, was like life changing for us. And it also really changed the game for country music in New Zealand. You know, I was starting to get some music on mainstream radio, which hadn't happened in New Zealand for about 20 years. So a lot has shifted for country music, you know, as a genre since, since we got that experience. So that's something that I've been really big on, is just trying to just be such an advocate for country music out on the side of the world as well. And it's been amazing to see the success it's having now in the mainstream space. Because like I said, growing up as a kid playing country music over here, it just wasn't a thing. Like, it wasn't on radio, it wasn't cool. It was like, just didn't really have any noise around it. And now to know that the next generation of kids coming through are gonna be able to turn on the radio and hear it, just, that's. That's the ultimate for me now, right?
- [33:21]
B
You talked about being self managed. Like, what is the most misunderstood part about managing yourself and not going with some Big conglomerate.
- [33:32]
C
I think no one cares about your career as much as you do yourself. And I got told that really early on in the piece and it stuck with me. And through that, I've just also had to learn how to do things, which has been a blessing because now I know how to do things and I don't have to rely on, you know, other things and other people. I will say I've recently signed with C3 Management in America, which has been amazing. I always wanted to have a management team in place for America, but I still self manage for all of Australasia. But I just think I'm in a better place to even make that decision now because I know what I need and what I can do myself. And I think there's a lot of power in just sort of being the CEO of your own business. You know, I think it's very much that Taylor Swift sort of style of running your own ship. And it's something that I have always had to do by default. But I'm so grateful now because, you know, I think it's important to know what's going on in your own. In your own business.
- [34:30]
B
Right. You have a new tour. Cowboy Up. Can you tell us, like, what stories or emotions were you hoping to capture with this new album?
- [34:39]
C
Yeah. So Cowboy up is. It's an empowerment message. It's fun. I feel like I have a lot of female fans, particularly that come out to tour, which we absolutely love. And I always feel like I'm speaking to them a lot. And I think my message is always one of empowerment. You know, never settle for less than what you deserve. I think it's about treating people right. I think it's about chasing your dreams. All the things that I've done with my life, I've done a lot of scary things. Moved to Nashville, moved halfway across the world. You know, I haven't had, you know, anybody around me telling me to do the things or holding my hand. I've always had to just go and get them for myself. And so I think a lot of that message comes through in my music. And. And then also I've just had a wee baby boy in January who's six months old. And so it's been important to write about that journey as, um. Because, you know, being a mom in music is scary. And it's a space that I think it's important that we talk about it because, you know, we just kind of expected to get on with it. And that's how I've tried. Tried to sort of go with it and just carry on my career. And he's just kind of going to get pulled along and being part of it, which I think is awesome. But, yeah, I think there's a lot of discussion in that space that still needs to be talked about. And so, yeah, there's songs. Songs for him on there as well.
- [36:05]
B
Amazing. I love that. Do you have a favorite?
- [36:10]
C
I feel like to play live, Cowboy up was just such a jam. And with this next lot of touring, we're really always trying to step things up, and we're going to get some dances, and there's just going to be a lot more action. I think my live show is very energetic and it's very up, and it's sort of based on. I've always been the biggest shnae for Twain fan. I think that I would love to see more females filling that stadium space as headliners. You know, I think we were lucky to have grown up in the 90s with people like Shania showing us that that was actually a thing. So.
- [36:41]
B
God, she was so good. I mean, she's. Yeah, those. I remember drive. Listen, I'm 50, and I remember driving in college, like, leaving on weekends to drive long hours, going home in the car and listening to her album and just singing every word with my best in the passenger seat, and it was with her feet out the window and, like, just harmonizing and, like, totally amazing. She had the best. The best songs ever.
- [37:09]
C
The best songs. Like, what her and Mutt Lang created together was magic. And I read Shania's book every year. I always go back and read it because I just think her journey has been so inspiring to me as well. You know, she really. She came from nothing, and she made it happen for herself, and she did things differently. And, you know, she had a record that was a massive success, but she held off and made the Come on over record, which was the record that allowed her to go and play those big spaces. And, yeah, what she represents to me is just what I would love to see more females be in that space, and I'm always gonna fight for that and try and make music that would work when that opportunity comes along, you know, like, I always try and write for stadiums. So, yeah. So our touring is always growing, and this next tour, like I said, is no different. We're going to have more visuals and more dances and fun and. And just try to keep pushing the boundaries.
- [38:07]
B
How do you plan for a live tour? So wait, before you answer that, one of the biggest movies a couple years ago, not what. Not last year. Whenever it was, When a Star Is Born came out. Did you see it?
- [38:18]
C
I loved it.
- [38:20]
B
Okay, Everybody loved it, right? We were all obsessed. Got Lady Gaga and Bradley. We are like, are they dating? Are they not dating? Are they, like. It moved over from the movie to, like, we wanted it to be in real life. It was so good, right? But the thing that was so entrancing about that whole thing was watching her as this character that was similar to, you know, not unsimilar from your original story, where you're just, like, playing gigs and, like, people who know you know, you. But it's like, in these little spots, and all of a sudden you're on stage. But then her character changes, right? She obviously goes to pop and does whatever she does. And her husband's character, Brad, suggests that she's, like, not being true to herself and authentic to her music and blah, blah, blah. Anyways, I only bring that up because I wanted to ask you, Is that something that really happens in the music world? Do you find that it's really hard to stay true to what you love? To make it on the radio? Do you have to play a certain type of music or a beat to get on the radio or to be seen? Like, is that. Is any of that reality?
- [39:26]
C
That's a really good question. I feel like that's probably everybody's question to themself. And the thing that they're always, like, probably analyzing their music and asking themselves, have I lost myself for the bigger machine? You know, But I think one thing I learned was, I mean, the song for me, that broke into mainstream radio was the most country song I've ever written. And I think the irony of that was the lesson, like, write what you write what you love, write what you do naturally, and the rest of it will work itself out.
- [39:59]
B
Right.
- [40:01]
C
You know, it's. There's so many elements to that, you know, like, it has to be right song, right time, all the different things. So if you're constantly trying to chase this beast, I think you've just. You've already kind of lost. I think you just got to be really patient in this industry, is what I've learned, and just keep moving forth. Like, as we talked about earlier, the song wins at the end of the day. And anytime I've felt lost in this industry, I've always just come back to songwriting and trying to write the best song I can on that day, and that's always served me well. And like I said, that mainstream radio success I've had came from a song I never thought it would come from. So, yeah, there's so much to learn from that.
- [40:39]
B
Awesome. All right, quick fire questions. Three of them. A song that never fails to inspire you.
- [40:46]
C
Keith Urban.
- [40:47]
B
Somebody like you, dream duet partner besides Keith.
- [40:52]
C
Oh, Shania. I mean, come on.
- [40:54]
B
Okay. Obviously. Yeah, yeah. Most surreal pinch me moment so far besides the Voice.
- [41:00]
C
Ed Sheeran, like, sitting having a wine backstage, talking to him about songwriting and everything that I love in the world around music was, like, still some of the most dearest memories to me.
- [41:11]
B
Amazing. What do you hope people take away from your music when they hear it for the first time?
- [41:19]
C
Energy. Like, I hope it inspires them to go and do something, you know, whether that's go and, like, make that decision that they've been kind of, like, on the fence about, and they're like, do I do the hard thing or do I, like, stay the lane? Like, I just hope it inspires people to. To go and live their life. We've got one life, and I really want people to live it as best as they can.
- [41:39]
B
Yeah. What advice would you give to young woman. Women who want to break into the country scene?
- [41:45]
C
I think you got to be patient, and you just got to look at it as a marathon. It might seem like a sprint some days, but it's a long game, and you've just got to hang in there. Because it took me over 10 years for my moment to come with the Voice Australia, and, you know, it might take me another year, 10 for the next, you know, opportunity, but I'm willing to wait if that's what it takes. So you got to be in it for the long game.
- [42:08]
B
I love that. All right, Kaylee, tell people how they can support your journey. Tell people where you're on tour right now, how they can find you, follow you.
- [42:18]
C
Yeah. So just Kaylee Bell music on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, all the socials. And I run my own socials, so I love hearing from people and I try and always write back.
- [42:28]
B
Amazing. I wish you the best of luck. I can't wait to watch what comes out of your tour and listen to you. I hope you make it back to America where we can. George and I can come see you.
- [42:38]
C
Yes. You guys have got VIP to every show.
- [42:41]
B
Amazing. We will definitely be in touch for that. Good luck to you.
- [42:46]
C
See you.
- [42:54]
B
Thank you so much for listening to Misunderstood. I'm your host, Rachel Yukatel. Please be sure to subscribe to the show and give us a five star rating and review. You can support the show by joining our patreon@patreon.com Misunderstood with Rachelukitel. Do you have ideas for the show or want to reach out? Email us@infomisunderstoodpodcastmail.com that's spelled M I S S. Understood. Thank you so much and I'll see you next time.