Kelsie Watts: Her journey from Texas to Nashville to the Big Apple

Summary

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Podcast Summary

Podcast: Tony Mantor’s Almost Live… Nashville
Episode: Kelsie Watts: Her Journey from Texas to Nashville to the Big Apple
Date: September 3, 2025
Host: Tony Mantor
Guest: Kelsie Watts, singer-songwriter, pop artist, and Broadway performer

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Tony Mantor sits down with Kelsie Watts, a dynamic singer-songwriter known for her distinctive blend of pop, R&B, rock, and classical styles. Listeners join Kelsie as she recounts her journey from Texas to Nashville, culminating with her recent leap to New York City and her nightly performances in Broadway's "Six the Musical." The conversation delves into her evolution as an artist, her challenges and triumphs, her advocacy for mental health awareness, and the realities of life in the entertainment industry.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Life on Broadway and Creative Hustle

• Kelsie's Current Life
  • Now based in New York City, Kelsie performs the role of Jane Seymour in "Six the Musical" and has just released her new single "Fit In."
  • Balancing 8 Broadway shows per week, writing and releasing music, and maintaining an active social media presence.
  • "Currently living in New York City, I'm on Broadway in a show called Six the Musical. Doing eight shows a week… Just released a single today… and then social media, which is a whole separate job in itself." [02:41-02:55]

2. Serendipitous Broadway Casting

• Unexpected Opportunity
  • Kelsie never considered Broadway due to her pop/rock background and distinctive style but was scouted by Roberta Ducek (musical supervisor for "Six") after a showboat gig.
  • The casting process spanned three years and required her to dive deeply into acting and dance, where she had less experience.
  • “I was on a showboat doing a gig, and this lady came up to me at a meet and greet and handed me her card… crazy enough, it was Roberta Ducek from the musical supervisor of Six.” [03:42-03:50]

3. Cultural Transitions: Texas → Nashville → New York

• Adjusting to New York Life
  • Moving from Lubbock, Texas, to Nashville, then to NYC, Kelsie reflects on the city’s “hustle and bustle” and the sense of belonging it offers to her as a pop artist.
  • “I love the busyness and the hustle and the bustle of the city... The vibe and, like, the access and things that I'm doing here, it just makes a lot of sense for me to be here.” [04:29-04:51]

4. Personal and Artistic Growth

• Pushing Boundaries

  • Transitioning to Broadway required Kelsie to step far outside her comfort zone, especially regarding acting.
  • She sought coaching, took acting and dance lessons, and learned from more seasoned peers to hone her skills.
  • “I had to ask so many questions and just absorb all of the information and education that I possibly could from everybody around me. Cause they've been doing it for so much longer.” [10:30-10:37]

• Learning from Failure and Persistence

  • After her first Broadway audition, Kelsie reached out for feedback, leading her to intensive training.
  • "Have you ever acted before? I said, nope… I started working with an acting coach… I started working with my friend… trying to just bring these things up to where it brought me up to speed to be able to… have a competitive edge and not just be a vocalist and an artist." [05:54-06:27]

5. Pressure, Perfection, and the Importance of Imperfection

• Managing Stage Pressure

  • Kelsie is open about being her own harshest critic and learning to find peace with the imperfections that come with live performances.
  • “Doing eight shows a week is the Olympics of performing. There are days where… If one note out of the thousands of other notes that I hit tonight was slightly off, I think I'm going to be okay and just kind of accept that.” [14:07-14:50]

• Emotional Honesty in Performance

  • The value of “imperfection” is linked to authentic emotional expression, both in theater and recorded music.
  • “[In theater], having an imperfection in your voice is also an acting choice… it makes the story so impactful.” [15:44-16:22]

6. Impact of Recognition and Social Media

• Celebrity Encounters

  • Kelsie details surreal experiences meeting famous audience members—Emily Blunt and even getting featured by Celine Dion.
  • “Emily Blunt brought her daughter to the show… And we got to speak with her afterwards. I’m just standing there like, this is insane. Where am I?” [11:06-11:21]
  • “Celine Dion… I actually started crying on the subway… If I ever got to work with her, meet her, collab with her, I would probably pass away.” [11:54-12:32]

• Social Media’s Role

  • Instagram and TikTok have become essential platforms for networking and sharing her music, leading to unexpected connections with celebrities like Emma Roberts and Hoda Kotb.
  • “Instagram ends up being, like, kind of the new business card. But… Emma Roberts followed me the other day… it just opens up a lot of doors.” [12:56-13:22]

7. Advocacy: Mental Health and Finding Purpose

• Personal Loss and Public Mission

  • Kelsie speaks candidly about losing her brother to depression, fueling her commitment to mental health advocacy and removing stigma.
  • “I unfortunately lost my brother Jordan to depression back in 2013… My goal as an artist and just as a human being has been to take away that shame, because it’s not your fault if you have a chemical imbalance in your brain.” [17:02-17:28]

• Art as a Vehicle for Healing

  • Through songs like "I Can’t Say Goodbye" and her new single "Fit In," Kelsie opens up conversations around grief, vulnerability, belonging, and healing for her audience.
  • “With the song…Fit In, the entire thing is based on why are you trying so hard to fit in when you already do?... Most of the messages in my songs are about just being honest and true to yourself…” [18:48-19:13]

• Responding to Fans’ Stories

  • Kelsie often receives messages from fans touched by her music’s mental health themes, reinforcing her sense of purpose.
  • “I actually had a young girl tell me the other day that she is a survivor of attempted suicide… ‘I just wanted to say thank you because that song really helped me and I know that I belong here.’... I just go, it's worth it. It's all worth it. That's why I do it.” [20:01-20:41]

8. The Value of Support

• Partner’s Encouragement
  • Kelsie credits her husband, Brandon, for being her steadfast supporter through career highs and lows.
  • “My husband Brandon is my number one cheerleader… Every single time he’s like, ‘No, Kelsie, you’re making a difference. Remember this person. Remember that person. Remember that we did this.’… It keeps me going.” [22:05-22:53]

9. The Reality Behind the Scenes

• Unseen Sacrifice and Ongoing Hustle

  • Kelsie highlights the financial and personal sacrifices required to persevere in music—working service jobs, paying for vocal and acting lessons, and surviving frequent rejection—even as her career grows.
  • “Even, like, in Nashville, I was bartending downtown for two and a half years… In order to pay for voice lessons, acting lessons, music producers, travel, rehearsals, shows… as an independent artist, everything comes out of my pocket… it's a lot of sacrifice. A lot of rejection, a lot of no's.” [24:01-24:56]

• Humanizing the Journey

  • She hopes to encourage aspiring artists by acknowledging that the struggle doesn't end with "making it."
  • "I think so often you're in the hustle and you're in the grind, and people love to hear about, oh, yeah, I worked really hard, but now I'm here. But it's not very often you hear of people still being in the trenches and still working towards it, you know?" [24:29-24:49]

10. Looking Ahead: Dreams and Aspirations

• Bucket List Goals
  • Originating a role on Broadway, headlining her own arena tour, and collaborating with artists like Jelly Roll top her goals.
  • "As far as an artist, I want to sell out arenas. I want to do my own tour… give other artists the opportunity to open… and just really allow that opportunity for other people as well." [23:07-23:41]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Taking Risks:
  • “You must do something that’s out of your comfort zone, so that gives you the ability to grow.” — Tony Mantor [07:52]
• On Broadway Standards:
  • “‘Six’… encourage[s] us to bring our individuality to the character that we’ve been given. And so it was really helpful…” — Kelsie Watts [09:18-09:38]
• On Imperfection:
  • “Sometimes the imperfections in the way they sang it or played it just made that ring out.” — Tony Mantor [15:16-15:22]
• On the Entertainment Grind:
  • “…I was bartending downtown for two and a half years… to pay for voice lessons, acting lessons, music producers… as an independent artist, everything comes out of my pocket.” — Kelsie Watts [24:01-24:30]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:41] Kelsey’s current life in NYC and Broadway
• [03:42] Meeting Roberta Ducek and journey to "Six"
• [04:29] The vibe of NYC as a pop/rock artist
• [05:54] Seeking feedback and transitioning to acting
• [09:18] Overcoming acting fears and embracing authenticity
• [11:06] Celebrity audience moments: Emily Blunt, Celine Dion
• [13:22] The power of social media for artists
• [14:07] Handling self-criticism and imperfection on stage
• [17:02] Advocacy: Losing her brother and breaking mental health stigma
• [20:01] Fans' testimonies and the impact of her music
• [22:05] The importance of a supportive partner
• [24:01] Unseen realities of the artist grind
• [23:07] Ambitions: originations, arena tours, collaborations

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Conclusion

This episode offers a candid, inspiring portrait of Kelsie Watts’ creative life and values. Listeners are given backstage access not only to the journey of a Broadway performer, but to the relentless grit, openness, and empathy that fuel both her music and her advocacy. Kelsie's honesty about struggle, self-doubt, perseverance, and her commitment to helping others—especially around mental health—make her story both realistic and uplifting for anyone pursuing the arts or facing adversity.

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Transcript

[Tony Mantour]

My career in the entertainment industry has enabled me to work with a diverse range of talent. Through my years of experience, I've recognized two essential aspects. Industry professionals, whether famous stars or behind the scenes staff, have fascinating stories to tell. Secondly, audiences are eager to listen to these stories which offer a glimpse into their lives and the evolution of their life stories. This podcast aims to share these narratives, providing information on how they evolved into their chosen career. We will delve into their journey to stardom, discuss their struggles and successes, and hear from people who help them achieve their goals. Get ready for intriguing behind the scenes stories and insights into the fascinating world of entertainment. Hi, I'm Tony Mantour. Welcome to Almost Live Nashville. Joining us today is Kelsey Watts, a singer, songwriter and pop artist whose soulful storytelling and traditional pop flair have taken the music world by storm. With a voice honed through rigorous training in opera, vocal performance and commercial music, Kelsey seamlessly weaves together genres like pop, R B, classical and rock, creating a sound that's as dynamic as it is unforgettable. Now she's commanding the Broadway stage as the heartfelt Jane Seymour in the electrifying Six the Musical, bringing her signature emotional depth and vocal to the role. Today she joins us to share her inspiring journey from the heart of Texas to Nashville to the bright lights of Broadway, the release of her powerful new single, and her passionate advocacy for mental health awareness. It's a pleasure to have her join us. Thanks for coming.

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Kelsey Watts]

Yeah, of course.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Watts]

Thank you for having me.

[Tony Mantour]

Oh, it's my pleasure. So let's kick this off with what you're doing now.

[Kelsey Watts]

I feel like I'm doing everything.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, I know that feeling.

[Kelsey Watts]

Currently living in New York City, I'm on Broadway in a show called Six the Musical. Doing eight shows a week.

[Tony Mantour]

Wow.

[Kelsey Watts]

Insane. And then also just released a single today.

[Tony Mantour]

Nice.

[Kelsey Watts]

So that's really exciting. Fit in just came out today. So writing, recording, releasing as well as doing eight shows a week on Broadway and then social media, which is a whole separate job in itself.

[Tony Mantour]

So it really is. Yeah, that's very interesting. So what was your journey to Broadway?

[Kelsey Watts]

So I've always loved Broadway, truly, but I never thought it was going to be something that I had the opportunity to do, you know, I, you know, have tattoos and my hair normally changes colors, and I'm a pop singer, but do pop rock music. But, I mean, I studied opera and musical theater in high school. I did opera in college before going into commercial music. And I never pursued it. I never got into acting. I danced, but now I really dance. Holy cow. You know, I wasn't like. It wasn't my main thing. And then I was on a showboat doing a gig, and this lady came up to me at a meet and greet and handed me her card. And crazy enough, it was Roberta Ducek from the musical supervisor of six.

[Tony Mantour]

Okay.

[Kelsey Watts]

And she's like, hey, we're casting for a show, and I'd love to talk to you. And through the next three years, I ended up here.

[Tony Mantour]

Wow.

[Kelsey Watts]

Crazy.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Tony Mantour]

Now, you're originally from Texas, right?

[Kelsey Watts]

Yes, I'm from Texas. From Lubbock, Texas.

[Tony Mantour]

Wow. Now, talk about culture difference. From Texas to New York City. So how did the transition go for you?

[Kelsey Watts]

Well, I mean, thankfully. So I've been in Nashville for almost, what, 10 years? I think it's been about eight years. So I just moved from Nashville back in January.

[Tony Mantour]

Okay.

[Kelsey Watts]

So I've really. I haven't lived in Texas since 2010, so it's been a while. Very different world. But even going from Nashville to New York.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Watts]

The walking and subway system alone, completely different life. I will say, though, I love Nashville, and it's a lovely place. I mean, we bought a house in Nashville, but I love the busyness and the hustle and the bustle of the city, and me being a pop artist and doing, you know, pop rock music, I. It makes so much sense.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Watts]

The vibe and, like, the access and things that I'm doing here, it just makes a lot of sense for me to be here.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah. There's nothing like New York City.

[Kelsey Watts]

It's the coolest place. I'm like. I'm constantly in awe that I'm even here.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, absolutely. I get it. I've traveled all across the country. Dallas, Louisiana. New York, all the big cities. But New York. New York has its own vibe, for sure.

[Kelsey Watts]

It really is. When they say it's the city that never sleeps, they're. They're not wrong. It just. There is always traffic. There's always something happening. I never thought I wouldn't be driving, but we sold both cars, and I was like, there's no reason to have a car here. This is wild. I mean, so it's been. It's been an adventure.

[Tony Mantour]

Okay. So you were in Nashville. You were doing what you was doing there.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Tony Mantour]

Now you're doing acting, music, and everything you're doing on Broadway. How have you seen yourself evolve and have you surprised yourself in your evolution?

[Kelsey Watts]

Yes, I have surprised myself. I didn't know I could do it, so I really dove into acting and dancing, like, actually really, like, diving into it. When I was. It was after my first audition for six in 2021. They asked me to come audition, and I auditioned in Chicago and then made it to New York, and then I got cut. And I was like, why? What happened? And I've never done musical theater professionally, so I didn't know the process. And I emailed Peter Van Dam, the casting director, and was like, hey, what can I do better? What would have made this better? And he said, have you ever acted before? I said, nope, I have not. So he gave me a recommendation for an acting coach, Benjamin Shaw, and I started working with him. I started working with my friend Natalie Aaron, who's actually in Nashville, and started working with her on dance lessons and, you know, trying to just bring these things up to where it brought me up to speed to be able to be, like, have a competitive edge and not just be a vocalist and an artist. And I knew that that would benefit me way later down the line. Even if I didn't do Broadway, I knew it would benefit me in things like TV and film and just performing. So being here, eventually getting cast on Broadway, also doing my own music, I found myself honing in on my craft even harder, even after already having the job. So, like, I am now, like, I'm learning different techniques, like ballet and more lyrical, because that is not my vibe at all. But I want to understand how to do it better. Like acting classes, understanding how to do it better. So that way, when the next opportunity comes, I'm prepared even more so than I was beforehand. So I think it's been a. It's been a learning curve, learning the show because I had to learn how to learn a show, a musical, which is a process because we never leave the stage. We're on stage for an hour and a half. We're moving formations every five seconds, it feels like. And we're dancing and singing in every single song. So it's pretty. It's pretty wild. But I've found myself evolve in the Broadway sense. But then that's also helped me evolve in my own craft, just as an artist, because they actually end up going hand in hand.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, that's great. I've always told people that you must do something that's out of your comfort zone, so that gives you the ability to grow. This gives so many opportunities to evolve into something that you want to do.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Tony Mantour]

Then when you're outside that comfort zone, you can find yourself in a very, completely different evolution than you planned.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Right.

[Tony Mantour]

So how did it feel when you very first started? I have a feeling that this definitely wasn't in your comfort zone.

[Kelsey Watts]

No, not at all.

[Tony Mantour]

So how did you address that? You have to have confidence, yet you have to take and keep that balance. So how did you handle that?

[Kelsey Watts]

So I remember the first day of rehearsal that we actually worked on acting because you want me to sing, I can sing. You want me to dance, I can dance. I know I'm comfortable enough in both of those things to be like, all right, I got this. But in acting, because that's by far the newest thing for me. I just, I don't have the most amount of confidence in that. And I knew that because I had booked this job, I felt more pressure from myself to be really good at that aspect because I didn't want people to think, oh, well, she just got it because she has a following or because she can sing. I was like, no, no, no, no, no. I worked really, really hard and I want people to know. And so whenever we went into rehearsal and we had our first one on ones with the directors, we were going through the script and I looked at the directors, Asmaret and Galia, and I said, y', all, I'm not gonna lie, I am petrified.

[Tony Mantour]

Now that's brave. What happened?

[Kelsey Watts]

I was like, just super transparent. I said, I've never acted. And they stopped me and they go, kelsey, number one, we hired you for a reason. Number two, you act all the time when you're performing, like when you're singing your own music, you are acting even though it's you, you're emoting, you're telling a story. They said this is the same thing, just in a slightly different character. So one thing I love about Six specifically is each cast is not a carbon copy of the other. You know, the long running musicals that, you know, like Chicago and Les Miserables and Wicked. And these characters have very specific personalities, traits, things that each actor, even though each actor brings something different, of course, but they are expected to embody just this character. And in six, they encourage us to bring our individuality to the character that we've been given. And so it was really helpful because even though I am playing a character on stage and there are many ways that my Character reacts. I would not react normally or respond normally. Able to kind of mesh the two together, and that's helped me a ton. But I think the biggest thing that helped me get through it was I asked a lot of questions. I had to ask so many questions and just absorb all of the information and education that I possibly could from everybody around me. Cause they've been doing it for so much longer.

[Tony Mantour]

That's a great way of looking at it. So you're in New York. You're in front of the stars. They come out to see you.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Tony Mantour]

What was it like knowing they were watching you? You're doing something that's a little out of your comfort zone, but it's still coming across the way you want it to.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Tony Mantour]

Now, after the show, they come up to you, some of the biggest names you've seen, and they're really liking what you was doing. How did that affect you?

[Kelsey Watts]

I'm still in a state of shock all the time.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

I mean.

[Kelsey Watts]

I mean, truly. Like, we had. I mean, Emily Blunt brought her daughter to the show.

[Tony Mantour]

Nice.

[Kelsey Watts]

And we got to speak with her afterwards. And I'm just standing there like, this is insane. Where am I? I mean, I have pinch me moments constantly.

[Tony Mantour]

Sure.

[Kelsey Watts]

Because it's not that they're not, you know, just normal human beings, but their accomplishments and they're. They're. They're so accomplished and so talented, and I respect their work so much that to receive a compliment from somebody like that, you're just like, wow, this is crazy. And so I'm. I'm honestly just so blessed to be where I am. And I walk into that stage every day, and even if I'm exhausted, I just kind of walk up there and I'm like, wow, this is. This is real life.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

How wild.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah. And you had Celine Dion make a comment as well.

[Kelsey Watts]

Oh, my God.

[Tony Mantour]

It doesn't get much bigger than that.

[Kelsey Watts]

Yes, I know. I actually started crying on the subway. I'm not kidding. I was going to meet my aunt and uncle and cousin for coffee. They were in town, and I was getting off the subway, and a person that follows me on Instagram had messaged me and said, oh, my gosh, you're on Celine's story. And I said, wait, what? I figured, like, they were just saying something random. And then I went and looked, and it was there. I was like, what? I would. If I ever got to work with her, meet her, collab with her, I would probably pass away.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, that's pretty amazing. I have had similar things happen where I've had people that I grew up listening to, and all of a sudden they're reaching out to me.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Tony Mantour]

Saying, oh, we got to do a project together. We got to do something together.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Tony Mantour]

And I'm like, oh, man, these are people that inspired me to do what I'm doing. So have you had anything like that happen to you?

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Watts]

Crazy enough. So Instagram ends up being, like, kind of the new business card. But, I mean, some people like, like Emma Roberts followed me the other day. And I mean, like, I. There's just so many people like Tyrese, and I mean, I can't. Like Hoda from the Today show. You know, there's. It's just all over the place, and I am still in a state of. Just kind of, like, dumbfounded. I'm like, wait, is this real?

[Interviewer/Co-host]

What?

[Kelsey Watts]

This. So social media has really been a gift because it's allowed me to share my music and my voice in a platform where people that are incredibly successful and incredibly talented have been able to see it, and it just opens up a lot of doors, which is really cool.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, that is very cool. Have you had nights? I mean, we've all had nights where you've worked hard, but you just weren't your best. For whatever reason, it's just not your night yet. You've worked so hard that even you're not at your best, it still comes off great.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Tony Mantour]

People still come up to you and say, wow, you was awesome tonight.

[Kelsey Watts]

Was I? Okay?

[Tony Mantour]

It still has to feel nice to walk away knowing that people still liked you with what you were doing.

[Kelsey Watts]

I mean, I will say I am my biggest critic, and when it comes to me, I am a perfectionist and everything else. Not a perfectionist, but when it comes to me and my craft, I am a hyper critical of myself because I know there are people that will also be hypercritical of me, and I want to be able to put forth my best effort. But one thing I have to do is understand I am human. And doing eight shows a week is the Olympics of performing. There are days where if I need to make a different vocal choice, I make it. If I don't think it was super spot on, I say, you know what? If one note out of the thousands of other notes that I hit tonight was slightly off, I think I'm going to be okay and just kind of accept that. And if somebody that's watching decides to judge me on just that one note, I may not really want to talk to them anyway.

[Tony Mantour]

I agree with you 100%. The one thing that Differs now from the music to what it used to be is everything has to be so damn perfect.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yes.

[Tony Mantour]

The beauty of the music back then, the Arethas, you know, people like, that was. It was real.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Tony Mantour]

Sometimes the imperfections in the way they sang it or played it just made that ring out.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yes.

[Kelsey Watts]

Because it was analog.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Watts]

It wasn't like, oh, let's take seven takes and then comp it together for the best one.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yep.

[Tony Mantour]

We become a society of perfection when no one is perfect.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Tony Mantour]

To some people, it puts a lot of stress on them, and then if they go on stage and hit a missed note, it's like, oh, my world is over. And ultimately, it's really not.

[Kelsey Watts]

It's over. Yeah. No, and I also think that with this show and with theater in general, so. Yeah. No, I also think that, like, in theater, having an imperfection in your voice, like, is an also an acting choice. Like, there's. There's one girl in our cast who plays Kay Howard, and funny enough, her name is Kay as well, which is so funny. And she, on purpose, is like. Like, emotional. And instead of singing the notes all perfect, it comes off almost as, like, a cry because her. Her song is intense. So, you know, but it makes the story so impactful, you know, and it's going to sound different than it would if it was, like, on a record, you know?

[Tony Mantour]

Yes. I agree 100%. When I'm in production with singers, I want that emotion.

[Kelsey Watts]

Yes.

[Tony Mantour]

Make me believe it.

[Kelsey Watts]

Exactly. Yeah. I want to be able to, like, feel what you're singing without having to look at the expression on your face.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, absolutely. Now, let's switch gears a little. You're doing well. You've got a singing career, you've got a Broadway career, yet you take time to help those less fortunate, especially with those suffering with some mental illness. So can you elaborate a little on your journey, on how you came to be doing this?

[Kelsey Watts]

Yeah. So I unfortunately lost my brother Jordan to depression back in 2013. My family and I have always been super open with each other, with everybody else, even whenever he was struggling with depression, always talked about it and forever. Long story short, basically, his chemical imbalance, his dosage for his medicine went up, and then he missed his refill, and his brain just broke. I think this topic becomes so taboo because for some reason, there's, like, a shame attached to it. And my goal as an artist and just as a human being has been to take away that shame, because it's not your fault if you have a chemical imbalance. In your brain. You didn't do anything to make that happen. Just like somebody who has cancer didn't do anything to deserve having cancer. It is a thing in your body, you know, and it's not something as simple as, just get over it, be happy. You know, And I think for a very long time we're better about it now as a society. But I think for a very long time, there was this, like, shame attached to it. Like, oh, just get over it. Just be happy. It's not serious. And it is serious. And the more that we talk about it, the more people realize they're not alone. It doesn't make you weird. It doesn't make you odd or, like, not okay. It's something that's actually quite normal. And helping bring awareness to this has brought purpose to the pain of losing.

[Tony Mantour]

You know, I'm glad you used the word not alone, because in my other podcast, that's the phrase I use in my introduction, is that you're not alone in this world.

[Kelsey Watts]

I love that.

[Tony Mantour]

I think you are right. We have gotten better.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Tony Mantour]

But we still have a very long ways to go because people still have that perception about mental illness.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

We do.

[Kelsey Watts]

Totally agree.

[Tony Mantour]

How much are you using your platform now to promote mental health awareness?

[Kelsey Watts]

Mostly all the time.

[Tony Mantour]

That's awesome. I think that's great.

[Kelsey Watts]

So I released a song called I Can't say Goodbye. I think a year and a half, two years ago, maybe I dedicated it to anybody that's lost somebody too soon. But when I wrote it, it was very specifically about me losing my brother. I partnered with Dee Dee Hirsch, the not alone 988, to be like, whether I was in a rally or performing at the event, I talk about it on my channels all the time. And with the song that I just released called Fit in, the entire thing is based on why are you trying so hard to fit in when you already do? Like, you're already you, so you don't need to like. Most of the messages in my songs are about just being honest and true to yourself and being vulnerable and, like, bringing awareness to what. What that really entails.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, I think that's just great. Because of doing this. The beauty of these organizations around the country and the people that are part of it, they have a support system that is just unparalleled at times.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Tony Mantour]

So what is the feedback that you're getting? Not from the organizations necessarily, but the people that you're touching that just went through this that are first hearing your song.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Watts]

So I actually get more comments than I expect all the time, not only online, I'll have people reach out via DMS, on Instagram, TikTok, that have said, you know, I mean, I got one today, literally today, that said her friend had lost her mother and that that song really helped her. And then they flew out to come see the show because they wanted to see me in the show. Like, I mean, crazy. But then at the stage door, I actually had a young girl tell me the other day that she is a survivor of attempted suicide. And she was like, I just wanted to say thank you because that song really helped me and I know that I belong here. And I was. It's things like that that I just go, it's worth it. It's all worth it. That's why I do it.

[Tony Mantour]

That is just so special and so awesome. What a feeling it is. I mean, when you're doing a show, when you're doing a podcast, when you're doing anything that you're putting yourself out there in front of people, there is no instant gratification on anything that you do.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Right.

[Tony Mantour]

You go through your mind that you're doing good. You realize that you are doing good because you're putting it out there consistently. But then when you get that actual person that really appreciates it and responds, yeah, that's when you really know that it means something because you touch them in a way that no one else could. You help them get through a certain situation. When you get this, it's just got to give you that warm feeling that says, you know, this was worthwhile. This is why I do this.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Kelsey Watts]

It's very encouraging, for sure.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, it sure is. So what stands out? I mean, you've done so much stuff. You're on Broadway. What stands out? I mean, either somebody gave you encouragement or someone did something or said something that made you say to yourself, you know what? This is what I'm going to do, and I'm going to push forward no matter what.

[Kelsey Watts]

If I'm being honest, my husband Brandon is my number one cheerleader, and he has witnessed the last six years, my many ups and downs of emotions with this career. Because let me tell you, music is a. It is a hard career.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, it is.

[Kelsey Watts]

It's a hard. It's a hard path. There have been many days, even recently, that I've just been like, why? What's the point? Like, I. It's never going to happen. I'm never gonna get there, or this is never gonna be a thing. And every single time, he's like, no, Kelsey, you're making a difference. Remember this person. Remember that person. Remember that we did this. Like, this is how. I mean, so it's. He really is the one that reminds me constantly, whenever I'm really discouraged, like, no, this is what it is. And so I would say, out of everybody, that's the support that keeps me going.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, that's really good.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Tony Mantour]

Okay. Now you've done all these things. So here's the big question. What's on the bucket list? What are things that you still want to accomplish and what you're still striving for?

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Watts]

Oh, so many things. So many things I would love in the world that I'm in now, on Broadway. I would love to originate a role on Broadway. I think that would be really cool. But as far as an artist, I want to sell out arenas. I want to do my own tour, give other artists the opportunity to open and be on a tour with me. Like, just really allow that opportunity for other people as well. So I would say first and foremost is to do my own tour. I would love to collab with somebody like Jelly Roll. I think that would be so fun and amazing. So, I mean, there's. There's a lot of different goals, but I would say if I had to pick the top three, it'd be those.

[Tony Mantour]

Okay, that's good.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Tony Mantour]

Okay. You've got this perception. Everybody goes to your website. They look, they see what you're doing. What would you like to tell them that they might not realize because they only see what they see? So what's important for them to know from you?

[Kelsey Watts]

Right. I think people don't realize what it takes behind the scenes to make it look like it's easy, you know, I mean, even, like, in Nashville, I was bartending downtown for two and a half years up until recently, like, up until October of last year, in order to pay for voice lessons, acting lessons, music producers, travel, rehearsals, shows, like, as an independent artist, everything comes out of my pocket.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Watts]

And so I'm working another job to pay for this job. And I think so often you're in the hustle and you're in the grind, and people love to hear about, oh, yeah, I worked really hard, but now I'm here. But it's not very often you hear of people still being in the trenches and still working towards it, you know? And so I think it can serve as an encouragement to people that it is real. I have, like, become successful, and, you know, I'm still just at the beginning, but all of that came from a lot of sacrifice. A lot of rejection, a lot of no's, a lot of credit card payments and trying to, like, you know, make everything happen. And it's. I think I'm more human, know, I think it humanizes me a bit. So that way people know that I'm just. I'm way more than I am on the screen.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, that's good. I like that.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Tony Mantour]

Well, this has been great.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Tony Mantour]

I really appreciate you taking the time to join us today.

[Interviewer/Co-host]

Of course.

[Kelsey Watts]

Yeah. Thank you for having me.

[Tony Mantour]

Absolutely. It's been my pleasure.

[Kelsey Watts]

For real. And next time I'm in Nashville, I'll have to come say hi.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, that would be awesome. Thanks again. Thanks for joining us today. We hope you enjoyed the show. This has been a Tony Mantour production. For more information, contact medialatomusic.com.

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