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

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.

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]

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]

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

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.