Poised to take over the world with her contemporary pop country sound, Kaylee Bell (Tony Cowper) sets loose her brand new track ‘Who I Am’, the new single from her forthcoming, self-titled EP.
Paying homage to family, friends and her small town upbringing in Waimate in the South Island, ‘Who I Am’ was co-written with Nick Campbell (Midnight Youth) and produced by Lindsay Rimes (Kelsea Ballerini, Kylie Minogue) during a period of intense homesickness over the long Easter Weekend – a holiday usually spent at home with family in New Zealand.
Channelling favourite childhood memories and her emotional connections to loved ones helped Kaylee piece the track together. “I have an amazing family and group of friends that I miss a lot when I am away on the road”, Kaylee states, “they were all a big part of shaping my childhood.” Capturing that unhurried upbringing in the South Island also underpins the track. “Growing up in a small town is something that feels incredibly special”, Kaylee expands. “I have a such an honest sense of home and belonging and I got the rare chance to just ‘be a kid' growing up. Who I Am was written with all of these things in mind.”
Kaylee is on a single minded mission to take her kiwi brand of country to the world. Performing country music from the age of 4, Kaylee won the ‘NZ Gold Guitar Award’ at age 18, and moved to Australia at 22 to officially kick start her career. A Toyota Star Maker award win in 2013, the release of debut album Heartfirst, plus over 10 Top 10 singles on Australian radio have been the fruits of that move. High profile support slots for Keith Urban, the Dixie Chicks and a slot at sold out CMC Rocks Australia swiftly followed.
Locally, Kaylee has taken out Best Female Country Artist at the NZCM Awards, Best NZ Country Album at 2014’s VNZMA’s and recent single ‘Next Somebody’ has been acknowledged with a ‘Best Country Song’ finalist nomination for the 2018 APRA NZ Awards – Kaylee previously winning the category for her track ‘Pieces’ in 2015.
Globally, Kaylee has just beaten 6000 other songs to take away the ‘top country music’ prize at the prestigious global Unsigned Only song writing competition for her track ‘Getting Closer’, which has clocked over 1.5 million Spotify streams.
Kaylee’s trajectory shows no signs of slowing down with a major showcase confirmed for CMT Nashville later this year, a slot at Lake Hawea’s Top Paddock Music Festival booked for New Years, and tours planned for NZ, Australia and the USA for 2019.
Kaylee Bell’s ‘Who I Am’ is supported by NZ On Air and follows the release of current single ‘One More Shot’, which has already taken the digital streaming world by storm. Kicking off with a debut in Spotify’s NZ and AU New Music Friday playlist, One More Shot is now breaking through to feature in some of the hottest country music playlists in the world. Both tracks are available now through Spotify, Apple Music and iTunes.
Kaylee Bell’s self-titled EP releases early 2019.