We all have those artists and songs we hear that strike the right chord and make us fall in love at first listen. They’re the reason we refresh social media pages, tour schedules, and Spotify profiles — because we can’t miss a single release. This is Love at First Listen — a new series introducing you to the emerging, and established, artists with new music guaranteed to upgrade your playlist.
With her refreshing brand of poetic country, Canadian songstress Kalsey Kulyk is making her mark on country music and showing no signs of stopping. With past experience working with industry heavyweights including Lainey Wilson and opening for country jammers like the Hunter Brothers, Kalsey’s latest release, “Love Me Like an Outlaw,” is enjoying great success in the top 30 at Canadian country radio and continues to rise. Having also trended on Shazam and Stingray and being selected as One to Watch by Rogers, the song’s success is setting the stage for an exciting next year for the emerging star. But first, she’s joining America’s Got Talent fan favourite Drake Milligan on the road for three Western Canadian dates, blessing Saskatoon Dec. 6, Edmonton Dec. 7, and Calgary Dec. 8 with a can’t-miss night of music.
In this edition of Love at First Listen, Kalsey shares the story behind the single that was five years in the making, the surprise cameo in her latest music video, and how to win free merch if you’re seeing her open for Drake later this week.
You had “Love Me Like an Outlaw” in the vault for nearly five years before you released it this summer. What made you decide this was the right time to share it with the world?
When I wrote that song back in Nashville in 2018, I just loved it so much. It made my heart so happy when I walked out of the writing room. I love a lot of the songs that I’ve written, but that one just felt special. The team that I was working with at the time didn’t really respond to that song, but I held on to it.
When we decided that we were going to release a record, we recorded two songs and then had more songs to pick for the next batch and I was like, man, I hadn’t even put this song in the first batch and I’ve loved this song forever. So, I just put it in the list and didn’t really say anything. My producer and my radio tracker came back and they were like, ‘Oh my gosh, we love this song. We have to record this one.’ And I was like, yes! We put it out and it got a really good response from listeners, so my radio tracker was like, ‘Let’s just put it out to radio.’ It’s honestly doing way better than I thought it was going to and I’m just so grateful. Sometimes you just have to go with your gut.
How does it feel to have a song this meaningful be your first top 30 at Canadian country radio?
It makes me a little emotional thinking about it because I’ve wanted to record this song for such a long time. And I’m an independent artist, which makes it really hard to do well on radio. Also, I’m a mom, and for some reason, in the music industry, there’s this stigma around moms that they can’t be successful and their music career’s over after they’ve had a baby. But actually, mine is doing way better than it ever did after having my son. They say that babies bring blessings. So, I guess my son brought a really big blessing to my life, but also to my career as well.
How was your experience making the “Love Me Like an Outlaw” music video? Are there any interesting behind-the-scenes secrets you can share?
My whole outfit is a random collection of outrageous things I’ve got along the way, and some are stolen from my mom’s closet. (Sorry, mom!) But filming it was amazing. My cousins had a neighbour that had this gorgeous ranch and 30 some horses. The horses were coming up around me and it was just so cool. It was also like, ‘Oh, weird that this girl’s singing to us!’ It’s funny to see the horses react. And my husband is the cowboy in the cabin. We always try, whenever we’re in each other’s music videos, to hide our face so people don’t think our partner is in it with us. So, it was a labour of love, but we had a lot of fun doing it and we’re really happy with how the video turned out.
You’re about to join Drake Milligan, our new friend at Love at First Listen, for a string of Canadian shows. Can you preview your set for concertgoers?
We’re going to be doing a 30-minute set playing some songs that we’ve already released — obviously “Love Me Like an Outlaw” and “Ain’t Enough Whiskey” — and then some [familiar] covers. I’m bringing my banjo and dobro player with me and then my guitar player. So, it’s going to be acoustic but it’s still going to be fun and high energy. We’re really excited. We’re also going to give out some free merch. So, anybody who’s reading this, make sure to get out in front so you get a free T-shirt or something.
You recently posted a video on TikTok of you hearing your song on the radio in Saskatchewan, your home province. I feel like as an artist, every time that happens, it must be a ‘pinch me’ moment!
It really is. Sometimes I am extremely excited. Other times, I get super emotional, get a frog in my throat, and can’t talk because we work our whole lives. I’ve been singing since I was three years old too, and to hear that people are liking the song enough to play it on radio stations and that a lot of other people are going to hear that song is really part of the dream come true.
@kalseykulyk Im not crying, you are! 🥹😭❤️🙏🏼 #countrymusic #country #music #countrygirl #countryboy @CISN Country 103.9
Like the name of this interview series suggests, we’re all about new music that we can love at first listen. Can you share some of the artists you’ve loved at first listen recently?
One artist that I really like that everybody’s really liking right now is Bailey Zimmerman. I think he’s got such a cool thing. His voice is just so different. And, obviously, I’m going to give a shout out to my husband, Eric Ethridge. He’s got new music on the way. I’m a big fan of him. I’m also a fan of Lainey Wilson because we used to write together in Nashville, and she released a song that we wrote together called “Dreamcatcher.” So, I would say those artists are super inspiring and paving their own path.
You have been open in sharing your journey with cancer and recently celebrated 15 years cancer free. You’ve also said that ringing the bell at the hospital is the moment you decided to commit 100 percent to music. Having been able to chase your dream and see the success you’ve had to date is an incredible gift, so what advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps and start chasing their dream?
I think the first step is just believing in yourself because that’s really the biggest part that you have to do. This music industry is full of highs and lows and people telling you a million no’s. The biggest piece of advice that somebody gave me was that you’ve got to work, work more, and then work some more because you’re the only one that’s going to be working for yourself. I write two or three songs a day. Really know who you are as an artist, figure that out, find your sound, and just be who you are because nobody else can be that.
When you look back on 2023, what were your career highs and how do you hope to replicate or even challenge yourself to top those in 2024?
The top 30 is definitely one of the top, if not the top, and then playing Cavendish Beach Music Festival and getting to open up for Chris Stapleton was a really cool moment. Playing a festival in Spain with my husband was another one. That was cool because I got to do what I love with the person that I love.
Next year is going to be an even busier and more exciting year because we’re releasing a record in February and it’s going to have more of my sound and more of the songs that I’ve wanted to record for a long time. Obviously, we’re going to take some songs to radio, do some more video shoots, and it’d be good to top the success that we’ve had this year, but I’m honestly just trying to soak in all of the good news. It’s still pretty new, and I’m not sure that it’s hit me yet.
Is there any message you want to send to your fans who helped bring “Love Me Like an Outlaw” to the top 30 at country radio, or people who may be attending an upcoming show and seeing you for the first time?
The biggest thing is just a huge thank you to the people that have been supporting me and have called radio stations over the years when I haven’t even asked them to do that. It really means the world, and from the bottom of my heart, thank you for the shares on social media, for the likes and comments… You really don’t know how much it means to an artist, and the love is sent right back.
