How Kelsea Ballerini Landed The Voice Gig, You Won't Believe It

You'll be shocked how Kelsea Ballerini ended a dinner with NBC Executives!

It seemed like Kelsea Ballerini was enjoying some down time recently, but she set us straight, that was not the case!  She's been writing, recording, working on new partnerships, including her own coffee blend & joining The Voice on NBC!  

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
It's gonna be like a therapy session. I hope you're ready. Oh that's
my love language. Are you kiddingme? It's Wayne d in studio with
the lovely and talented Miss Kelsey Ballerini. How are you so good? I'm
happy to be here. Listen yourlife. It feels like you kind of
were in like chill mode. Youput out some music and like, all
of a sudden, you lit yourworld on fire because the Voice, some

(00:21):
coffee, some new music, allthe things. Why why all at the
same time. Yeah, well,I don't you know, it's interesting that
it seems like I've been chill.I feel like I have not been chill
at all. But I guess wheneverything gets announced at once, it seems
like. But you know, I'vebeen working on this record NonStop since like
last year, since like I guessNovember, no before that even, and

(00:48):
you know, like the Voice announcedlike we've had that plan for a couple
of months. So yeah, Iguess it seems like a lot, but
it's been it's been a crazy fewmonths. Let's let's start with a Voice,
because you got some new music we'regoing to hit on in a second
hit too. Have you been approachedbefore this to be a part of whether
it's Idle or the voice or asimilar I've I've done some stuff with the
voice. I was like, kindof. They did this thing called the

(01:11):
comebackstage like six years ago, Ithink, and I was the fifth coach,
so I did that, and thenI was Kelly's advisor, and then
Kelly got six so I filled infor her in her actual seat a couple
of years ago. And then whenBlake left the show, all the producers
came to town and they were havingdinner. They're having meetings with several country
artists. That's all I knew,and I was one of them. And

(01:33):
you'll be so proud of me.I you know, I knew the producers
from from the work on the show. And at the end of dinner,
I had the audacity to lean acrossthe table and I just said, Hey,
I really want this, and Ipromise you, like I know that
I'm newer, I know that you'reprobably talking to legends. I can do
this, I can do this,and I will I will do it well,
I promise, and I really Iwant you to know that I really

(01:55):
want this. And as soon asI said, I was like, go
on Kelsey. But I've I'm soproud of myself for doing that and putting
myself out there like that, andthe timing just worked out really really well
to be able to do welcome thatand tour NonStop last year and then this
year come up for air and dothat. So how does it? And
I'm going to just say this asloose as possible, how do you have

(02:16):
the balls to say that? Howdo you? Cause? I mean that's
a totally obviously you got the personality, You've done TV stuff before, You've
performed in front of thousands of people, but like this is this is way
different, It is way different.I just chase the things that scare you.
I just I'm in this place inmy life and I don't know if
it's turning thirty or whatever, butI just I want to do things that

(02:38):
challenge me and things that scare me. And being in that chair on a
massive TV show is terrifying. I'dbe lying to say that it's not,
but it's something that I know willchallenge me in a really good way as
an artist. And I think I'velearned a lot the last ten years.
I'm also still actively learning so muchmy bucket list is still stacked. There's

(02:59):
a lot I want to do,So I think it'd be really cool to
be, you know, like thebaby coach and just figure it out with
them. I will say you probably, as this gets clipped and shared on
our socials and people will hear theinterview on the radio, you probably just
inspired a lot of tattoos saying chasethe things. That's scary true, but
it's so true, you know,And like the worst thing that can happen

(03:22):
is you fail and then you moveon to something else, and that's okay.
But like making music is always goingto be the thing that I protect
the most and I put the mostlove and intention into. But the ability
to ask yourself what else is soliberating. So I'm gonna ask you to
be super honest. Yeah, therapy, let's go. And that is for

(03:46):
anybody that is tuning into the channelthat is your life right now. Looks
awesome, right, this is happening, This is happening career wise. What's
the time you fell on your faceand you had to look at me and
be like, we're gonna get ourish together and we're going to keep going.
I mean, the putting out subjectto change, like was right when
I was getting divorced, and Ididn't get to hide. I mean I

(04:11):
like, I put that album outand got my butt on stage every night,
and it was hard, really reallyhard, and you saw it,
like I broke down every other night, and I just challenged myself to not
be embarrassed and to let myself behuman and know that for whatever reason,
that was how that journey was supposedto go. But that was hard.
That was really hard without going liketo behind behind the curtain. Why was

(04:38):
it important for you to be transparentin the life changes you were going through,
because you could have just stayed homeand been like, I know,
I'm going to wait till the water. Yeah. I think for me,
just the decision to put out thatrecord, like making the record and writing

(04:58):
about it, I would have donewhether I was like a semi successful artist
or not, like that's just howI deal with my life. But I
think putting it out, you heara lot of songs about breakups and divorce
and whatever that are like you know, I'm gonna I'm gonna keep your car
and it's all your fault and burnyour stuff. And I listened to those

(05:19):
songs a lot, but I thinkthere's a lot more nuance to it sometimes
and being able to write the recordreally help me and I just for me,
I really often think about what doI need to hear and if I
need to hear it, then maybesomeone else does. And that's why I
make music. So that's why Iput it out with that was it was

(05:45):
there ever a point where You're like, maybe I'm being too vulnerable And the
second part of that question, thesecond part of that question is at any
point did you sit back and go, this is helping me more than I
realized. Yeah. I think whenI first out rolling up the welcome matt
and immediately like we got SNL andlike all that, and I was like,
oh my god, like this isalready becoming way different than I had

(06:10):
anticipated. And at first I kindof like rejected the idea of making these
songs a big part of my lifeand my my set on tour and stuff.
But then as soon as I did, those are the songs that I
looked forward to singing the most becauseit was like the air in the room
change and like everyone put their shieldsdown and stopped worrying about like you know,

(06:31):
if they looked cute in their selfies, and we all just leveled with
each other and we were singing abouta human experience that is a life change
or a breakup or you know,whatever version of that they related to.
From the first single we ever heardfrom you to the most recent project,
obviously, life is completely different.Yeah. So if we hopped in a
time machine you me tay, itwould probably be like a forward station.

(06:57):
I don't want to go back withwood panels. I's not go back.
I don't want to go back.Listen, We're going to the beginning.
What would Kelsey today look at Kelseythen and be like that's cute. But
I wouldn't. I wouldn't tell myselfa thing, you know, like have
I done everything perfect? No?God, No, in life or career.

(07:19):
No. But like I like myjourney. I'm really I'm proud of
what's happened in the last ten years. And I'm proud of like the big
number ones, and I'm proud ofthe songs that just didn't work. I'm
proud of like the Growing Pains.I'm proud of being a woman on an
independent label and breaking records. I'mproud of, Like I'm proud of all

(07:41):
the things and even the things thatdidn't work how I thought they were supposed
to, they were supposed to workexactly how they did. And it feels
like you brought up your record label. It feels like they almost lifted you
up to help you get started.Yes, and then you have flown Since
Why is that important for you?Because at this point in your career you
can kind of pick where you go, right, why is this journey the

(08:03):
important one? Well? I justI don't know. I think being able
to feel supported, whether it's youknow, like your label, your team,
your friends, just being with peoplethat see you and know you and
trust you, I think is reallyvaluable. And I have so many friends

(08:24):
that are in different situations that havea different experience with their labels and their
teams. And for me, theytrust me to make music. And you
know, I finished the record thelast two days in the studio and Gordon,
the president CEO, came down andhe hadn't even heard some of the
songs yet, but he trusted meto just make the record that I was

(08:46):
going to make. And I knowthat that is not everyone's experience, and
that really matters to me. Tobe able to have that artistic freedom from
the beginning. Country music is crazyhow it's it went through like the pop
phase or the broke country phase orwhatever, and then it feels like country
kind of slowed down and now it'sin this massive research it's and you're part

(09:09):
of the strongest class of female artistsin country music in I mean maybe as
long as I've been alive, whichwe're not talking about this is your therapy
sessions, Slash. What does itmean to you to be a part of
this massively strong class of female artists. Oh, it's awesome. I mean
I wouldn't know what it looks liketo be a woman in country if I

(09:30):
didn't have women on the radio growingup, you know, Shanaia, Tricia
Faith why noa Like I only knewthat I could do this because of them.
And so I think it's always importantin every genre, in every career
field to have those people in place, those women in place, so people

(09:50):
know that that is an option forthem. And and yeah, I think
you know iron, I always saythis word wrong. Iron, Iron sharpens
iron, iron sharpens iron. AndI just think there's a lot of really
really strong, powerful, smart,really smart women in our in our field

(10:11):
right now, and it's it's coolto be a part of it. Do
you stand back and let yourself realizethat iron iron that you say iron wrong?
No, I'm kidding. Do youever stand back and let yourself realize
that you were a little girl ina car singing Atricious song and now there's
a little girl in a car singingin Kelsey song. When I think about
that, I want to start solving. But I do think about it.

(10:31):
We'll move on country music as ithas expanded. Being an artist is fantastic,
but there's so many artists that getan opportunity to become a brand,
which is a very toxic words.That's a story for another time. But
literally, Tay and I I gotto host your Ballerini brunch, which we'll

(10:52):
get to in a second here acouple of days ago, and and Tay
and I got to be there andit was awesome. But literally as soon
as I got home that now,I turned the TV on and you were
literally the first thing I saw wasyour face in a hair commercial. Yeah,
which, like I was mildly offended. But at what point where you're
like, hey, I can domore than just the music kind of like

(11:16):
what I was saying earlier, Ireally the people that I look up to
are women that ask themselves what else? You know? Whether it's Riba who
is obviously a country music icon,but she also did acting. You know,
she has a clothing brand, ReeseWitherspoon, she's an actress, but
then she also started a company andyou know, produces things. I think

(11:39):
there's so much liberation and being ableto say, like what else can I
do? Like how how how farcan I ride this wave? How do
you select what to do and whatnot to do? And I asked that
because we see what you're a partof, but I can only imagine the
emails and the dms and the texts, and you know that you hear in

(12:00):
your team heres, how do youhow do you know what to pick and
timing? Obviously I used to overdoit. I think I just used to
say yes to everything because I wasIt's hard not to operate from a place
of scarcity as an artist, becauseyou're like, when is this gonna be
done? And then what you know? And so I think over the last
few years, I've really challenged myselfto to not operate from that place and

(12:22):
and say yes to things that inspireme, not because I think that it's
going to make things bigger or flashier, but like, does this feel like
the right synergy? Does this feellike the right collaboration? And just do
things from that place because that alsojust feels more fulfilling. And if it
doesn't work, at least it's ahill I can die on. The original
Donut Shop coffee just came out withthe Ballerini blend. Yeah it's delicious,

(12:45):
which, by the way, Iwas going to say this that day you
were you missed out on an opportunity. We did a Ballerini brunch, but
if your man came out with hisown eggs, we could do Ballerini brunch
with Stokes Yolks. I'm just sayingit's an opportunity that y'all could run.
Stokes Yolkes is crazy saying that goes. I feel like that's a spot you
could open in downtown Franklin right now, Stokes Yolks holler at me, all

(13:07):
right, I'm gonna pitch that,but but tell me how the coffee.
Because artists have tequila's, whiskey's wines. Yeah, this is very PG.
No, it's I love coffee andhonestly, like it's it's one of those
things that whether I'm home or onthe tour bus or in a hotel,
it's like one of those little simpleconsistencies in my life. It makes me

(13:28):
happy. And so I was likeit was an easy partnership. And then
they were like, do you wantdo you want your own flavor? I
was like, say, say lessso cool. You talked about career bucket
list and there's so many more things. What things have popped up that you
didn't realize were like, Hell yeah, I think getting into work with heroes,
whether it be Shania or Kenny,that's that's a huge one for me

(13:50):
where I'm like little me would beforreaking out. And I think that's been
probably one of the highlights of mymy career that has been more fulfilling than
I thought it could be. Andthen yeah, like like doing the Voice,
that's huge and a huge bucket list. And I'm making my fifth record
right now, Like a lot ofpeople don't get to make five records,

(14:11):
And it's not lost on me,and I know I'm very lucky to be
in that position to be able to, you know, put fourteen songs out
again into the world. So I'mvery I'm like a helicopter mom with this
album. I really am. That'sbut that's a good thing and a lot
of people don't get to do thatright. They have to get approved from

(14:33):
twenty different places, and yeah,you're able to run with it. The
first song we're getting off there iswith Noah Khan. How does that happen?
Because country music fans are still kindof getting introduced to Noah Khan,
you'd be surprised. You'd be surprised. I mean, I feel like,
not only do genre lines blend somuch lately, but his record six Season,
I mean, it's not it's countryadjacent, you know, it's all

(14:54):
about the storytelling. The instrumentation isreally organic, and I'm a huge fan.
I fangirled him when I met himat the Grammys and he was like,
Hey, how long ago did youput out Peter Pan And I was
like, I was like, Ithink it was like eight years ago,
and he was like, I rememberhearing that song and hearing that hook and

(15:16):
being like, god, I wishI would have written that. I was
so impressed with that that hook,so immediately it was just like songwriter synergy.
He's just the nicest dude, andso we all hung out at Grammy's
and then I had this song CowboysCried too. And I loved being able
as a woman to write a songkind of about toxic masculinity and my perspective

(15:39):
on it and honor the men inmy life that are emotional, Like I
think it's so beautiful whenever you feelsafe enough to cry in front of someone
or talk about your past or yourchildhood or whatever. I think it's just
I don't know, We're in aworld where a lot of people feel like
they have to have it together allthe time, and so I wanted to

(16:00):
write a song to honor those menin my life. And Noah, I
just thought the way that he wrotehis album, he's so down to go
there, And so I sent itto him and he wrote his verse and
it just made the song a milliontimes better. It is. It is
awesome too, because you hear acollaboration. Some collaborations are like, oh
that works, you know, yeah, but it literally feels like this was

(16:22):
born this way. I agree,No, I agree, and I you
know, I've gotten to do alot of different collabs, and each one
kind of has a different feeling andsometimes, like I was saying earlier,
sometimes you kind of do it forthe wrong reasons. You're like, oh,
they have a lot of streams,and I just don't want to operate
from that place ever. And thissong, well, I was gonna have
no collabs on the album. Ireally just wanted it to be a storyteller

(16:44):
album. And and then he addedmore story to it. And there is
just such a beautiful artistic friendship andsynergy there, and I'm really grateful he's
on it. The first song weget off a new album is I always
call it the handshake, right,this is you introducing the latest chapter of
your life career? What does thissay for fans? And first, what

(17:08):
does it say for fans that thisis the first song? And two what
is it safe for where you're atin life and your career that this is
the introduction to our next chapter?I say our because we helped write it.
It really took me a minute tostart writing again after Welcome Back,
cause I was like, I don'tI don't know how to follow that up.

(17:30):
And this album is so important thisstage in my career, like I
want it to be just the bestthing I've ever done. And it freaked
me out. I was like,you know, welcome, Matt was it
was so specific about such a specificthing in my life, and obviously I'm
not in that chapter anymore. SoI was like, how do I take

(17:51):
that amount of vulnerability and honesty andmove it into a happier season? And
it freaked me out. But thenI just kept that level of honesty and
tackling things that mayfield taboo, arelike weird to talk about or whatever.
And Cowboys was one of the firstsongs we wrote for the whole record,
and so you were like, thisis Yeah, it feels like a perfect

(18:14):
segue and to let people know that, like the honesty is not going anywhere,
and you know, I put putshit in a song from growing up
your mother is very upset with Well, you know, sorry, Kelsey,
We know how busy you are.Thanks for taking the time out and we
can't wait to see the boys.Thank you, Sam. Yeah,