Ten years after winning the Toyota Star Maker awards, New Zealand singer-songwriter Kaylee Bell has added another impressive title to her list of achievements, and it’s one she believes is “crazy”.
Bell has just been announced as the first female Australasian country artist to be accredited Gold for a single or EP in Australia in 20 years for her EP Red, and she’s also the first independent female country artist to claim the title.
Speaking to the Herald, the star admits there are a few reasons why the achievement feels so “amazing” but the most important is a testament to her down-to-earth nature, “This is the kind of stuff that proves that people are listening to your music, which is the stuff that has always mattered to me.
“In terms of awards, they’re one thing, but to know that you’re actually connecting with people and people are listening to your music is just the best thing.”
Kaylee Bell has become the first independent Australasian female country artist to receive an ARIA-certified Gold EP/Single.
The last time a female country artist received an Aria-certified gold EP or single was in 2003 when Australian country icon, Kasey Chambers’ hit single True Colours went gold. It’s something Bell can’t quite believe, “It’s just crazy to me that it’s taken that long but it’s also like I just feel so proud to be the next person that has done it.”
The announcement comes mere days after the 33-year-old star completed a 17-date concert tour around New Zealand, selling almost 8000 tickets and performing in her “bucket list” venue, Auckland’s Powerhouse.
“It’s been honestly one of the best things I think I’ve ever done in my life. Just to connect with people again and the amount of kids we’ve had at shows has really blown us away,” she says adding, “It’s like watching country music have a revival”.
Throughout her tour, Bell made sure to not only make her fans feel valued with hours-long meet-and-greets after every show but also her band and crew. It’s something she admired about global superstar Ed Sheeran when she toured with him around New Zealand this year.
“He’s an incredible artist obviously, but just one of the best humans I’ve ever met,” she goes on to say. While on tour it was important to him that he created a real family atmosphere with the crew, “he leads that, he’s the top of that and all his team was so generous, kind and lovely, that is exactly what I want to replicate when I get the chance”.
Keith Urban performs with Kaylee Bell.
But she may have to wait a little bit before doing it again as the self-managed star is about to catch a flight to Nashville in America where she will live and create music with some of the best writers and producers in the world.
“The next step is obviously to go to Nashville and try to get some things going there but I’ll be back here a lot,” she confesses, assuring Kiwi fans she isn’t leaving them behind, “I really just want to keep building this audience here in New Zealand as well. It’s not something I’m moving away from.
“I just feel like such a - not a responsibility - but what I’ve seen in the last month from being out on the road, it’s like I want to take care of my audience and, like I said, I love the fact we have got a lot of kids and I want to be able to take them along for the ride and introduce them to country music.”
As for who the singer plans to work with in America, she reveals fans might be surprised to learn there are no current plans to work with Keith Urban but she wouldn’t turn down the star – especially after she was blocked by other judges from joining his team on The Voice Australia last year.
The two have had multiple parallels throughout their career including winning the Toyota Star award and Bell admits working with him would be a dream come true, “To put a song out with Keith, it’s probably up here, it’s number one on the bucket list”.
“He’s helped me along the way with little bits of advice and things but if that opportunity arises, I’ll absolutely be there.”
