Kalsey Kulyk first performed for Scenes Live Sessions in 2019. We’ve always cast a wide net at Scenes, seeking to promote emerging musicians from every genre and corner of the globe.
Not all are equally talented, of course.
That’s why I wait and hope for it—the magic moment about 4 bars into the performances of our true, break-out talents. A moment that sends a prickle of pleasure up the back of my neck when I hear a truly remarkable musician or band for the first time. One that turns me from a listener into a raving fan. That happened in full measure the first time I heard Kalsey Kulyk. Even now, her version of Lee Ann Womack’s hit, “Little Past Little Rock,” seems to get better every time I hear it.
Play the video above (and those below). If you aren’t convinced by the fourth bar, wait until she hits the chorus—if you don’t get the message by then, you are hopeless. She’s fantastic!
Music & Culture is for the Kalsey Kulyk’s of the world and their audiences and the many who should become members of those audiences.
I find myself keeping track of our knockout performers like Kalsey Kulyk, watching and listening in admiration as they develop new music and take the next steps in their careers and lives.
Since we first hosted Kalsey on Scenes Live Sessions, she’s married fellow country artist, Eric Ethridge, and had a little boy, Wilder.
The couple are Canadian and had to decamp from Nashville for the past couple of years as they wait for green cards to come through. They’ve both been active releasing new music, though—Kalsey’s new single, “Ain’t Enough Whiskey” is posted below—and setting up touring dates.
Kalsey Kulyk will be playing at the Panoka Stampede June 28 and 29, and opening up for Chris Stapleton at the Cavendish Beach Music Festival on July 8. Many more dates are in the works. So follow Kalsey here.
For someone so young, Kalsey Kulyk is able to bring out the heartbreak in a number as few can. On the verge of turning 18, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. In a recent phone interview, I asked what effect that had on her and her music.
Cancer definitely was a rude awakening, but a blessing in disguise. When I was diagnosed, I was like, okay, when I get healthy, I'm going to go for music 100%. Like, nothing's gonna stop me, I'm just gonna go and chase after my dreams until I achieve them. What is life unless you're doing what you love every single day? I started singing when I was three; it was always a huge passion of mine. But I had thought of going to nursing school—not doing music full time. Through cancer I found a new courage. This [music] is what I love to do. This is what I'm doing. No second option.
I have to think the suffering in her background and the newfound determination it bred helped form the passionate soul we hear in “Who I Was.”
I love all the heartbreak songs, but Kalsey has a rip-roaring fun and funny side as well. It’s on full display in her new single, “Ain’t Enough Whiskey.” Her rockin’ country side dominates in her live shows, where she gets people up on their feet dancing from the get-go. Her new music reflects this, too, as it’s as much about having a good time as it is the hard times.
Hear all of Kalsey’s music on Spotify.
“Catching Up With” posts will be a regular feature on Music & Culture. I hope to introduce you to many great musicians. I’ve also started a thread on the new Substack feature, “Notes,” for you to recommend breakout talents you’ve discovered. There’s so much manufactured crap out there—let’s share what’s great!
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