Kelsea Ballerini talks country and her genre-breaking deluxe album release before Friday’s show at Spokane Arena
The creative drive of Kelsea Ballerini has been unshakeable for a decade now.
The Tennessee native has released five albums and two EPs since her career took off in 2014. Her latest record, “Patterns,” was released in October.
The 15-track project is an introspective deep-dive into the mind and tendencies of Ballerini.
“‘Patterns’ is, honestly, the story of the lessons I’ve learned going into my 30s,” Ballerini told The Spokesman-Review. “It’s really a love letter to self-assessment and growth and looking in the mirror and trying to figure out the things I want to celebrate about myself, my life, my relationships and the things I want to evolve out of.”
Over the course of the record, the listener is taken on a ride of self-awareness, emotional evolution and the beauty of letting love into your life.
Although Ballerini considers herself a country artist and is often categorized as one, she’ll be the first to say that her sound isn’t always the “norm.” Sonically, “Patterns” pushes the means of a well-defined genre with a range of pedal-steel and synths.
“It is the story-telling and the ‘feet on the ground’ of country music with the influence of everything else that I listen to,” Ballerini said. “I’ve grown out of the idea that everything needs to have the same kind of musicality to it to fit in a genre.”
Instead of feeling tied down by the definitions of a genre, Ballerini has focused on what she believes the song needs and should sound like as a representation of herself.
Because of this, some songs on the album are easier to signal as “country” while others don’t fit this mold. But that’s perfectly fine with Ballerini.
“That’s always how I’ve operated, and it feels really honest to me as an artist,” Ballerini said. “I think I’m finally confident enough to just let that be what it is.”
One of those more distinctly country tracks is the Grammy-nominated lead single “Cowboys Cry Too,” featuring Noah Kahan.
“I adore that man,” Ballerini said.
The two met at the 2024 Grammy Awards when Ballerini went up to Kahan (expecting the folk-pop artist wouldn’t know who she is) to express how much she respects his songwriting abilities. Kahan responded with his own respects, especially for her song “Peter Pan,” and the two hit it off from there.
Ballerini had written a track about toxic masculinity and its effects, but believed it could be powerful to have a male perspective. After their initial meeting, she texted Kahan about the song, “Cowboys Cry Too,” and he was more than willing to contribute.
“His verse just added so much heart to it,” Ballerini said. “And he’s a friend, I love working with friends, it makes it so much sweeter.”
A week before her Friday show at the Spokane Arena, Ballerini released “Patterns (Deluxe),” featuring five new songs.
“Every other time I’ve done a deluxe, if I’m being honest with you, it’s been songs that just didn’t make the cut for the record – this is not that at all,” Ballerini said.
The new tracks were, instead, written after the initial album deadline but still act as an extension of the themes within “Patterns.” They are not “throwaways” in any sense of the word, and Ballerini believes they stand up with any other song on the record.
The tracks give the fans, which Ballerini has kept well-fed, even more music to digest.
Ballerini said she felt the most pressure with writing “Patterns” because of her 2023 project, “Rolling Up The Welcome Mat,” which was a distinct, honest and emotional venture for Ballerini. The record marked a shift for Ballerini and her lyricism while also catching the attention of many new fans relating to her passion.
“All I wanted to do was keep that level of songwriting and not round those edges, and I really believe we did that,” Ballerini said. “Seeing people show up to these shows and connecting with it lets me know that I’m doing something right.”