LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥 Back in February, recording artist Kelsea Ballerini quietly released an EP of strikingly intimate and vulnerable songs about her recent divorce from Australian musician Morgan Evans, with no expectation of performing or promoting them in the way she would a traditional album. But after receiving an overwhelmingly positive response from fans, the pop country singer-songwriter is re-releasing 鈥淩olling Up the Welcome Mat鈥 on Friday with some updated lyrics and a previously unreleased track.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press, Ballerini reflected on what this EP has meant for her, both personally and professionally. The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
AP: Talk to me about why you decided to re-release this collection of very personal songs.
BALLERINI: My journey with this album has been unlike any music I鈥檝e ever put out. And it鈥檚 been the most unexpected connection and response. ... The intention was to like put out the six songs and just let them exist and whoever needed them or wanted to dig into them could, but it was never going to be something I played on tour. It was never going to be something that I really ever dove fully into. But we just did not get that luxury. People really connected to it very swiftly.
And so, I had to do some internal recalibration of like, 鈥淥K, well then, A, that means that I鈥檓 not alone. That鈥檚 a really nice feeling. And B like, what does that look like if I start singing these songs live? What does that feel like? Am I willing to do that? Am I willing to go there?鈥 And the answer just kept being 鈥淵eah.鈥 And then as I did it, I was like, 鈥淲hoa, this feels so different.鈥
AP: Did you have reluctance at all initially about putting these deeply personal songs out?
BALLERINI: For sure. But, although it was still terrifying, the reason I did was because I think you hear a lot of narratives in music, especially in country, where it鈥檚 like, 鈥淭his didn鈥檛 work out. I鈥檓 going to like, blow up your car and, you know, toilet paper your yard because it鈥檚 all your fault.鈥 And I love those songs. I get down to those songs, but there鈥檚 not a lot of narratives about like the intricacy of a big breakup and how it takes two and how there鈥檚 like so much emotional finesse in that. And so I wished I would have had those songs when I was making that decision for my life. And that was why I put it out. And it truly brought me back to why I want to be an artist.
I want to be an artist and songwriter, and a communicator because I want to give people what music has given to me. And that is not feeling alone. That is feeling like you can be having these big happy feelings or these big, really complicated, complex feelings and knowing that someone has given a voice to that takes the scary feeling away from it.
AP: With your music, it鈥檚 very apparent that you鈥檙e writing from a place of vulnerability and from the heart. How much of making music is for yourself and how much is for fans?
BALLERINI: Songwriting is the most selfish part of what I do. I write songs for me. I do it to process my life 鈥 the good, the bad, the complex, the ugly, the pretty, all of it. Everything else I do that comes from the songwriting, I would like to think, if I鈥檓 in a healthy place, it鈥檚 selfless. Songwriting is selfish. So, I think everything I write is just kind of for me.
AP: But as you鈥檝e gotten bigger and you鈥檙e reaching more audiences, you don't feel pressure to not make it about you?
BALLERINI: It鈥檚 so interesting. Kind of quite the contrary. I鈥檝e always wanted to write songs about my life, but I鈥檝e always been very aware of like if I put in these really, really specific details, what if it鈥檚 not relatable? So I鈥檒l kind of zoom out a bit, you know? And with 鈥淲elcome Mat鈥 obviously I didn鈥檛 do that down to like very specific details of the truth of my life. And I think because of the response and the connection of that, I鈥檓 really challenged now, moving forward, to keep it there.
So even when I鈥檓 in a happy season of life, writing about it or whatever, how do I keep that level of transparency and that level of detail and not go back to zooming out? I want to keep that now. So, it鈥檚 interesting now very slowly starting to write again after this, it鈥檚 a challenge to myself to keep it honest to that detail.
AP: What is going on with people at concerts lately? What do you make ofincluding yourself?
BALLERINI: I know. Kelly Clarkson just started her Las Vegas residency, and I saw a clip of her saying, 鈥淚f you鈥檙e going to throw anything on stage, it better be diamonds.鈥 I think she says it best. I think there has to just be like a mutual want to keep everyone safe. That鈥檚 kind of my biggest thing. Live shows are meant to be a place of escapism and connection and safety. And so that鈥檚 my job. My job is to do a show for sure. But it鈥檚 also my job to make sure everyone鈥檚 safe and feels safe in that moment. So, yeah, I think it鈥檚 important for all of us to kind of have our conversations and figure out how to make that work, being mindful when you go to shows I think is really important. And if you鈥檙e gonna throw something, throw diamonds.
AP: I guess I just don鈥檛 really understand it?
BALLERINI: I think everything right now just becomes a trend. So like, you see it happen to one of your favorite artists and then it just becomes a trend and people want to get the artist's attention or just get attention. And so, I think that鈥檚 a very slippery slope.
AP: But it hasn鈥檛 made you feel like you need to reconsider whether you want to perform in front of people?
BALLERINI: No, no, no, no. I just know it鈥檚 my job to keep everyone safe.
