“I have a hard time singing or writing about something I can’t relate to,” she says, and that philosophy is front and center on her Arista Nashville debut album, co-produced by nine-time CMA Award-winning producer Tony Brown and two-time GRAMMY®-winning songwriter Paul Overstreet.
“Paul got the ball rolling,” Kristen says. A chance meeting at a 2010 benefit concert impressed Overstreet enough to invite her to write with him, sparking a chain of events that ultimately led to her record deal. But Kristen was far from an “overnight” discovery.
Born in Waco, Texas, Kristen Kelly grew up in the country, living on 10 acres in small-town Lorena, Texas. “You blink, you miss it,” she smiles. She credits her outdoorsy, adventurous spirit in adult life to those days of “simple country living.”
She sang in talent shows and high school choir, and by middle school had taken an interest in poetry, beginning the foundation for the songwriting that would emerge years later. “I grew up in love with music,” Kristen recalls. Her late grandfather, Sterling Kelly, was a country musician – “I still have 45s of him and his band” – while her dad helped instill her affinity for classic rock, as well as her determination. “He’s a simple, hard-working man who never quits – and I think that’s where I get some of my ‘workaholic’ from is him.” Along the way, she adds, “I fell in love with the blues.”
While bartending in 2001, an impromptu performance earned Kristen an on-the-spot invitation to sing with a regional classic-rock cover band. That night launched a three-year part-time gig with the band as she moved closer to a life in music, co-writing her first song (“Down in Flames” with Brandon Jenkins and Stoney LaRue) in 2004, the same year she began a two-year music degree at Waco’s McLennan Community College.
In her final semester, a friend asked her to sing harmony on songs he was recording. They began writing and recording with Kristen on lead vocals, as well, resulting in their self-released album, The Highway Is My Home, as Modern Day Drifters. Initially a duo, they added a few players to flesh-out their live sound, and the act earned airplay and acclaim around Texas. But with the departure of her original partner in late 2008, Kristen took the reins and recorded her debut under the banner Kristen Kelly & The Modern Day Drifters, producing all but one song on 2010’s independent Placekeeper.
Her musical style embraces influences ranging from Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, and Bob Seger to singer/songwriter Patty Griffin to the blues and soul of Ray Charles, Susan Tedeschi, and Bonnie Raitt, while her country roots were shaped in part by the sounds of the ‘80s and ‘90s. “I grew up listening to The Judds and Reba and George Strait and Willie Nelson,” she says, adding that her biggest influence is Merle Haggard.
“I think I’m such a big fan of Merle Haggard’s music and his songwriting because it’s simple. I’ve always believed that country music was three chords and the truth, and that’s more or less what he did – and what all the great blues musicians did.”
Kristen mines her own truth with a lighthearted look at love gone awry on the groove-filled “Ex-Old Man,” while the deeply personal “Feelin’ Nothing” is the culmination of lyric lines that had been in her thoughts for years. “There stands a man I used to love / his hands my skin they used to touch / the very hands that once held my heart” begins the ballad of time-won healing.
“I’m a happy person,” Kristen offers, “but what I write has a lot of angst and realness to it, whether it’s something that I’ve personally experienced or somebody close to me has experienced. To be able to give voice to pain that I’ve felt, to be able to say ‘it hurts’ when it hurts, is part of my music. And if something I’ve gone through helps somebody get through something in their life, then I think that’s the ultimate reward for being a survivor.”
From the pen of acclaimed singer/songwriter Matraca Berg, Kristen pours out the emotional restlessness of a strained-but-committed relationship in another album highlight, “How Leaving Feels.” “I think maybe every man and woman at some point has wanted to know what leaving would feel like,” she says, “but it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re gonna do it.”
But there are times when leaving has its place, and Kristen’s dynamic vocals soar on the rocked-out blues of “Turn and Face Memphis,” a spirited kiss-off to a my-way-or-the-highway ultimatum that mirrors a time in her own life.
The strength and passion of her delivery further shine on the soulfully sexy “He Loves to Make Me Cry,” which she wrote with Overstreet and Even Stevens. But there’s another Overstreet co-write, “Signs,” that speaks to an important side of Kristen Kelly. While the lyric is about a relationship, there’s a deeper meaning that reflects some of the inspiration that brought her to this point in her career.
“There’ve been little signs along the way,” she shares. “I’m no holy roller, but it’s like, ‘All right, I’m listening.’ I see it, I hear it, I feel that little nudge – and I’m gonna go with it.”
That faith is at the heart of Kristen Kelly, and it’s visible on the inside of her right wrist, with a tattoo of the word “Believe.”
“If you’ve got a dream, keep dreaming,” she says. “Believe. Ten years ago, I’d have never dreamed I’d be sitting right here, but I am.”
www.KristenKellyMusic.com
Drink Myself Out Of Love With You
Kristen Kelly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh I rolled the dice on love at least a hundred times
I don't know which one's the worst
Was it the last one or the first?
Either way it's lookin' like we're through
I'm gonna drink myself right out of love with you
I'm gonna pack my dreams and take them to L.A.
Stay out there a while
Oh and try to find my smile
I hear the grapes are growin' so if I start feelin' blue
I'm gonna drink myself right out of love with you
I'm gonna find myself a bottle
I'm gonna pour me one that's strong
Oh and see how long your memory can keep hangin' on
I might be beautifully broken
Oh, but I'm gonna feel brand new
I'm gonna drink myself right out of love with you
I might have to take a job at a local bar
Or waiting tables and listening to fables by the local stars
I'm gonna find a little piece of mind
Oh where the sun shines most o' the time
A little help from Tennessee Whiskey ain't it true
I'm gonna drink myself right out of love with you
I'm gonna find myself a bottle
I'm gonna pour me one that's strong
Oh and see how long your memory can keep hangin' on
I might be beautifully broken
Oh, but I'm gonna feel brand new
I'm gonna drink myself right out of love with you
I'm gonna drink myself right out of love with you
The lyrics of Kristen Kelly's song "Drink Myself Out Of Love With You" depict a woman who has been hurt by love and has made the decision to move on. She reflects on her past experiences, admitting that she has taken risks, but this latest one has proven too much to bear. She has decided to pack up and head to Los Angeles to gain a fresh perspective and try to find her lost smile. The lyrics suggest that she feels heavy-hearted but that the pain is now too much to bear. Therefore, she is going to drink herself out of love with the person who caused it all.
The singer has decided to numb the pain of love with alcohol and is going to find solace in a bottle of strong liquor. She believes that Tennessee whiskey will help her heal, though this may just be a temporary solution to her feelings. Interestingly, her plan is not to forget everything that happened, but to empower herself to change her perspective on the events. The song's final line suggests that she is willing to continue to drink until she can find the strength to let go of her former love, leaving behind everything that causes her pain.
In conclusion, "Drink Myself Out Of Love With You" by Kristen Kelly is a compelling song that identifies how love and heartbreak can damage a person's mentality. The lyrics depict a woman's journey of self-discovery and reflect on a range of emotions, including hopelessness, fear, and the desire to be reborn. The song's reflective lyrics demonstrate that the journey to healing is not always linear, and it encourages people to find whatever method works for them to move on from heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I laid my heart right down there on the line
I put all my feelings and emotions out in the open for you
Oh I rolled the dice on love at least a hundred times
I took a chance on our love many times
I don't know which one's the worst
I can't decide which time was the hardest
Was it the last one or the first?
Was it when we broke up recently or when we first started dating?
Either way it's lookin' like we're through
Our relationship is coming to an end
I'm gonna drink myself right out of love with you
I'm going to numb the pain with alcohol until I no longer love you
I'm gonna pack my dreams and take them to L.A.
I'm going to pursue my dreams and move to Los Angeles
I'm gonna see what that old tinsel town will say
I'm going to see if my dreams will come true in Hollywood
Stay out there a while
I plan on staying in LA for an extended period of time
Oh and try to find my smile
I hope to find happiness and joy again
I hear the grapes are growin' so if I start feelin' blue
I've heard that there are many vineyards in LA, so if I get sad I can distract myself by visiting them
I'm gonna find myself a bottle
I'm going to search for a bottle of alcohol
I'm gonna pour me one that's strong
I'm going to pour myself a strong drink
Oh and see how long your memory can keep hangin' on
I want to test how long it takes for me to forget about you
I might be beautifully broken
I may be damaged from our relationship
Oh, but I'm gonna feel brand new
But after drinking, I will feel like a new person
I might have to take a job at a local bar
I may need to find work at a nearby bar
Or waiting tables and listening to fables by the local stars
Or I might work as a server and listen to stories from local celebrities
I'm gonna find a little piece of mind
I want to find some peace and tranquility
Oh where the sun shines most o' the time
Somewhere where it's mostly sunny
A little help from Tennessee Whiskey ain't it true
I plan on drinking Tennessee Whiskey to help me forget about you
I'm gonna drink myself right out of love with you
I'm going to drink until all feelings of love for you are gone
Writer(s): PAUL OVERSTREET, KRISTEN N. KELLY
Contributed by Keira O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.