Interview with Erin Enderlin and Kayla Ray 3rd September 2019
Over here on their first UK tour (you can find our review of their sold out London show here (https://www.bellesandgals.com/2019/09/01/erin-enderlin-kayla-london-2019/) Nashville based Erin Enderlin and Texan Kayla Ray were kind enough to find the time to sit down over a cuppa (ironically I was drinking coffee while the Americans chose tea!) and answer a few questions about their shows here, their music and their upcoming plans. It was a really fun interview! Hope you enjoy the read……
1. LH So, how’s the tour going so far?
KR It’s been great!
EE It’s been BRILLIANT!
2 LH Do you have a highlight from your visit so far?
KR We were just talking about that earlier! So many that it’s hard to say….
EE We’ve met a lot of great people …and every show we’ve done so far has been completely different!
3. LH Yeah i was going to say you’ve played a real variety of venues haven’t you?
KR The funniest one I think was where we walked in and it looked just like Fort Worth, Texas …I felt really at home! It was a BBQ place and they had Texas flags everywhere
LH Maybe they did it specially for you! ( in case you wondered, that was the Oldham show at the Old School BBQ Bus!)
4. LH You two have toured in the States together before haven’t you…..how did you actually meet?
EE We met in a round at Luckenbach, Texas about five years ago. We were actually introduced to each other by Courtney Patton and Jamie Lin Wilson.
LH But did you know each other’s music before that?
KR I knew “Monday Morning Church” that Alan Jackson cut so through that I knew Erin’s name, and during that round i got to sit for four hours and listen to her do her thing which was so cool!
EE Likewise I was not familiar with Kayla’s music before that round but fell in love really quickly!
KR Yes and after that round Erin invited me to go to Billy Bobs (a local music venue) to see Tanya Tucker who I love (LH Swoons….) but i had to turn it down as i had a gig back home booked with a band called Texas Star!
5. LH Have you written together?
KR We have!
EE. Yes there a quite a few i really like …i have to hold a few back to pull out and say ” hey i just wrote this!”
KR The first one we wrote was “Kentucky Gentlemen ” …
EE Then there’s “If I’m not in Hell, I’m Headed That Way”
KR And “The Hangover’s Harder Than It Used To Be”
LH Ha i’m sure a lot of people can relate to that!!
6. LH You’ve both released new music recently that you’ve been playing on this tour, can you each tell my a bit about that?
EE I’m putting out a series of four EP’s leading up to a full album this year, and the third instalment “Chapter Three, Whatever Gets You Through The Night” came out on Friday August 23rd, just before we flew over here. It’s got some of my favourite songs from the bunch on (LH It’s my favourite of the EP’s i think! KR Mine to!) .The fourth one will be out in October. The album is coming out on vinyl ….a real album! All of the tracks from the EP’s will be on the album, then there’ll be a couple of extra tracks.
LH And Kayla, your new single is inspired by a certain drink i gather?
KR Yes! “The Jameson Waltz” …I’m so proud of it, i produced it myself, I was a little apprehensive doing that as it’s was my first time
LH It sounds great! it really transports me to a Texan bar….
KR Thanks! I just went in with half of my touring band, the guitar and the bass player, and then I handpicked the drummer and the steel player, i kept things really simple.
7. LH And what are your plans for the rest of the year, ladies?
EE I’m busy getting ready for the album release, playing shows ….I get to go to Deadwood, South Dakota, to play a songwriters festival that I’m very excited about, I get to visit Calamity Jane’s graveside!
KR I’m going to be touring, mostly through the midwest then up to Colorado, playing solo acoustic shows which I’m leaning more towards these days.
8. LH I hope you’ve both got some inspiration from the UK for some new songs!
EE Oh yeah!!
LH And i hope you’ll both come back very soon and visit us again!
EE Yes!
KR You may not be able to get rid of me, I may not go back!
LH You’re both always welcome! Thank you for your time!
As I type this, there’s still a couple of chances to catch this tour, details at erinenderlin.com and kaylaraymusic.com
Interview conducted by Lesley Hastings (twitter.com/lesleyhastings)
Kayla Ray has paid those hard dues that many male outlaw artists paid by playing for some very small venues and crowds. She is better than most of her contemporaries. She has earned a place at the top of the real country music establishment.