Originally from Waimate, Kaylee Bell’s now well on her way to becoming a household name.
This coming Wednesday night she’s heading to Coronet Peak to play a free gig, supported by Brad Staley and Jenny Mitchell, part of NZSki’s Night Ski Party.
Currently basking in Nashville, Tennessee’s high-30°C daytime temps, Bell tells Mountain Scene she and her band of seven years have never played on a skifield before.
"That’s why we’re so excited to do it.
"I just feel like whoever came up with it is a genius, because it’s just so random, but awesome."
Taking a break from the recording studio, working on some new music "which is coming soon", Bell says she’s living out her dream — something she credits The Voice Australia for.
In 2022, Bell, living in Aussie, auditioned for the hit TV show with an original song, Keith, a tribute to Kiwi-born muso Keith Urban, one of the judges.
It was, she admits, "very scary".
"To sing that song, to the person you wrote it about, is one thing.
"But let alone the back of their chair.
"I think back and it feels very surreal — it actually feels like a dream ... there were so many emotions that night."
Fortunately for her Urban was the first to turn his chair.
And the resulting video went viral, launching Bell’s career, despite being eliminated in the battle rounds.
"My career feels very much like two chapters — before The Voice and after The Voice," she says.
"I feel like the payoff of that has been bigger than I could have ever imagined.
"That song has found a global audience now, that allows me to be in Nashville making music, and allows us to play shows in NZ, Australia and America.
"I can’t ever take that moment for granted, and it taught me a lot on reflection, I think ... take risks, people, and do crazy things sometimes."
Since then, Bell’s become the first ‘independent female country artist’ to be awarded ARIA Gold for The Red EP; the most-streamed female country artist in Australasia; opened for Brad Paisley and, last year, Ed Sheeran; won a CMA Award for Global Country Artist at the 2023 CMA Awards, in Nashville; and released her third studio album, Nights Like This, in March.
"You always want to hope you could make it a career, but we know the reality of how hard it is, and it’s taken me a long time — probably over 10 years, now — to get to this place where I do actually just get to wake up and make music.
"That, to me, is winning; the rest of it’s all just extra."
While she’s not a snow bunny herself, Bell’s also excited to have a reunion with mates from all over the South Island next week, who are coming here to support her, and get some runs in, while she’s amping to visit her favourite Queenstown cafes and take in the sights.
Not to mention play live with her band again.
"I haven’t played with them for about a month, so it’s going to be so nice to get back up on stage with them and have some fun."
The Samsung Night Ski Party goes from 4pm till 9pm on Wednesday — it’s free to attend, but night ski passes are required to enjoy the pow.
