Brett Kissel

0:06Hey everybody, this is Brett Kessel and you are watching Amazon exclusive So tell me about tell me about the first like big music video I mean the oil in rex all must have been cool for a lot of us But this was this feels like a real video Yeah, I mean and another against the other video because it was it was real is professionally done My buddy Mike McWilliams did a really good job with that when it comes to this video This was this was a couple of days. This was you know shot in Nashville. We had the extras

0:55We had the acting we had you know a lot of things going on and it was an incredible experience because it was it was long days But I loved every minute of it and we had pyro and it's like we're shooting fireworks off in the background And it was it was so cool. Do you bring prior to the stage show? It's supposed to be in my writer actually during interviews. I suppose that pyro as well I'll trade CG I some stuff for the background. Yeah, that's good when I say something clever Oh, but it's not gonna put down a spot to say something clever. Well, it's likely not gonna happen now unfortunately I kind of like that we're already kind of fighting because our teams play tonight. That's right Yeah, I'm a Habs fan obviously noilers fans, you know, and we we can fight about that for sure But at the same time I still have a lot of respect for the Habs and I mean if there's any team out east I respect the Oilers as well Wow bless your heart, you know, there's uh

1:41Any team of these that I enjoy cheering for it's the haves great culture That's the only building in Canada. I've yet to watch a hockey game in really the Bell Center We're gonna go to Montreal. We're gonna go to a game. Okay. Yeah, I'm gonna hold you to it Next time it's on camera. It's on I'd be happy to go see the oil play in Montreal I just need to any excuse to go to Montreal But you were in Montreal like I was reading some of your blog posts that you did in the spring You did like a crazy run out east just for press. Yeah and that was very exciting because I got an opportunity to see Canada and do something I love by you know obviously just Going out and promoting my music and so we went to a couple country stations there We went we visited with just a bunch of great media outlets out there and it was an incredible experience for me because I'd never been in Montreal, but it's an incredible city as you know and

2:29I can't wait to return over some of the highlights from the East Coast thing too Like you were out there for what a week or so I was yeah We spent that time out out east and probably the highlight was being in Halifax Nova Scotia and going and just eating incredible food I mean we went to a bunch of great radio stations and that was incredible But then each night we take out a different radio programmer for nice dinner We make sure that they get to know me because I can play songs for anybody But it's these one-on-one interviews and getting to know somebody where feel that they get the best opportunity to know who I am and where I'm from and I was there shucking oysters and just you know, it was just it was incredible It was a great experience We went to a restaurant called the press game and in Halifax And it was one of the best meals of my life It's interesting you say where you are and who you're from that you're trying to teach these program directors music

3:16So where are you and where are you and where are you from? Well, I'm a fifth generation cattle rancher from Northeastern Alberta. I know you know, Alberta very well, but Couple hours northeast of Edmonton and my great great grandparents It settled from the Ukraine in northeastern Alberta and so when it comes to country music It's I mean, it's it's in my blood It's came very naturally to me were they musical where did where did that whole start for you? Was it your dad was your mom? Did it friends? Nobody knows because nobody's ever played music ever been involved in music industry entertainment at all I mean my grandmother played piano in church But that was the extent of music in our family and so for me to take it up a bunch of levels and to be Sitting in this chair here with you promoting a record The business I mean, this is a highlight

4:04It's it really is because not only for me or for my family But we've wanted this for a long time and and I've always wanted to play music There's nothing else I ever wanted to do other than playing music writing songs and playing concerts Right when I'm gonna be on the road playing concert speaking of which I'm very lucky that we've had an incredible touring Seasons past summer coming up next summer, but I just we just announced I get to go out on the road with a true country legend Loretta Lynn I get to go on over for her. Where's it? Here in Canada and so we've got a bunch of dates Select dates actually out west so nothing over here in Ontario or out east But we've got some dates coming up in the Maritimes and then there's a tour coming up in the New Year February March I can't say too much about it. But when it comes together It's gonna be incredible. So we will be back in Toronto

4:52We will spend a lot of time out west and here in central Canada and out east right this record Well actually Loretta Lynn does that Jack White record? There's just phenomenal people. I know that thing It's wow, it's not to mention all of her other stuff, but that's pretty recent. Yeah, I love that record Well Jack what's a great producer and spend some incredible things he really is I don't know if the Grammys are ever gonna have him back on the show with stuff that he's pulled recently But I'll tell you what that record that he did for Loretta Lynn was great because You know when you're in your 80s or your late 70s when it comes to mainstream country music You know George Strait and Alan Jackson had a song called murder on music role, you know, it's You know why the hag can't got a chance on today's radio and you look at Loretta Lynn She made this obscure but incredible project with Jack White that there's just been this underground thing and it's that's why

5:43She's going out and touring it again her 50th anniversary and I just I'm happy I can go on the front end of that That's cool. Yeah. Yeah talking about telling the line between a traditional country and a new country How does that work for you in songwriting? Is it conscious? Maybe I shouldn't go that way or yeah Yeah, it's very conscious for me because a lot of the songwriters that I write with you know Sometimes they really want to get to a very pop groove and rock element. I like that stuff but I have to be very you know Aware that my roots in country music are in traditional country and we got to keep some elements of that in there at the same time It's great to connect with these other songwriters or have it in the back of my mind that even though traditional country music Isn't what it used to be and it may not ever be popular again that we can still have the elements of pop and rock

6:29Coming into the country music that I like to write where do you write? Do you have a place do you have a room or can you just write anywhere? I like to write anywhere But being a Nashville now, I'm able to write in some great rooms and some great publishing offices So you've got these if you've ever been in Asheville music row is just two streets 16th 17th Avenue and They're all houses that well, that's actually Sony records. That's actually Warner Brothers music That's actually major ball publishing which I get to write out of so you go in all these different bedrooms Are now set up a songwriting room So at any given time you've got Vince Kill and you got Lady Antebellum. You've got all these amazing stars in Different writing rooms, so it's very exciting to be kind of immersed in that culture. Do you dig that? I mean that whole that Nashville that that group writing thing like where do you go in with ideas and then tell them?

7:18I want to write about this do they come up with ideas and then you kind of tweak what they have every an example on this record might Be a good one. Well, I'll tell you what every situation is different You look at the lead-off singles start away the song I came in because I was very excited to write with Craig Wiseman Craig Wiseman has written just under 40 number one hits on in music row and So writing with with Craig. I wanted to make sure that I had an idea and I wasn't going there We weren't just gonna sit around for a couple hours on nothing So I took him this title called start with a song I said what does it mean? So I explained what what I felt it could mean a bunch of different directions We could take the song and in a few hours we had it done some other songs like Canadian kid for example on this I wanted to write a song that kind of talked about you know

8:05My roots in Canada and how proud I am to be Canadian So I just tuned my guitar to drop D and just started chunking boom Did it and just we started my co-writer Tim Taylor and I we just not Tim the tool man but Not Tim the tool man, but Tim the country songwriter and we were just That started more with a melody than it did with an idea So every song on that record being able to write it is completely different from you know from the next there's no formula Just so you're talking with started with a song you saw my tweet this morning asking for questions I got one that I liked because it's kind of interesting I mean anyway, we'll go with it So your singles called started with a song what's a song that gets you started that pumps you up and what song influenced you to become a songwriter? That's a great question when it comes to songs that pump me up if I'm gonna listen to something before show I love the trumpets in ring of fire by Johnny Cash and that actually fires me up a lot

8:55Maybe it's from the days of watching the Calgary Flames in their big notorious cup run against Tampa Bay But when they played ring of fire that was just incredible So I'll listen to that but I also listen to a lot of rock music like songs by the Eagles or songs by AC DC You shook me all night long Right I do I think I've seen you play before years ago That's right I would play it and now the crowd would you know would cheer and stuff but When it comes to what song made me want to become a song writer. Yeah, is there a record or song or something? there were a few George Strait songs that I heard so song called carrying your love with me and You know the opening lyrics say baby all I've got is this beat up leather bag and everything I own don't fill a path But don't you worry about the way I pack all I care about is getting back real soon Goodbye kisses all I need from you and it's so well written

9:44It says some really cool things everybody's got a song about how much you miss somebody But there's this song call I'm carrying your love with me. It doesn't matter where I go I've got your love with me There's you know I was written by a guy that I've since been able to write songs with named Steve Bogard and It's pretty incredible the songs that George Strait has selected because he's never really written much So listening to him has really made me want to become a songwriter Interestingly enough even though he's never really written any of his own hits It's been writing songs in songs raise your glass new single about to shoot a video or shot a video shot a video Okay, so what can you say about the video the video was the most fun one of the most fun days period? I've ever had and getting a chance it was one of those moments where I sat back and I thought Here I am I get to play music for a living and I get to be in sunny Los Angeles doing this

10:35It was a great experience because we've got just under a hundred extras and We were like all paid to party. It was The best-case scenario, so it's a great party song We do something called five questions five quick questions. Okay one word answers. All right rotor studio Road Landon or McCartney McCartney when you hear a song what usually hits you first lyrics melody or rhythm Melody actually if someone's never heard Brett Kistel before what song do they start with on my record any of your tunes? Probably plug something from the record. I really think started with a song hundred percent You got to hear that says everything about me. That wasn't a one word answer. That's that's fine In one one word Brett Kistel Energetic thanks, man. Well pleasure. Thank you appreciate it. Thank you so much. Appreciate it. Awesome