Country star opens up about love, loss, and finding herself again

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This man is crazy. I would literally be in bed, face mask on, all of a sudden we I get a call. Hey, I rented out the Space Needle. Come. Yeah, exactly. People say that to me all the time, and I'm like, you um I'm sorry. I don't know what how to respond to that. >> Right now, there's a pretty famous country couple going through a divorce. Uh Keith and Nicole Kidman. When you saw that news, how much did you relate to that and you felt what they were going through kind of? Oh, honestly, like I was heartbroken. Just the media scrutiny is insane and like the things that I'm seeing people say and they're like stirring up rumors about Maggie B and I'm like she's a good friend of mine and I know that that's absolutely not true and I've met her boyfriend and like she's very happy and she has nothing to do with that whole relationship. Um, so I I just I I feel sad for everybody involved that like people are doing that and picking apart their personal life because I didn't have to like I am nowhere near to the fame point of Keith Urban. So to feel how I felt it, it's got to be times 10 what he's feeling it. So I just feel bad for him and you know I just pray for peace for them and them to have their privacy. For the people that are just meeting you for the first time, tell us what Second Wind is about because it's a lot. >> Well, um, if you haven't already, I suggest before listening to Second Wind, listen to my last album, All I've Ever Known. Um, I wrote that through going through a divorce after 11 years with somebody that I was, you know, extremely emotionally and attached to. Um, and going through kind of that feeling of it feeling like my arm is just cut off. I have to learn how to live without somebody for the first time and live by myself. And this that was like my healing journey. And and second wind is my blooming my growth journey. It's it's falling in love again. It's trusting somebody with my heart again. But also what I did is I paid special attention to the sequencing of this record. And so if you listen to All I've Ever Known, you're going to start Second Wind Off with a song that belongs in the world of All I've Ever Known so that I can kind of ease my fan base into the healing process, I guess, in the the growth process. >> I mean, how much did you enjoy making this record, getting all these emotions out of you on to record? >> I love this record. I love making this record. Um, I I wrote with a lot of new writers that um are now friends of mine, but I had never written with before. And so I really felt like feel like we pushed the boundaries of my songwriting on this album. And people are definitely going to hear that. >> Which which uh have any gotten a fan response yet? Have you given any teasers? >> Oh yeah. So we've released as um like we've released a few tracks from the record. Um, one, my first single that's going to radio is called Straight for the Heart that I love so much. I actually did not write that song. That was an outside cut, which I was very excited about because one thing as being an independent artist, um, and kind of pulling the curtain back a little bit, but songwriters don't necessarily pitch to indie artists because they want the chance for the song to go to radio because that's obviously how they make their living. Um, and so I was very excited to sign my record deal with BMG so that I could finally get some pitches in from some of these great songwriters because I just love a song and I know that um, for every great song I put out, there's an even better one that somebody else is writing. And so I wanted the opportunity to cut those. And soon as I heard Straight for the Heart, I said, "What a banger. Do not show this to anybody else." So we released that one, one that I wrote with some friends called Feminine Energy. We released the last. We released What He Does. And then um our push track that comes out this Friday with the record is called Old Me. That was another outside cut. And uh yeah, there's been a lot of great fan response. They love Feminine Energy. I'm touring the record right now before it even comes out. We just did a whole leg of the tour. I think what they're screaming the loudest is feminine energy and probably Oh, straight for the heart. Straight for the heart. Yeah. >> Okay. Yeah. Now, I mean, you've put the subject in the forefront, the divorce subject in the forefront in this record. >> Yes. Yeah. >> Um, has he heard any of these songs? Cuz there's a few that are lash out a little bit. >> Yeah, for sure. For sure. Um, >> y'all communicate? >> Uh, we used to and we used to when we needed to for, you know, but I mean, we haven't we haven't talked in in a long time. Um, but we're not on like bad terms or anything. We're just living our own separate lives. Uh, but I wish him the best. And I think he, uh, you know, is very aware of the record and, um, >> what does he think, do you think? >> I don't I'm sure he's not happy with it because I was extremely honest on it. But, you know, in making the last album, and that was very much the case on All I've Ever Known, not on Second Wind, right? So, like Second Wind, literally none of the songs are about him. Um, except for Better Off, I guess, the first the first song on the record just to ease them in. Um, but everything else is about a fictional space. Uh, or um my new boyfriend, Rocco. >> Yeah, tell us about the new man. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, >> where did you meet the new man? Okay, so Rocco was has been my guitar player and my music director for the past five almost six years. I got divorced three years ago >> and Rocco and I have been together for a year and change. So, um I had known Rocco. Rocco had a girlfriend. I was married. Um very weird cuz there is a 5year age difference between us. So, >> here we are. >> So, that was strange now. But yeah. >> Wait, so what is Rocco? Isn't there a lyric that you you're doing what he couldn't do? Yes. What what what is he doing? >> So well Rocco, first of all, uh Rocco is an angel on this earth. Like truly >> the best person that I've ever met in my entire life. And honestly, like >> I came on to him and he was very much like no. Like I love my job and this could end horribly. >> Yeah. HR nightmare. >> Yeah. Exact. Exactly. And I was just like, "Okay, like that's fine, you know, but I have this crush on you and whatever." And he's like, "Weird." Okay. >> Um, and then, you know, he he let it happen, too. But, uh, and then I started to, you know, I guess just realize how different the two relationships were. And Rocco just makes me feel so safe and so taken care of. And like I don't have to ask to feel loved or appreciated or you know any of those things. Like he just does it. And >> Rocco. >> He's the best. He's the best. And I have a song called Feminine Energy about it too where like I really just like started to feel like I was like living very feminine, very cutesy, very like because I was like I could drop that like hard armor. I didn't need it anymore. Um, and you seem to go to social media to your fans. Is that therapeutic for you to really be an open book to your fans more so on social media even than your records? >> Oh, very much. Very much. Yeah. I'm I'm I'm very honest in everything that I do. Um, I share every aspect of my life. So, yesterday was my first day off in months. Um, and so my manager text me first thing in the morning and she said, "No working today. Like, enjoy being your little nerdy self." And so, I said, "Okay." And then of course what I was doing was I was like journaling all day and things like that and of course I had to be recording it all. So like I I you know it's just it's a part of me now. It's a part of me now where like I share everything with them. Even on a day where I promised Rocco and I promised Beth I wasn't going to work. I was just like this isn't working. I'm just documenting and it's just and I'm like I'll edit this later. I literally have it pulled up. I was editing it this morning. you know, it's just part of me. And uh and I think it's really cool because it's why fans run up to me at shows and they're like, I feel like we're best friends, you know, and I'm like, we are like, you know. >> Did you look to like or like albums from Carly Pierce, Kelsey Ballerini, things like that? >> Oh, for sure. I remember when I heard Kelsey's, I was going through mine. Uh or no, I'm sorry. I wasn't going through mine. I was feeling very very lonely in my relationship when I heard Kelsey's. >> Wow. >> And I was like, whoa. Like >> what she is about what she is doing right now and she's doing it on this level. Like that is strength. And I would be lying if I did if I said, you know, it didn't it didn't give me a bit of strength to be like this doesn't have to be my reality. I don't have to be sitting here crying, feeling lonely in a relationship, you know. So, >> did you get the chance to tell Kelsey that? >> I haven't. I haven't. Like, anytime I ever see Kelsey, we are on a carpet. We're at a show and we are in passing so quickly. >> You don't want You don't want to be like, "You made me realize I should divorce my man." >> Yeah, exactly. People say that to me all the time and I'm like, "You um I'm sorry. I don't know what how to respond to that." >> That's a thank you. >> I know. Seriously, they're like, "I left him because of you." And I'm like, >> "Is that good? Are you happy with that decision?" >> Right. Right. Right. Um, let's talk touring with Jelly Roll. What was that like? >> Oh my god. Uh, the time of my life. I love him. I love his entire crew. And the cool thing about Jelly is that whenever you see kindness trickle down from the top and it just kind of disperses throughout the entire camp, like that's when you can really tr truly see like the person, the boss for who they really are, right? So, like when I felt the kindness and like we felt so at home on that tour and everybody just made us feel like we were just a part of everything and I it made me look up to Jelly and be like, "Wow." You know, because it trickles down from the top and Jelly opened so many doors for me. He would take me out on stage every single night and say, "Not only are you going to sing, uh, what were we singing? Should have been a cowboy together." Then he would say, "Oh, you're going to go do your own moment and sing, man, I feel like a woman." And I'm going to go stand back by the drummer. And he let me have his whole stage and his background singers. And we were dancing, doing choreography. It was like a whole thing. And then after that, he would come out and put his arm around me and be like, "This girl is independent." Cuz I was independent when I was on that tour. >> Yeah. I remember this. Yeah. Yeah. >> And he was like, "She is independent and she deserves a record deal and she deserves this and she deserves that and and um he changed everything for me." So I just played in Boston and you know I was like who was at the Jelly Roll show and we played and like everybody raised >> they went really. >> So it was just like we made a lot of fans from that tour and I'm so grateful for him forever. >> Did you get to meet Bunny on the tour? >> Oh yeah. And I love her and actually I was on her podcast on the tour. >> Oh dude >> on the tour. >> What was that like? Oh, it was great. It was great because it was um my album, my last album was still pretty fresh when I was doing that and so she really did a deep dive into um >> like how we met, what really happened, how the demise of the relationship, >> all of my childhood trauma. Like she's really good, really good at getting that out. So So yeah, but I love her. I adore her. >> Did uh did Jelly Roll get you anything at the end of the tour? Like an end of tour gift? Jelly Roll got us things every day throughout the entire tour. I mean, every day we would have some sort of gift. I got a smoker. Yeah. A meat smoker. Okay. I got I don't even know how many Yeti coolers. I don't even know how many Yeti coolers I got on that tour, but they're they're all in my I have Yeti coolers for days. Uh barbecue party at my house, I guess. And I um I mean, so we got like smoker, wood chips. He got I always get He always sends me a pair of his Hey dudes whenever he has a new Hey Dudes come out. I got I got shoes. I got sweatpants. I got pajama pants. I got merch. I got I mean and the list goes on and we got media bags. We got I mean it was crazy. It was crazy. So yeah, he definitely can. Also also like this man is crazy. I would literally be in bed, face mask on, like makeup off, hair extensions off, like I am sleep. >> You talking about CPAP mask? >> No. >> You thought that I was hooked up to a CPAP on this bus? Sir, I No, it was for moisturizing. What do I know? >> That is funny. You cracked me up. You're funny. You are funny. Where are you from? >> In Charlotte, North Carolina. >> I was just there. I was just there. Okay. Um, >> that's funny. >> What was I saying? Okay. So, I had a I had a face mask on and all of a sudden we I get a call. Hey, I rented out the Space Needle. Come. >> What? >> I said, I'm in bed. I rent out the Space Needle. Come. Come on. We're gonna all go to the top. You rented out the Space Needle in Seattle. >> What does that even mean? >> It like literally we would get those calls every night. I rent out the comedy club down the street. Come on. Blah blah blah. Open bar. This and that. Everybody's getting up and doing a standup set. I rented out this restaurant. I rented out the I mean, every night there was something that he rented out. And so it, you know, dude, it just the most my birthday. On my birthday, >> he threw me a party. They threw me a party. Everybody threw me a party in catering and got me this big cake and it had bows and and all of this stuff on it and everything and and it was pink and sparkly and very me. And I ended up getting very very intoxicated that night. Of course, it was my birthday. And I woke up the next morning with a tattoo of a bow on my arm. >> There it is. You don't remember that? Did who did Did Jelly Roll do that? >> No, Jelly's tattoo artist did though. >> Like right there. >> He's just always got a tattoo artist of at all times everywhere. And so me, >> it could have been a lot worse. >> My manager, well, you know what? It's It's honestly It's not bad at all until um Jell's crew like to give me because when you turn it to the side it kind of looks like a penis. >> So, and good thing when I sing I like to stretch my arms out. >> So, >> Oh, yeah. It does. Okay. >> So, anyways, um that's funny. But Jelly's manager has it too. But yeah, I woke up the next morning and I was like, "Why is my arm staying?" >> I was like, "God dang, >> I feel like I could It needs like one edit to look like a full penis." >> Yeah, it needs a couple more. >> I mean, I could >> No, I'm not I'm not about to do that. >> I can do it with one dot if you let me. I can make it. >> Why do you go >> I can make it here. >> No. No. >> Okay. Okay. Okay. >> You are so funny. >> Um, what does 2026 look like? Like a zoom out for you. >> Oh, busy. Busy. So, we go on tour with um Old Dominion. Very excited about that. Uh, in Australia. >> Wow. >> Yeah. Australia, New Zealand. I play my first CMC rocks. Um, hopefully it includes a number one song, >> of course. >> Hopefully. Um, but I'm playing a lot of radio shows and um we're looking at possibly a second leg of the second win tour. >> Wow. >> Um, mid probably June. Okay. >> Or so. And then I've got a couple like support support things that aren't announced yet. So, >> all right. Let's bring in Billy Dukes to talk about these interviews here after the fact. What's happening, Mr. Dukes? I >> got to know Alexandra Kay a little bit during the pandemic. She was like one of those great pandemic interviews I did where everybody was just so eager to talk to someone during the pandemic. >> Yeah. >> Like I was like, "Look, a human." >> Uh, >> don't remind me, man. >> But I've really liked her since. I mean, she's just got like a really bubbly personality. She's smart. She her voice is really unique. She's talented and I don't know. I was excited for this interview for it. Was this your kind of first take with her? >> Yeah, this is my first time having a chance to speak with her and yeah, I was very excited too and I was I was like very surprised, you know, by her she's so like put together with what she says. like she's so smart and like like uh she direct like she knows what she's talking about and it wouldn't seem like she's a new artist. It's kind of it feels like she's been here before and I know she's been around for a while on an independent circuit but you know a little behind the scenes once you get signed to a label you're like new to country music. So, like Laney Wilson was new to country music 10 years into her career. Yeah, >> I think Laney Wilson's kind of a good comparison to her because neither one of them, you know, often time a new artist will get signed when they're 21, 22 years old and then they trot them out there and, you know, they're just not used to having conversations about themselves. Both Laney and Alexandra a little bit older than that. Um, which makes I think a pretty big difference. But like you said, Alex, she's been doing it a bit. She first came on everybody's radar in 2018 with a TV show on Netflix called Westside. It was kind of a reality show. Gosh, if you watched Westside, good on you, cuz I have no idea what that show was all about. >> I did not. I've never even heard of that. >> But then she she kind of carved her own niche on Tik Tok and social media with these coffee videos where she would kind of sing a cover song while pouring coffee. They were really charming videos. And over time, like she would get like um Randy Travis, I remember kind of reacting to one of hers and she would have guests pop up behind her, like famous artists pop up behind her and make some coffee with her and really grew her following that way. >> Yeah. And then um you know Jelly Roll saw what she does and how when she was an independent artist and he was a big fan and he took her under his wing and took her out on tour before she was really signed and now she signed to the same label that he is on uh Broken Bow Records, you know. But it it's very cool to see almost like a uh like a a little sister act on its way up, you know, like first we had Jelly Roll, then Jelly Roll put on Alexandra K and you know, now she's shining while Jelly Roll shining and you know this is how an era begins. you know, next she'll become the next big thing and then she'll plug in the next big star. And I I just that's a part of music I'll never get tired of. I love that. >> Yeah, it's it's a big old family tree. I would love to ask Jelly Roll why he chose Alexander K because I remember when that tour got announced, it was it was an it was an unusual choice. like this independent artist that doesn't really um he doesn't sound she doesn't her her music isn't similar to Jelly Roll's music in any sort of way. I bet I bet it was something as simple as like Bunny listening to it and sending it to him or >> someone sending it to him and him finding out she's independent cuz I feel like cuz I did a whole article back in a couple back in the day about how he uh did a whole speech about how he supports independent women and that's why he you know brought Alexandra on tour with him. And you know, I I feel like someone there's a pile of artists that get past the jelly roll. And as he was going through and flipping, I think the fact that she was an independent artist and had achieved so much success on her own already, I feel like that pushed it over the edge. >> So, we need to talk a little bit about Jelly Roll just throwing around the dollars like like nobody's business. like he's renting out the Space Needle. >> Now, here's my thing. Okay, so if they were on tour, don't they don't you leave the next after you perform or or do you stay the next day? Well, I guess it depends, right? Like if you have a show in the next city and it's a drive, uh maybe you send the trucks out ahead of time and you do it so the band and everybody can just sleep on the buses and you pull out right after the show. But >> I'm just trying to figure out she was like we were >> getting wrapped up in the logistics. >> Yeah. So she was sleeping. She must have already performed the opening and was on the bus sleeping >> and so like Jelly Roll probably didn't get off stage till like at least 11 and then >> by the time he books the Sky Needle, let's say it was already booked and no one you're still looking at like midnight to 1:00 by the time he even gets there. I mean, is he did he book the needle for like a two hour party from like 1:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. or did he book the needle the next night from like 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. dinner and everything? >> No, I think I think it was right after the show, like an afterparty. And And I got to think that this was set up weeks in advance, right? So you don't just get off stage at 11 and go, "Call up the Sky Needle. Tell them we're coming." Like, you have to. So maybe he booked it sounds like he booked places for the whole gang to hang out at every show, right? >> Maybe probably in advance. >> I think that's right. Yeah. >> Interesting. >> It caught her by surprise. She didn't get the sky needle memo ahead of time, so she had to take that whole moisturizer mask off. You know what those are? Does your wife not use the moisturizer things? >> Yeah. Yeah. the, you know, that's that's what she was referring to. >> Yeah, those are expensive. Once you have them on, if you have to take one off, that's like wasted bloody. >> Maybe he sprung for some jelly roll face masks. >> It sounds like there might have been some in that gift bag. It sounds like she she he was just doling out stuff, which is it sounds like insane, but he's probably getting all kinds of free stuff, too. And there's only so much stuff you could wear, you know? Oh, that's a good point. Like you get so much swag from different like she mentioned the Hey Dudes, he's probably just getting tons. >> So he's just passing them passing them off to people. >> Yeah, he probably got like a with the Hey Dude thing, I would say. What do you think? He probably got like, "All right, we'll give you a couple hundred free pairs. Just tell us where to send them." And then he just went down his phone and just started going boom boom boom boom boom. >> So here here's a question for you. I mean, as as media personalities, we get a fair amount of free swag. Have you ever gifted someone the swag that you got for free? >> Yes, >> you have. >> Okay. >> Multiple times. >> What was the gift? >> I don't want to say something was cheese. Uh >> food. Okay. Food. Sure. Food. That's gonna >> spoil. Yeah. There was a Luke Combmes uh shirt that came out like four years ago and it had a dart board on it and it was like plastic laminated dart board and it was like a one of like 10. I like none of them. And I gifted that to somebody. >> Were you upfront and honest about where you got it for free or did you make it sound No, you weren't. Oh, you just sound like you really know. >> I mean, I just said like uh well, I guess I did. I was like, you know, Luke Combmes stopped by, dropped the shirt, not my size. Here you go. You know. >> Okay. >> Made sure it wasn't Luke Combmes fan. >> So, so this wasn't a gift. That wasn't like Under the Christmas tree. It was just you were giving it to someone as sort of a nicity. >> I've done No, I've done I've done Under the Christmas tree. Yep. Yeah, I've done under the Christmas tree like uh I'll think of something like in the way past like way past. Who we got coming up? >> Who do we got coming up? Who do we got coming up? Did we do we do Jake Owen? >> We have not Jake Owens coming. We're going to drop that interview. The album is on on the 7th, so I think we'll come with that on the 6th. Um uh along with a surprise guest mid Jay Owen interview. Yeah, I was just talking about this to somebody um that was so cool that it when you work at a media center um or a radio station, you know, you can be interviewing Jake Owen, you know, and then someone just walks by, you know, and you're from like, "Oh, hey." And you know, the other guy walks by, taps on the window, and comes in. Yeah, those are the kind of ones you can't plan for. So, that'll be coming up on the 6th. and then we'll we'll figure out what's going to be next. We've we're at a time of the season now where there's a lot of country artists that are coming by as we gear up for the CAS and everybody shuts it down for turkey time. So, we're going to be doing out a lot of interviews in the next couple of weeks. So, keep it right here. Thanks for watching and uh adios.