Chugging electric guitars usher you into Kellye Rather's latest release, "Up in Flames." Kellye transplanted her western roots from Colorado Springs to Nashville in 2017 and has since been weaving carefully crafted elements of country, rock, and pop together, putting forth a unique and propelling atmosphere of sound. On her latest single "Up in Flames," Kellye has created a flammable, igniting track that engulfs the listener in a sultry, amplified western song.
Kellye Rather sings like a country music rebel; her voice is surging strongly on "Up in Flames" and perfectly portrays the incinerated relationship featured within the lyrics. Her descriptive verses make no assumptions about what "Up in Flames" implies. Lyrics like "we started out as a nice warm glow, then we were raging fire out of control," "the smoke that we were rolling took its toll," "I won't stop until your memory's up in flames" and "I'm walking on your ashes every day," paint a story of a burned-out relationship and Kellye's devotion to turning the past into ashes. We love the symbolism Kellye creates in her songwriting, one of her many talents. As the boot-stomping beat moves the song forward, the guitars wail away with a country-western tinge, as the background of sound builds an electrified wall of sound. Kellye's voice remains a powerhouse of vocal delivery throughout the track as she presents her renegade lyrics with a sense of devilish fun. We had a blast listening to "Up in Flames," and we know you will too.
Discover Kellye Rather's "Up in Flames" here.
Hello Kellye, and welcome to BuzzMusic. We love the rebellious energy you laid down on "Up in Flames." Can you start by telling the listeners a bit more about the song and how it came about?
I wrote this song shortly after I moved to Nashville. Not a lot of people know this, but I went through a rough patch before I left Colorado. Between bad relationships and my own demons, I held onto a lot of pain. So I wrote this song when I wanted to set everything that reminded of that time on fire. Now I didn’t actually set my stuff on fire, but I did get rid of everything, and I felt a lot of clarity after doing that. I thought that writing “Up in Flames” would be a perfect fit for me because I’ve always been a bit of a spitfire. This song also has one of my favorite lines in the bridge, because I’m definitely throwing shade at one of my ex’s, but not a lot of people would be able to tell unless they had seen us perform together in the small town I was from. But I also think this song is very relatable to a lot of people who have been through heartbreak and feel like they’re going crazy afterward. I always try to write stuff that can be empowering to others. The opening sequence to "Up in Flames" features this charged electric guitar that chugs the song forward, it's gritty while remaining western influenced. Can you tell us a bit about your musical influences and your ability to blend separate genres so cohesively?
I grew up on the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Aerosmith, Elton John, and James Taylor. I’ve always had a lot of different musical influences in my life and had an appreciation for every genre, so I think that makes it easier to try to blend several genres. Music is powerful, and I always match the music I play to what I’m feeling that day. From heavy metal to pop to country, I can vibe with everything. What has relocating to Nashville done for your music? How has your music evolved since relocating your career there?
Nashville is like a big family. I was nervous about going from being a big fish in a small pond to a small fish in a big pond. But I was surprised to realize how supportive everyone is, and how team-oriented the industry can be. We’re all in this together reaching for the same dream, and I gained a lot of confidence from that support once I moved here. It also inspired me to learn to play guitar so I could accompany myself at writers rounds and get my music heard. You really get into the energy of the song and your voice embodies the tone of the song. How do you get your mind into the atmosphere of a track when performing?
I have a really great band that helps me keep up the energy on stage, and I love feeding off the energy from the crowd. I can usually get some pretty great crowd involvement because of the high energy songs I sing, so it makes my job a lot easier to be able to give back the energy I get from fans. I also remind myself that I’m not just singing a song, I’m telling a story. What's next? I’m going to keep writing/recording and expanding my brand. I’ve got a couple more songs to put out this year already and am in the process of recording more! I had a few festivals booked for this summer which unfortunately got canceled because of the crazy year we’ve been having, but I look forward to rescheduling those performances and hitting the road with my band next year. I’m really hoping to make a connection with the fans out of state and continue to make new ones!
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