About
Krystal Keith
Boulder
After a two-year hiatus to welcome her first child, Krystal Keith returns with a five-song EP built on the solid foundation of her widely acclaimed Show Dog Nashville debut album. The year-long development of Boulder expanded her creative circle even as it sharpened her focus as a singer, songwriter and artist. Along the way, it even created a bit of internal conflict with its title.
“On the first album I really wanted to show I wouldn’t be boxed into one sound,” Krystal says. “Whiskey & Lace opened the door wide enough for me to take a number of directions, and Boulder is more focused on exactly where I am and where I want to go now.”
A new producer – Bobby Pinson, a more contemporary sound and showcasing her vocal abilities are part of this new direction, but the surprise may be in her approach to songwriting. “I have a great network of writers I trust and work well with, but I also love walking into a room with someone I don’t know,” she says. “Some writers like to start with titles, others with just a storyline. It’s so easy to get into a routine if you write with the same people regularly, so I love challenging myself.”
Similarly, she’s up for challenging other’s preconceptions with her writing. “There can be an assumption that I’m just an artist or just somebody’s kid who wants to get a writing credit,” she admits. “Once I get in the room, though, you see them relax as they realize I’ve been writing my whole life and I actually came to contribute.”
Krystal isn’t just anybody’s kid, however. Her dad just happens to be 2015 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Toby Keith, though she’s not pushing to get a writing session with him. “We’ve written together here and there, but I’ve always tried to toe the line between daughter and new artist,” she says. “He doesn’t really care. He would write with me anytime, anywhere. But until I have accomplished enough to earn the right to write with someone of his caliber, then I’m not going to ask to put a song we’ve written on an album. There’s a respect factor there I really want to honor.”
She also has tremendous respect for one of her father’s frequent collaborators in Pinson. “I’ve watched Bobby work in the studio with my dad for years,” she says. “He’s been at almost every one of my studio sessions just as a family friend offering help and suggestions. He is so talented, has such a passion for creating music and has a great ear for perfecting a track and bringing it to that next level.”
Next level perfection wasn’t just left to her producer, however. “I was more vocal this time,” she says. “I wanted to showcase my ability with some big, rangy ballads Whiskey & Lace didn’t have. I came in with notes, advocated for changes, added in bigger runs and gave thoughts on things that might need tweaks. Bobby and I agreed on the majority of those changes. It really was a great collaboration.”
First out to fans and radio was her duet “Anyone Else” with label mate Lance Carpenter, which is generating significant streaming and airplay numbers. Carpenter (Kelsea Ballerini’s “Love Me Like You Mean It”) has become one of Keith’s frequent co-writers, as noted below. Their collaboration gets Toby’s stamp of approval as well. “‘Anyone Else’ is a great song because it’s written like a classic,” he says. “I’ve been taking my songs in and listening to others’ songs in Nashville for more than 20 years. This one’s a first-time, sounds-like-a-hit, written-like-a-hit listen.”
Still writing and recording for what will ultimately be a full album, Krystal co-wrote two of the five songs on Boulder. Her thoughts on each:
Boulder
(Emily Weisband, Benjy Davis, Mike Walker)
“The second I heard the hook on that chorus, I had to have the song. It doesn’t matter how strong you feel or how confident you are, there’s that one person in your life you’re always seeking approval from. Someone who can take you down with one word. The ‘rain and fire’ line got me, too. As a songwriter, I’m drawn to anything that’s lyrically strong but also a really cool groove.”
I Got You
(Lance Carpenter, Krystal Keith)
“Behind every great man there’s a great woman. Any man who has a good relationship understands his wife did her part to get him where he is. My dad has always credited my mom when asked how he kept his family together and why none of us kids got in trouble. That’s part of what Lance and I discussed when we were writing this. We went through some of those famous couples and had a lot of fun, but made sure we toed the line. We didn’t want guys to be offended, and we knew the women would find it funny.”
Anyone Else
(Kelly Archer, Greg Bates, Emily Shackleton)
“Lance and I wrote a few songs together, got along really well and worked well together, so when he brought this song to my attention, the stars really aligned. We’re on the same page, musically, and the track came out great. After recording we heard the playback and our jaws hit the floor. We knew we had something special.”
Then It Started Raining
(Krystal Keith, Mason Douglas)
“Mason is one of the most colorful writers I’ve ever written with. He had the song started when I came in and everything about it had me all over it. You spot your ex in a bar and it just happens that you’re both waiting for valet or looking for your car. You start talking, looking at each other and there’s this flood of emotions as it rains and storms around them. It’s definitely a clip out of a movie and Bobby did a great job with the production.”
Resting Beach Face
(Lance Carpenter, Jennifer Schott, Michael White)
“Lance gave me that. If you know what resting bitch face is, you’ll get it. It’s a really fun song about some girls on the beach and how we don’t always want to be hit on. We’re just hanging out. I’m not trying to be hateful, but I’m not interested in you today.”
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