In March of 2017, we published a story about a young lady named Carly Pearce. She had just released a song called ‘Every Little Thing’ to country radio after success on Sirius XM The Highway and was just starting her radio tour. Nearly nine months, we had the opportunity to catch up with Carly again after a year that changed her life. A year that included that aforementioned single climbing the charts all the way to Number One, touring, and plans for an even bigger 2018.
Pearce was in Knoxville, TN at a stop on the Caliville Tour with her friend Brett Young when she found out that ‘Every Little Thing’ was officially the Number One song on country radio. She described, “That was really special moment for me because of my connection to Pigeon Forge and Dollywood. We had a little champagne toast with my band on the bus. It’s been kind of hard to find time to celebrate because we’re so busy but I’ll never forget how I sobbed so hard on stage.” If you’ve followed Pearce’s career, you’ve witnessed a true progression of her fanbase over the years. At the beginning of the year, she was playing shows where maybe a handful of people knew the words to her breakout debut single ‘Every Little Thing’ and by the end of 2017, she was playing in packed clubs and venues where everyone knew the words. Carly could hold the mic out to the crowd and they could recite every word while she stood there in amazement. Carly told us, “It’s very surreal. This is all I ever wanted to do so to see the hard work pay off by watching people connect with the body of work that you put out and the songs that you wrote from your heart, I really believe it’s the greatest feeling you can have as an artist.”
After the success of ‘Every Little Thing,’ Carly wanted to show off a different side to her. She chose ‘Hide the Wine’ as the follow-up single, saying, “I wanted to do a complete 360. I think people see a real shade of me, a real part of me in my story and truth as an artist. But I think with that also comes a very fun, goofy, flirty, sassy girl that I really want people to see as the follow up. So I think they’re going to see both spectrums of Carly Pearce.” First of all, Carly loves red wine but she also loved this song because it’s about something that she thinks so many women her age have either done or experienced- “drinking a little too much and admitting ‘if this person comes around, it’s gonna be bad,’ so you have to hide what’s going to make it bad.” She describes the single as a confession that has a real fun, flirt, sassy and bluegrassy sound.
Carly spent the latter of 2017 on the road with her labelmate and friend Brett Young on his headlining Calivile Tour, to which she said, “I love touring with Brett. He is a dear friend. We have been playing shows together for four years before either one of us had record deals- we used to play house concerts for tips. This is very full circle. We’ve had an amazing tour, we’re having a great time and I am so thankful that he brought me out.” 2018 has much more in store for Carly as she was recently announced as support on three major tours. The first being Blake Shelton’s Country Music Freaks Tour along with Brett Eldredge and Trace Adkins. She will also be on select dates of Thomas Rhett’s Life Changes 2018 Tour as well as the lone female act on Rascal Flatts’ summer Back To Us Tour. “Next year, it’s going to be crazy,” Carly exclaimed with excitement. “I’ve definitely never been a part of a tour as big as the Blake Shelton tour. We’re going to play arenas and that’s very new for me. And I am a huge Blake Shelton fan and Brett and Trace and obviously a huge Thomas Rhett and Rascal Flatts fan. The fact that all of these guys are picking me as the female act on their tour is really awesome. I am very much looking forward to 2018.”
Before hitting the road with the boys next year, Carly rang in the New Year with thousands of Nashville residents and country music fans alike at the Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight. She was part of a bill that also included Keith Urban, Maren Morris and more! “I’ve seen so many friends and country artists play that show every year. And the fact that I get to be part of it… it’s going to be a very symbolic night for me of just how far I have come in the last year and what a way to get to celebrate ringing in what I think will be the biggest year of my life which is hard to even believe because 2017 was so huge.”
The music industry is one of the most difficult industries to be successful in and Carly has been fortunate enough to have had a very successful year. One of the reasons is her incredible support system made up of some great friends and colleagues in the business as well as her record label. If you follow Carly or any of the other ladies in country music, you may see that they often hang out with each other. Nights out on the town, wine nights, and more. “We’re all really close. That’s not anything that is put on. Kelsea is a dear friend. Kacey Musgraves, Lauren Alaina, Maren Morris, all of them. We all root for each other. We want to see each other succeed. Recently, there were four girls in the top five most added songs on country radio. And I think it’s a testament that we have something to say and there’s a lot of really great women. It’s like a sisterhood. We all build each other up and want each other to win because there needs to be more females.” Carly also has a great support system at Big Machine Label Group where employees support her in every aspect of her life. Not because they have to, but because they believe in her so much. Carly went on to say, “Honestly, I feel like I get to work with a dream. Scott and everybody at Big Machine from every single department have been so amazing to me. I love all of them dearly like family. I think that so many artists hope and pray that they’re signed to a label that believes in them 100% to the core of who they are as a person and as an artist, and trusts their vision and just helps to makes it shine. And I have that. They work as hard as I do and really want me to win and I truly can’t imagine ever working with anyone else.”
With the New Year already underway, what’s the goal for Carly in 2018? “I think that most people know me right now, if you’re a country music fan, as the girl who sings ‘Every Little Thing.’ By the end of 2018, I want everybody who loves country music, to know the name Carly Pearce.” With three major tours lined up and her music all over the country airwaves, we have no doubt that every country music fan will know her name by the end of the year.
You can purchase Carly’s debut album, ‘Every Little Thing,’ which includes ‘Hide The Wine’ on iTunes here.
Main photo credit: Harper Smith