We were lucky to catch up with Kayleigh Mathews recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kayleigh thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

Oh wow, this is a good one!

I moved to Nashville March of 2018 bright eyed & bushy tailed thinking as soon as I moved everything would fall right into place. Well, that wasn’t exactly what happened! I couldn’t find a job for two months and felt like maybe I made a HUGE mistake. I left an incredible job & everyone I love back home in Arizona.

Thankfully one day while job hunting, I stumbled upon my dream job opportunity. A tour guide position at the Grand Ole Opry House was open and I’m so grateful the stars aligned for me. I was hired on the spot and literally jumped & screamed for joy as soon as I walked out of my interview.

What an absolute dream come true & blessing that job was for me. I made instant friends that became my Nashville family. I moved up positions fairly quickly getting to work day & show night shifts which meant really being part of the magic & spirit of the Opry and Country Music.

Just so happened the Opry brought me more than I could of ever dreamed, it helped me find true, unconditional love. I met my now boyfriend there who also had dreams of working in music but as an artist manager. Honestly, things couldn’t have worked out better, we both have a work ethic & drive that doesn’t compare to most people. So we set out to really chase our dreams but this time together.

We moved south of Nashville to save a money and moved-in together and decided to set fourth in chasing these dreams. We worked our tails off. I worked some odds & end jobs and he even did some manual labor at a farm until we could save up some money for music.

In the midst of all that with the pandemic I was furloughed and really worried about how we were going to live. This is where God & country music comes in. I couldn’t find work, I tried everywhere, literally everywhere. No one was hiring with the uncertainty. So for two months we worked hard on my music. Setting up short term & long term goals. Researching producers, and revamping all my social media pages. I started out with 150 followers on Instagram & 250 followers on Facebook.

In two months I was able to find a day job but I was determined to leave it as soon as possible so I could simply be a musician full time. Two years flies by. In that time I went from making live singing videos on social media to booking our first show. I was SO dang excited.

My first real show was at Ole Red in Gatlinburg, TN. We loaded up and hit the road. It was a success! The bug had bit me as they say – I was learning my groove & it truly was music. That first year, 2020 I had 6 shows total. We set a goal to book as many weekends as we could in 2021.

In 2021’s end we closed playing 54 shows plus me working a full time day job. In the beginning of 2022 I began to feel restless. I wanted & craved more music in my life. From January to May we booked heavily! So much so I was working all day then singing at night. Then it got to the point where I was literally working in the car as we drove 9/10 hours away for shows. I was in this for the music. I wanted to do whatever it took.

In May 2022, we booked a 2 week tour through Texas and out to some radio interview’s in Tucson, AZ (my hometown). One day my boyfriend/manager comes to me & explains the financial situation with me. We realized me being in a full time day job was actually hurting us booking wise. He crunched the numbers and proved to me that we actually would do better if I was a musician full time.

I was incredibly nervous. Thinking of all the ways this could end up bad. He reassured me & I prayed about it. One morning I woke up and had this feeling in my heart that I had to let go of my fear give it to God and do what truly set my heart on fire.

We began booking shows & doing mini tours which proved to be a big success for us! I can honestly say none of this would’ve happened without the love & support of my boyfriend/manager. He is honest and walks with me through the unknown believing in this even when it feels impossible.

Being a full time musician, I’ve been able to be free to create music & projects that I’ve put a lot of time and energy into. I’m able to connect more with fans, and most importantly I’m doing everything I ever dreamed of as a little girl. I’m being what I always wanted to be a country music singer.

Since going full time we’ve traveled all over the country 27 states to be exact. I started my own business called Desert Child Entertainment that protects the music I’ve work hard to create. I’ve put out 4 singles & 2 EP projects. Our socials have more than quadrupled. The best part is making & playing music and meeting all the incredible people we have along the way. I wouldn’t change a single step in this adventure thus far because it’s gotten us to right here.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hey there! My name is Kayleigh MatheWs and I am an American Country Music Singer, Songwriter, and Nashville Recording artist. My love for music began at a young age with genre influences rooted in bluegrass, Gospel, and Traditional Country. Growing up in the southwest, I began honing my songwriting craft inspired by my hometown and life experiences, ultimately sharing a glimpse at life through song.

When people listen to my music I want them to be able to connect to it in someway. Whether it’s the lyrics, the melody, or both together. I’ve always wanted to write music people not only listen to but feel.

How did you build your audience on social media?

This one is something that you consistently have to work on and I think I view it differently from most people.

I started out in 2020 with 150 Instagram followers & 250 Facebook followers. I am now at 1430 on Instagram & 1736 on Facebook. To some that may seem like small numbers compared to most Artist pages. The thing different about me is I want to earn every fan that comes to my social pages. You can literally buy followers to grow your page. I’ve never wanted that.

You may think “why though!?” The answer to that is I am a singer/songwriter, a creative, I write what I know, what is genuine and real. The good, bad, and ugly truth. I want the same for my social media. I want people to see me how I just woke up, hairs a mess and no makeup. Why? Because it’s real.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

These are stellar questions!!!

As a fan/listener there are a few things you can do to help your favorite up & coming artists!

1.) Buy & stream the heck out of their music! (We don’t make much on our actual music but the streaming numbers matter a lot)
2.) Buy merch and represent! (This is how we make money to live)
3.) This is a big one – share with literally everyone you know! It’s 100% FREE to share – whether on social media or word of mouth.
4.) Talk to your favorite artists! Send fan mail, message them and tell them what you love & like that they are doing! Even sharing what you’d like to see from them in the future!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kayleighmathews.com
• Instagram: www.Instagram.com/kayleighmathews
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/kayleighmathews
• Youtube: www.YouTube.com/kayleighmathews

Image Credits
Hannah Qi Photography