Photo: Nick Pironio

Kasey Tyndall: From Keith Urban Contest Winner to Rising Artist

For Kasey Tyndall, music was just a hobby. That is until she entered a contest to duet with Keith Urban -- and won. Tyndall's hometown radio station, 94.7 WQDR, selected her to sing "We Were Us" on stage with Urban at his Raleigh, N.C., tour stop in 2014.

After the duet, Tyndall scored a management deal and a booking agent. Performing with Urban gave the 21-year-old the confidence and validation she needed to pursue music professionally. Soon, she was balancing local gigs with her school work and a part time job. A year later, the North Carolina native decided it was time to make music more than just a hobby. She dropped out of Eastern Carolina University's nursing program, packed her bags and headed to Nashville.

Since moving to Music City, Tyndall's been a regular at The Listening Room Cafe's all-female songwriter rounds, called Song Suffragettes. In essence, the weekly, all-girls showcase was launched in 2014 to highlight rising female country artists.

"It's just a wonderful organization," she tells Pop Blitz Magazine of Song Suffragettes. "It's a great platform for women."

In addition, Tyndall is the most recent Suffragette to land a major publishing deal, recently signing with Sony/ATV, according to Taste of Country. Tyndall has spent most of her time in Music City writing with industry veterans and honing her craft.

Moreover, her most notable co-write was with Doug Johnson, the man who penned chart-topping hits like Randy Travis' "Three Wooden Crosses" and Lee Brice's "Love Like Crazy." Tyndall collaborated with Johnson on her rock-infused tune "Babydoll."

The North Carolinian's rock-tinged sound, melded with her candid lyrics, is reminiscent of country music's past and present leading ladies, like Gretchen Wilson, Miranda Lambert and Brandy Clark.

She has an impressive catalog of original songs and a roster chock full of tour dates. But, Tyndall has yet to release a studio album. Her debut single, "Everything is Texas," is due for release Feb. 3. The bluntly honest song tells the story of her ex from Texas.

"When somebody breaks your heart, everything reminds you of that person," she explained to Pop Blitz Magazine. "As soon as he disappeared, everything was Texas. I mean, like, t-shirts, license plates. My favorite show is Walker, Texas Ranger, and I couldn't even watch that without getting upset."

 

Tyndall's knack for weaving ordinary stories into relatable lyrics is what makes her one of Nashville's most promising rising female country stars.

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