Festival Season is over for us here at Building Our Own Nashville and we are feeling the post-festival blues. However, we kept a few of our BST Hyde Park Interviews aside especially for this moment to re-live our summer events and reflect on the great times we had and to get all geared up for next year’s announcements. First up, we share our time backstage at Hyde Park with the wonderful Kelly McGrath, who for us, has become such a special artist. We hope to see her on next years line up as well as some other events such as C2C or The Long Road.

US Country Singer/Songwriter Kelly McGrath is an artist we have been following since we first saw her at BST Hyde Park in 2018 supporting Eric Clapton. Having now played the event four times, since Neil Young this year, McGrath can now call the UK and BST Hyde Park a second home.

Over the years, McGrath has supported The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen and this year Neil Young at BST Hyde Park and her fan base keeps growing each time she plays. 

Kelly McGrath is currently working on a new album and whilst it has been a while since we have had new music from McGrath, her oldies are still goodies and we could listen to the EP Kites all day! It is this EP in fact, which begs the question to why McGrath isn’t more widely known and we really hope that she gets more of the recognition that we know she deserves.

Kelly McGrath is always a joy to talk with. Humble and kind, she is down to earth and engaging. We hope you enjoy your chat!

How have you been? It’s been a while!

I know, two years.

The last time I actually personally saw you was supporting Eric Clapton, so, welcome back. You must consider the UK like a second home?

I do! I was moving to London permanently in 2019 and, yeah, plans changed. After falling in love and meeting the father of my daughter, I ended up moving to San Diego instead. I had intended to make London my permanent home, and still do feel at home here. My best friend Pia, is here, and I’ve got my band here, and just a great support system. I’ve always felt a strong connection to London and creatively, I’m always just very inspired here and in Europe in general, you know?

Good and Hyde Park in itself is like a home too I guess?

It is. It is so special. It’s got this magic to it. You know, this festival has been going on for since, like, the late 60s or 70’s.

Yeah, I think it had different names. I remember coming here once and it was hard Rock Calling and then it’s changed names over the years.

But just hallowed ground for sure. I mean, there’s footage of the Rolling Stones playing here, like 1969. It’s always such an honor, a privilege to play here. I mean I played in 2023, and 2020, this is my fourth time!

Yes, I have seen you a few times here and in fact, the only time I haven’t seen you was Rolling Stones, I think, because I couldn’t make that day but I saw you support Eric Clapton and Springsteen and then now. Have you had a favourite so far? I mean, whether it’s playing or as a fan in the crowd?

I mean, to be honest, they’ve all three have been different. I mean, Eric Clapton, is Eric Clapton, and that, being my first time here, was super special, because it was my first time. I had just released, you know, my album, but also I was the only female artist on that lineup you had The Wandering Hearts but they are a group so, I was the only female artist. It was really special. And then the Rolling Stones…

Yes and you’re friendly with them?

Yes for about 10 years. And, you know, they’re a big reason why I’ve come to London as much as I have, there has felt this connection and I have the support system through all the friendships and relationships and collaborations that I’ve made just from meeting them and everybody that you know is in their world. So that was a very full circle gig to open for them and they were so amazing. They were so proud. And, yeah, they all signed a poster and it was really lovely. It was just very cool. So that was super special. And then Springsteen was phenomenal as well. I got to meet him and he is truly a special person. He has this angelic aura in person and speaking to him, he asked me how my set was, how I felt about it, and I told him we did a mashup of my last song and Dancing in The Dark, you know and we just had the most lovely conversation. And then I was the last person to speak to him before he went on stage, he grabbed both my hands and looked at me right in my eyes and said, “God bless you.”

Have you recovered?

I know I went, “God bless you Bruce Springsteen”, oh my gosh, but he definitely has this aura, like he understands his assignment,

He was completely unaffected by his success, but also understands the power of his influence and how he inspires people. And he just,I just feel like he understands what he’s here to do.

Let’s talk music, because I read on your socials that you are working on an album very, very excited. What are you allowed to tell me about the album?

I can tell you that as we all go through things in life, and you come to a new place, all albums are like chapters out of your life and this one is definitely about resilience and creating your own freedom, and creating the life that you want to live and the power of perspective and also the power of the people you choose to have in your life, and how that determines so much of where you are in your life, the people you surround yourself with, and who you choose. And look, one of the new songs is called “chosen family”- that’s pretty much what that’s about. One of the songs is about my daughter. I’ve written so many songs about her, but this one I absolutely adore. It’s called “fireworks in slow motion.”

She knows what I do, and loves it. And she’s also sings all the time and writes her little songs and dances. So she’s really, she is so excited

I’m really, really excited about the new album it. I think it’s some of my favorite songs that I’ve ever written, but also because of where I am in my life. I’m writing it with true intention of connecting with other people, and hopefully these songs empower people in their own lives.

I can’t wait to hear the ones about motherhood. Honestly, there’s not enough out there. Does your daughter have a favourite song of yours?

I wouldn’t say a favourite one, because, I mean, her favourite new song is whichever one I’m working on. She hears me playing because she learns all the lyrics and all the words like instantly. She can hear a song twice and know all the words.

Is the album a self-penned album?

It is. I’m not closed to collaborating on this album, but it’s just all you know, with songwriting, for me, I’ve always been a solo songwriter, and I love co-writing, but I also, especially in the Nashville co-writing community, what can tend to happen is you, you don’t ever write just a song on your own anymore, because you’ve just got so used to the collaborations, which is great, but I’ve never wanted to lose that, you know, writing a song on my own. So it’s actually been good for me, but it’s all started to pour out. You do have to wait for the inspiration to come. Timing is everything you know, and it’s all started pouring out in like the best way.

Who are you most excited to see today?

I mean, I’m gonna say Neil Young, because he was very influential in my childhood. He was my mum’s favourite artist, Neil Young and John Prine, my mum used to play their records all the time and driving me to school when I was eight years old. She was a massive Neil Young fan. Really tragic story, when my Dad died in a car accident, he and my mom had just been divorced a year, and he was still madly in love with her, and he’d gone to the pub with all of his friends, and there was a band there. This is the story. There was a band there and he walked up to the band, you know, after he just had a few beers, and said, “Do you guys know Heart of Gold?” And they said, “Yeah, yeah, we’ll play it.” And he said, “No, no, you play it. I’ll sing it.” And he got up he sang ‘Heart of Gold’, and it’s like, my mum’s favorite song and then he died in a car accident that night. That night, so that song is really special to me. You know, my mum has regretted every day since, you know, for the divorce. So it’s really hard and traumatic. But also, you know, everybody has their own trauma, everyone experiences loss and grief. And you know, so specifically Neil Young, and that song is a part of childhood memories for me, and very influential on me as a songwriter. And, I mean, we’re going to be ending my set with ‘Heart of Gold’. and I’m playing harmonica, it’s gonna be really special.

Well, thank you for sharing that with me, and I’m sorry for your loss.

‘You and Me Today’ is about my dad. And I’m also playing a song I’ve never played here before from an album Back in 2012 ‘My Heart Strings’. It’s called, ‘If You Can See me Now’, and that was about my Dad. It’s a duet online, but, yeah, it just flowed really nicely with the set and being in Hyde Park. So I’m playing a new song, one of the new ones that’s going to be on the album.

I appreciate you sharing that with me.

That’s what being an artist is all about and daring to be vulnerable and telling the truth, because it gives other people permission to be vulnerable too.

and that’s what you said you want to do with the album. And I know that it’s going to work. It’s going to do that, it will help so many people.

I want it to be this empowering piece of art.

It will and that’s how I hear music, as empowering and permission to be vulnerable.