Girl Talks
Erin Kinsey is Betting on Herself—And the Stats Back Her Up
Four years ago, almost to the day, I played a new song called “Just Drive” from a new artist named Erin Kinsey on a weekly country countdown I was hosting. It was the start of a massive run for Erin who went on to land four top-five hits and spend a staggering 115 weeks in the Top 40 of the platform I was on, based on listener streams and hearts.
In 2023 alone, Erin spent more weeks in the top ten than any other artist on that platform. But despite the numbers, the country music industry still makes women fight for every second of airplay. In this “full circle” conversation, Erin and I dive into why validation from the “town” doesn’t matter as much as finding your own voice.
The Matron Saint & The Mindset Shift
Before she even had her first EP, Erin already had a cut recorded by the matron saint of country music herself: Dolly Parton. Erin reflects on that “crazy experience” and how it eventually freed her to stop chasing trends and start leaning into the hyper-specific, authentic parts of her artistry.
“What can I do that no one else is doing because only I could do it?” — Erin Kinsey on her new mindset.
Talking Smack: The Story Behind the Songs
If you gasped when you first heard “Matchmaker” or “I Ain’t Crazy,” you aren’t alone. Erin gets real about the shift from the “happy love songs” of her first EP to the more confident, smack-talking tone of her recent hits, and what’s changed for her as an independent country artist.
She opens up about the end of a six-year relationship and the subsequent betrayal—finding out via Facebook that her ex was marrying one of her close friends.
Watch the full interview below to hear more about:
Why she’s betting on herself because she isn’t good at anything else
The math behind Erin’s chart-dominating success.
Running around the stage “like a mad woman” during live shows.
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