When Courtney Keil answered her phone for this interview, she was packing her bags for the recent Tamworth Country Music Festival.
With several showcases, it was the ideal place for Courtney to deliver lilting country jams from her forthcoming debut album, 'The Good Kind'. She was also awarded 'Best Female Vocal' at the 2023 Australian Country Music People's Choice Awards that were staged during the festival.Carried by her natural cheer and sweet tone, Courtney's album boasts a massive sense of nostalgia, throwing it back to the '90s, as aspects of the kinds of songs delivered by Shania Twain, Trisha Yearwood, and Faith Hill echo within – which was the vibe Courtney wanted to achieve.
"That's my favourite era of country music," she says, "so for me it's important to have a splash of that because that's what I grew up with."
"I grew up listening to Shania Twain and Dolly Parton, but at the same time was exposed to The Eagles and Cold Chisel." - Courtney Keil
Though the record takes a sonic trip backwards and borrows distinct aspects of country from that era, Courtney also gave 'The Good Kind' a modern edge after collaborating with an amazing production team.
"My producer Rod McCormack, he is such an incredible producer and musician, been around for many years now in the industry," Courtney gushes.
"A lot of the iconic '90s songs we hear, you know, he toured with Trisha Yearwood, so he played some of those songs while touring with her or other artists that he's worked with over the years, so he's had a lot to do with that classic '90s sound.
"To be able to pull it into my music was getting Rod to tap into something he's spent a lot of time on. There's so much great music out there at the moment that's super fresh and contemporary, yet you can have that classic country sound in there which makes it nostalgic but still really modern."
In the spirit of nostalgia, when you listen to the depth of the stories that Courtney delivers in her music – songs like 'Let's Pretend', 'Somebody Else's Perfect' and 'Hard Place' stand out as being particularly touching – you get the impression Courtney is first and foremost, a romantic.
Laughing, Courtney says: "Definitely! I am definitely a romantic! Love my rom-com movies, love a happy ending. Sure, I go through the ups and downs, but I like to look at the positive side and the good times, hence 'The Good Kind' being the name of the album."
There's a feel-good essence to the music Courtney writes; she draws on the romantic experiences of those around her as well as her own journey.
That romanticism and the lovey-dovey element is who Courtney is, driven by the encounters she's had in those areas. "It's really nice to be able to tap into family stories and things that you've been through as inspiration," she says.
"Usually, you're not the only person who's been through something that you write about, and that's the great thing about music, being able to share experiences with people.
"So often we've been through similar circumstances. For me, I like to keep it relatively positive in my music and feel-good, that when people listen to it, it lifts their mood.
"At the same time, I don't shy away from showing the other side of life; it's not always sunshine and butterflies, it's highs and lows. It's important to have those dynamics on an album, [one] that celebrates the highs, spends time on the lows, trying to keep it relatively positive as much as I can."
After listening to 'The Good Kind' and Courtney's masterful grasp of the genre, you'd assume she hadn't done anything other than country, and yet, pop music was her first love.
"Thankfully I grew up in a family that loved all genres of music," Courtney says. "I was growing up listening to classic country like Shania Twain and Dolly Parton, but at the same time was exposed to The Eagles and Cold Chisel.
"I loved music from the outset. There were never really genres too much in mind when I started pursuing music, but I fell in love with Taylor Swift and Katy Perry, and all the young superstars in the pop and country worlds. I thought 'I want to do that'.
"It wasn't until my mid-teens that I realised 'my songs sound country, my voice sounds country, maybe I'm a country singer!'. It was a discovery process, finding where I fit. Because I love music so much, it kind of takes time to find your spot in the industry."
Though Courtney attests to having been influenced by many different female singer-songwriters, it's important to her that she retains a sense of uniqueness.
"A lot of incredible talent in Australia and throughout the world, there are so many beautiful singers, super talented, that you've really got to try and carve your way to standout, to be unique.
"I think it's that fine line of forcing yourself to be unique and just be yourself – that's really where you find your place.
"You find the things that maybe are a little bit different about you that not everyone does, trying to choose what side of you you want to show everyone, but I think it's important to try and find your place, and how you fit in."
Though Courtney oozes confidence today, there were hurdles to jump and doubts fostered as to her creative direction as she cultivated 'The Good Kind' during the previous three years. "It was definitely a challenge and I learnt a lot over the last few years," she begins, touching on challenges brought on by the pandemic.
"I feel fortunate I worked with awesome people that kept me on track and not lose faith in any goals I had.
"It was a different process to how I imagined getting my debut album recorded, but at the same time I wouldn't change it now, because I've learnt so much, met so many incredible people, and I think by doing it this strange backwards way, it's all worked out for good in the end."
While trying to launch her career properly over this period was somewhat tricky, on the other side of lockdowns and the like, it's been, she says, refreshing.
"Being able to get out and play shows, it's one of those things you no longer take for granted. You really enjoy those moments – onstage and in the studio – and it's really grounding to take a step back and say, 'Wow, it's been such a journey'."
'The Good Kind' is released 24 February. Courtney Keil launches the album at The Sunken Monkey (Central Coast) 23 February.
