Meet Kayley Nell Walker: Singer-Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kayley Nell Walker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kayley Nell, what’s been your favorite thing to do during quarantine?
In addition to being an independent singer-songwriter, I work full time at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in the Education Department. My role is Community Outreach Coordinator and I plan music programs for local youth and families. During quarantine, my team and I have been hosting Songwriting 101 workshops via Zoom, as well as promoting weekly Instagram Live “Words and Music at Home” sessions with artists such as Carly Pearce, Blanco Brown and Brett Young. It’s been inspiring tuning in and hearing them share stories behind their songs. We often get emails from parents thanking us for providing something for their children to look forward to each week, but honestly it’s the highlight of my days working from home! The kids are so talented and clever with their lyrics and melodies. We even wrote a song called “The Quarantine Blues,” about how they miss their friends and school. It’s been a much needed bright spot for all of us during this strange time.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My new EP, “Daydreaming,” is a project that has been brewing since I moved from Texas to Tennessee two years ago. It feels great to finally get these tunes out of my head and into listeners’ ears! My heart will always be drawn to 60’s-70’s folk music like Janis Ian, Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, Jim Croce, which I hope is reflected in these songs. Special thanks to Kevin Dailey, my incredibly kind and creative producer here in Nashville, as well as my good friend and mentor Billy Herzig for co-writing “Old School” with me back home in Texas. I hope these songs can be a source of comfort or inspiration to all my fellow daydreamers out there.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Now more than ever, I would give ANYTHING to be at home eating Whataburger with my best friends. Alas, I will pretend I am there and give you an itinerary for a dream day in Dallas: 1. Breakfast at Breadwinners. Be sure to get a table in the garden patio! 2. Shop around at Northpark- Anthropologie, Draper James, Free People, and Lush are my favorite stores. 3. Ride bikes around downtown and visit the giant eyeball sculpture. 4. Stop by Mutt’s Canine Cantina and joyfully dog-watch. 5. Take a whimsical walk through Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. 6. Eat some fried oreos and ride the ferris wheel at the Texas State Fair. 7. Tour the Perot Museum- the dinosaur exhibit is obviously the coolest. 8. Watch a movie on the rooftop of Sundown at Granada. 9. Listen to local artists play open mic night at Opening Bell Coffee. 10. Finally, eat a honey butter chicken biscuit from.. you guessed it.. Whataburger.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family, who have always been my number 1 (and sometimes only) fans. Whether it was a junior high talent show, church solo, or sitting through fourteen hours of a road trip to Florida, listening to me perpetually sing “Tomorrow” from Annie; they have been there through everything. Their constant love and support is the reason why I continue to chase this crazy dream.