Carly Pearce Reflects on Finding Joy Again and Her Unbreakable Bond With Kelsea Ballerini

After a decade in country music, Carly Pearce says her perspective on life and her job as a country artist has shifted significantly. That change has not only influenced the way she approaches her music, but also how she shows up in her relationships and friendships.

One relationship that has remained especially meaningful throughout her career is her friendship with Kelsea Ballerini. The two first met when Ballerini was 19 and Pearce was 23. At the time, they were both just a couple of young women trying to find their footing in the Nashville scene. Pearce opened up about their close bond during an interview on Alchemy with Anthony Mason.

The Kentucky native admits that while they formed a friendship fairly quickly, she remembers feeling jealousy towards Ballerini after seeing that she had landed a record while Pearce was still independent and working towards that goal.

“I didn’t like her at first because she had a record deal and I didn’t. And I was like, ‘who’s this girl that’s 19 that’s already getting a record deal?’”

However that envy completely went away when Pearce realized that she had actually found a safe place in her fellow songstress.

“We’ve been through a lot together. I know I can go to her and she’s going to understand and vice versa, and we have that dialogue. And again, in whatever business you’re in, for us, there’s a very small amount of people that understand what this is like. And I always feel so seen by her, but we’ve grown up together and I love her,” she admitted.

That closeness eventually made its way into their music. Pearce and Ballerini previously teamed up with Kelly Clarkson on “You’re Drunk, Go Home,” giving fans a glimpse of the friendship they had built behind the scenes.

“It’s hard to find people,” Pearce continued. “In my experience, it has been hard for me to find real friends and hers as well. And truthfully, what I have with her, I don’t need anyone else. It’s really special.”

What started as a friendship between two young women has grown into a lasting bond over the years. Now, Carly Pearce and Kelsea Ballerini often find themselves oversharing over a glass of wine and making plenty of memories along the way. During a game of “Sip or Spill” with Entertainment Tonight, Pearce was asked about the craziest thing the two have ever done together. Her response said it all as she chose to take a sip rather than spill the details.

“We’re so eager, almost like golden retrievers of like, no, let us tell you. And I think we really connected in that way and it felt like, oh, I want to be your friend.”

Pearce went on to say that she has reached a point where she is more intentional about appreciating the present moment, both in her career and in the relationships that exist outside of music.

“I think I’m more aware now of what is important to me. And I think maybe I spent the 10 years not understanding time. I think now I’m more appreciative. I think my shows are better because I’m more present. I think my relationships outside of music are richer because I care and I’m more present. I think I’m actively taking care of that side of my life for the first time. And I think you can have both.”

She credits much of that newfound joy to making her latest record, Honest Woman, a project that helped her reconnect with the passion she first found in music.

“I found the joy again. It’s my favorite music I’ve ever made. I’m having more fun on stage now than when I was female vocalist of the year. I have the joy. I found the joy again. I found the fulfillment again.”

Moving forward, whether she’s winning awards and climbing the charts or not, Carly Pearce is taking a page from Dolly Parton’s book by refusing to settle for ordinary and continuing to push herself to raise the bar.

“It’s been a minute since I’ve seen number one on the chart. Okay. Not all my shows are always full. Okay. I’m not always nominated. Okay. But I can guarantee you that I work my butt off to make sure that I make myself continue to do this and raise the bar and do the things that I can control because at the end of the day, none of us can control. There’s no rhyme or reason to any of it. But I know I’ve made the best record I’ve ever made now.”