Born and raised in Listowel, Ontario, Canadian country Karli June fell in love with music from a very young age. Growing up, she sang at local fairs, in her church’s choir and in various singing competitions. “During her teens, she began writing songs in earnest, studied piano, taught herself guitar, and took every opportunity to perform live during school concerts, in musical theatre productions, and at the local pub.” (June). In the years that followed, Karli performed at the widely-celebrated Canadian country music festival, Boots & Hearts and shared the stage with country music icons such as Dierks Bentley, Brett Kissel, Terri Clark, and Corb Lund.
In 2020, Karli released her single, “Say Too Much,” a collaboration with Scott Chesak (All American Rejects). Since its release, the song has been streamed 120K + times on Spotify alone. Now, the artist has released her latest single, “Home Team”- which speaks to all the individuals that support us while pursuing our dreams.
Recently I spoke with Karli June about her path to pursuing country music, her latest single and her goals for this year.
Kyla Pearson: For those who are unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us a bit about your path to pursuing music? What made you want to become an artist?
Karli June: I started singing in church when I was about 9 years old. I fell in love with country music growing up on a dairy farm where country music was often playing out in the barn! Being an artist was always something I wanted to do, I always loved to put on shows for my parents when I was young but in church, I discovered that music could truly help people through life. That has been my inspiration to pursue it as my career!
KP: Your latest single, “Home Team” was written by you & co-written by Karen Kosowski (Meghan Patrick, The Washboard Union, Tim Hicks) and Tori Tullier (Megan McKenna, Alyssa Micaela, Stephanie Quayle). The song speaks to all the individuals who support us in the pursuit of our dreams. In line with the song’s theme, who would you say has been your biggest supporter over the years?
Karli June: My family! They have come to so many shows where they were the only ones in the audience. Even when my big dreams seemed a million miles away, they believed in me. I am forever grateful for that and couldn’t even begin to do this without them.
KP: You’re also from a small town. How would you say that has impacted the music you write and share with the world? Have you experienced support from your “home team”?
Karli June: Absolutely! That’s a huge part of who I am and the things that matter most to me. I am working to bring that into the music as much as I can. I am very grateful for my hometown and how they have given me opportunities since I was young. I often sang at events across town like hockey games and our local fair.
KP: Can you tell us a bit about the songwriting and recording process that went into making the song? How did you come up with the hook for the song?
Karli June: I had the title bouncing around in my mind for a while, and I decided to bring it into the writing session that day! Karen Kosowski (who produced the track) came up with the idea of making it sound like a marching band in a sports stadium and we built the feeling of the song from there!
KP: What do you hope to achieve with this new single? What do you hope fans will get out of this song?
Karli June: I hope it becomes a song that reminds people that there’s always someone there for them! When we look back on our lives it’s amazing to see the people who have stayed with us through the ups and downs — I hope it allows them to feel a celebration of that! I also hope it shows more of who I am and where I come from. For the listeners to get to know me more through this music!
KP: Your latest single is also following up your previous single, “Heart Drunk”. Through a clever play on words, Heart Drunk contrasts the feeling of falling in love with being drunk. Beyond the song’s theme, how would you say your latest single differs from your previous one?
Karli June: Every song I write is something that is real to me. I recently got engaged and so “Heart Drunk” is something I have truly been feeling. Both songs are similar in that they celebrate something good in life however the themes of the songs are what make them different!
KP: You’ve also previously shared the stage with artists such as Dierks Bentley & Terri Clark. What were those experiences like? Who is someone you aspire to perform or collaborate with in the future?
Karli June: That has been truly incredible! I try to just soak in each opportunity as a true gift to learn from these artists. It’s so cool to see them at sound checks and to see how humble and kind they are. Hearing stories of how they got started reminds me that they were once where I am and that gives me incredible excitement for what is to come!
KP: Moving forward in 2021, what is one goal you hope to achieve with your music by the end of the year? Do you plan on releasing new music other than “Home Team”?
Karli June: I have been working on my debut EP which is set to release later this year. My goal is to continue to bring in new listeners in an authentic way through being my true self in the music and writing about what truly matters to me! I think if you do that, you can’t go wrong.
Listen to Home Team now:
Stay up to Date With Karli June:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4gl24Om08DKLCr0Z6bKatR
Twitter: https://twitter.com/karlijunemusic
Website: https://www.karlijune.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY9NS3e_boY
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itskarlijune/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/karlijunemusic
iTunes/Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/karli-june/912348359
Works Cited
June, Karli. Interview. Conducted by Kyla Pearson, May 13 2021.
Popescu, Cassandra. “Featured: Canadian country artist Karli June”. Photo courtesy of Karli June. Accessed May 13 2021.
Unknown. “Official cover art for Karli June’s single, “Home Team” ”. Photo courtesy of Karli June. Accessed May 13 2021.
