One to watch: Karley Scott Collins
Karley Scott Collins’s music is instantly identifiable by one thing: her love of an electric guitar. Collins’s passion for the instrument originates in another love for her, heavy rock and metal music. As Collins releases her brand new EP ‘Write One’, we take a look at her career so far, her rise to playing the main stage at C2C and where she is going next.
“There’s a song that I’ve just recorded that is going to have a really cool feature on it, but I’m not allowed to tell you who it is yet. That will probably have the most rock influence that I’ve done so far,” Collins tells us at C2C in March. Now, we know that feature is none other than country music superstar Keith Urban, taking on the titular song of the EP – it’s not surprising, knowing how excited Collins was about the feature. Urban’s electric guitar contributes heavily to the rock side of the track – a facet of country music that women are woefully lacking in visibility. Collins might not have told us who the feature was, but she definitely drops some hints about Urban’s take on the track saying, “I watch people, say, Slash or something and I’m just like, ‘oh my God!’ Or Keith Urban even. I mean, he’s amazing.” Upon reflect it’s a little mischievous, Collins exerting her control over information to subtly imply what’s coming next. A sign of confidence not only in her music, but in her dealings with the media. It’s a powerful move, as powerful as her voice.
Rock royalty
For Collins, country rock music is a natural choice. She is a country rock fan, so she makes country rock music, it’s simple logic. “Guns ‘N’ Roses is my dad’s favourite band of all time. He’s actually here he is wearing Guns ‘N’ Roses shirt tonight, as funny as it is. So, when I was growing up and when I started singing, he used to tell me to put a little Axel Rose on it.” Collins is only 24 years old at the time of writing this piece, so her knowledge of rock annals comes in handy to inform her own sound. As she shapes her career around her, Collins looks to the greats of the past to inform her future.
As we move on to discuss her love of UK artists, Collins is quick to bring up the punk rock influences that have shaped her own writing: “I was listening to literally only UK people this morning when I was getting ready. Well, right now I’ve been into the Sex Pistols vibe because I was down on Brick Lane. I was like, it just felt like that was what I should be listening to. But I love The Cure, I love The Smiths. I was listening to the Rolling Stones, too. I like Royal Blood a lot. None of them are country, sorry!” Collins might point out that none of her favourite UK artists are country, but it’s clear to see where they help to curate her tastes. The unifying force between the bands she names is their ability to create a unique electric guitar sound. It’s a theme that comes up again and again, as she tells us she wants to learn how to “really shred. I think would be awesome, it looks cool too”, it’s clear that one of her aims is to stand out as a woman writing, playing and eventually shredding in country music. That unique guitar sound might not have found its feet in Collins’ repertoire as of year, but there’s no doubt that she will continue to strive for it, seek it out and play around with her music until she does.
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Hannah Larvin, Editor, Maverick Magazine
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