Kirsty Lee Akers is exactly the kind of star we need in 2021 – eccentric, exciting, authentic, and a genuine recording artist. She is a rare talent who is proud of her First Nations heritage, a woman of the Wonnarua People (Hunter Valley – Australia). Akers describes herself as a fusion of pop, modern country, with Americana stylings.
Like many artists unable to tour throughout the pandemic, Akers spent much of her time writing and recording. Taking inspiration from what she couldn’t do, to make the most of what she could.
In addition to creating new music, curb the unfortunate circumstances, Kirsty (and her husband Jesse Anderson) have kept themselves busy as one of five couples featured on the Channel 9 reality TV series ‘The Block’ airing at this very moment. Both have enjoyed the experience, but music will always be Kirsty’s first passion.
Akers states, “Music and family have always been the most important parts of my life. My Nan, Mum, and Aunt were all singers, and I grew up with my pop playing music all the time. I still remember my first performance at age three. I was hooked!”
Decades later, Kirsty has a plethora of musical achievements under her belt, she is the only artist in history to have won three of the major prizes in Australian Country Music, Toyota Star Maker, Telstra Road to Discovery, and a Golden Guitar Award (Two in total).
No stranger to pushing boundaries, Kirsty has a remarkable new song with plenty of genre-bending spark to thrill every new listen. Her new single “For Love” was written in lockdown and is the brand-new single from the 2021 Golden Guitar winner. In 2020, when she was meant to be in the United States on a writing trip, she instead improvised and connected with two of her favourite collaborators, Phil Barton and Bruce Wallace. The result was an upbeat, vibrant track about what she would do for love.
Written about her husband Jesse, the new single is in fact a true love story, from primary school to marriage… a rare enduring relationship in 2021. Even though Jesse was the inspiration, the song tells a story of love in general, and all the things you would do for that “special” person. Kirsty declares, “I know Jesse would give his life for me, and I would do the same, I hope this song tells the story of loving someone so much that you couldn’t imagine living life without them.”
After taking the producer’s chair for the first time on her most successful album to date in 2018, Akers decided to bring her established band members in on the fun this time. The track was co-produced by Akers with Paul Bain, Issac Kennedy, and Dan Ebbels at the new Five Town Productions studios in Brisbane.
Kirsty explains, “I never want to do the same thing twice in music. I think this track is something my audience hasn’t heard from me before. We really experimented with different sounds and creating something new but also had a bit of nostalgia to it. It’s still me, just an evolution of my sound.”
The video for “For Love” is overflowing with conviction, romance, and affection, and it’s the perfect visual representation of the sentiment behind the song itself. Produced and directed by Kirsty’s husband Jesse, the video clip encapsulates an artist who is totally involved in the process, and completely enamoured by the idea of creating new songs and sounds…all “for love”.
The track is the very first release through Kirsty’s newly formed record label, Rider Records.