Music Monday Featured Artist: Kristen Merlin

From singing on National television to touring internationally, Kristen Merlin’s powerhouse voice has taken the world by storm. Merlin has been developing her sound for the past 13 years, starting out in the local bar scene in her hometown of Boston. In 2014, Merlin was chosen to join Team Shakira on NBC’s The Voice, ending up in the Top 5. Shortly after the show ended she moved to Nashville to continue pursuing her career in music. “Music has always played such a major role in my life – not only with my love of creating and performing it – but with its healing effects it’s had on me throughout my life. When I started writing as a means for an outlet for myself, it took me by surprise to learn that my music had healing effects on others!”

Kristen Merlin’s latest single, Fireflies, was co-written with a good friend of hers from Boston a few years back. The duo met in Nashville, but quickly realized they grew up not far from each other.

“We were both in Nashville for music and decided that we should probably work together on a project! Fireflies is what came of it and we love it! Listeners have been so receptive to it and we’ve just had a really positive experience with the whole thing from writing to now.”

“It made sense to release a love song on Valentine’s Day. I’m so proud of this one and I feel like it is true to me as an artist. I had so many different voices telling me to ‘pick a lane’ or to ‘find your sound’ over the years and my style is very eclectic. I didn’t want to just fit into one box within a genre. When I think of where I wanted to land, I think why do people want to come to my shows? It’s the energy and fun. I can touch on something that everyone will like at some point in the night. I pride myself on not sounding like the typical music you’ll here in bars.”

“I have several songs in the works right now and it’s going to be a whole different ball game as far as music I’m putting out this year goes. Like myself, we all at one point or another feel a little bit lost. I believe we can all find our way back,  but sometimes it takes finding the courage to be vulnerable to then grasp onto the tools that will help you rebuild or perhaps create something new entirely! I enjoy taking time to talk with fans, strangers, friends and family and truly listen to what’s on their hearts. My life experiences have helped me to relate to others on a deeper level. I encourage everyone to be bold, dream big and chase after whatever makes them happy! If I’m able to bring even just a little bit of joy to someone’s day – it makes heart smile.”

Kristen Merlin is one of those artists that’s constantly on tour. You can find her in Nashville one day, Phoenix another and then the next weekend she’ll be in Mexico! No matter where you are in the country (or internationally), there’s bound to be a stop near you! Check out the website for upcoming tour dates and more information on upcoming releases!

Follow Kristen Merlin: Website, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Spotify