At just 20 years old, Seattle-based country-pop artist Carly Klein is proving that some of the most powerful songs come from radical honesty. Her new single, "Leading Myself On," is an emotionally raw confession about heartbreak, unmet expectations, and the painful realization that sometimes the love story exists only in your own imagination.
Written through tears and inspired by a deeply personal experience, the song showcases Klein's gift for turning diary-like vulnerability into relatable country-pop anthems. As she prepares to release her upcoming EP The Way You Got Me, Carly opens up about growing up as a songwriter, finding healing through music, the role her Christian faith plays in shaping her identity, and why being a child of God matters more to her than any label the world can give.
Listen to the new song here.
Q: You've been writing songs since you were six years old and performing from a young age. Looking back, how have those early experiences shaped the artist and storyteller you've become today?
Well, I first started writing songs because I thought that was what all musicians did. I thought that when I heard a song on country radio, it was always the singer who wrote it, so I thought that if I wanted to make it as a singer then I had to figure out how to write my own songs. I think that turned out to be true in a way because my songwriting is what makes me me as an artist. I think that forming that habit at such a young age and going out and doing everything I could to go out and share my songs has made me a very vulnerable writer, as it's now second nature for me to turn to songwriting and performing as an outlet for everything I go through.
Q: Your new single, "Leading Myself On," captures the all-too-relatable experience of reading too much into small moments. What inspired you to write this song, and how much of it comes from your own experiences?
I originally wrote this song in September and it was one of those songs where I was sobbing over the piano as I wrote it because every single part of it was from my heart and experiences. At the time I was going through the kind of heartbreak that's rooted in disappointment because I had had what I thought was a really romantic and connective experience with a guy where we spent the night exploring the city and sharing things with each other that went way deeper than the surface only to discover that it was all casual to him. I realized that I was so stuck in looking forward to the future and kind of idolizing what this thing could be that that discovery shattered me. There's something so cathartic about putting everything I feel into words that I actually think writing this song helped me get over it.
Q: The lyrics feel like reading pages from a personal diary. Was it difficult to be that vulnerable, and what do you hope listeners take away when they hear your story?
I think that when I write songs I'm not thinking about anyone ever hearing them while I'm writing. I'm just pouring out everything on my mind, so it's actually very easy for me to be vulnerable. You said it. Writing a song to me is like writing in my diary and I think that's why people connect with my lyrics. If there's anything that listeners take away when they hear my music and my story I hope it's just that no one has it figured out and that's okay. Not everybody vocalizes it but that doesn't mean it's not normal.
Q: Your music blends country storytelling with polished pop hooks. How did you approach finding the right balance for "Leading Myself On," and what makes this song stand out from your previous releases?
I originally wrote this song on piano and it was a little bit more contemplative and slower, but as I got to playing it more on my guitar when I'd go out and play shows it kind of evolved into something faster and more manic and I fell in love with the version that it became. When I started going through the process of bringing this song to life, I told my producer, Abel Soto (who is an amazing talent), that my vision for this song was a countrified version of "That's So True" by Gracie Abrams. I'm absolutely obsessed with that song and I think my vision has become a reality.
I think that the difference between this song and songs that I've released in the past is that I've experienced life in a much different way since releasing my first EP. I'm in college now and that's definitely given me a lot of material to be honest about, especially considering this is really my first time being independent and I think my sound has evolved with me. "Leading Myself On" is honest in a way that I've never been able to be simply because I hadn't lived through those experiences yet.
Q: Honesty and self-worth are important themes in the song. How has your faith influenced the way you navigate disappointment, relationships, and finding your identity beyond what others think of you?
My faith is the most important thing to me, beyond music or anything else. Knowing that no matter what, Jesus still loves me in spite of my flaws helps me to understand that no heartbreak is the end of the world. God has a plan for me in every aspect of my life and more than that, He knows my pain because He's felt it too. He's seen all my experiences and felt them with me, even when it hasn't felt like it. My identity goes far beyond anything that this world dictates. I don't need to be labeled as a singer, girlfriend, political party, or anything else, because above all I am a child of God.
Q: As "Leading Myself On" introduces listeners to this chapter of your music, what's next for you? Are there more singles, an EP, touring plans, or other projects fans can look forward to?
Yes! My next single is called "Good Girl" and it's about all the things I would do to get revenge if I didn't have the morals that I do. It's kind of my roundabout way of writing a revenge song without actually having to be mean. After that I'll have an EP of 5 songs coming out called "The Way You Got Me" that I can't wait for you to hear! I'm always playing shows whether I'm at home with my family in Washington for the summer or in Phoenix at school where I'll be sharing all these songs.
