One of our favourite encounters at this years C2C was with Karley Scott Collins, not so much an interview as a chat
about how things were going - she was a charming delight to meet, not surrounded by an entourage of folk needing to whisk her away to her next appointment, That night she would go on to be the star of the Introducing Nashville section of the show with her vocals really filling the O2 in a different way to her fellow performers.
She is back with a new single "How D0 You Do That?" and has roped in fellow C2C performer Brian Kelley for some additional male backing vocals. The song touches on one of those mysteries of the world, how when a relationship breaks up one half spends time analysing what went wrong while the other immediately moves on into a new relationship as if it were nothing.
The opening is a mix of a drums, piano and computerised keyboards - it makes for a stark opening over which Karley outlines her current situation and it's easy to see which side of the fence she is aligning with. Her vocals, always deeper and richer than you'd imagine from viewing the person staring out from the cover, in the opening verse deal with new found freedoms but are more addressing the fact that she has yet to move on.
"I know how to wear that party dress, I can put a drink up to my lips
I can meet a guy, they can think I'm fine, from the outside looking in
But what they don't know is, this heart break ain't slowing down
Seems like you have got it figured out - so tell me how!"
The chorus sees the song explodes instrumentally into life as Karley further outlines what is holding her back from moving forward. The first time round Karley's vocals are quite restrained, each subsequent visit will see her up the ante in terms of power and emotion.
"So trying to put my hands on someone new
Always brings my mind right back to you,
So why can't I?
Now that you've got your lips on someone else
And you don't lose sleep, don't hurt like hell
So why can't I?
How do you do that?
Act like it wasn't you that
Broke my heart in two - like It was nothing to you
Like I was easy to lose - yeah"
The latter lyrics really say more about the aggrieved than the person aggrieving, even though they are pointed at him for it is Karley spilling out her feelings.
How do you do that thing where you fall asleep close your eyes and not start to dream
about the memories, our history? - don't know why, it just don't work for me"
It all leads Karley to reach an inevitable though hurtful conclusion
"If your heart was ever broken, for it sure ain't showing now
Just tell me how do you do that?"
The presence of co writer Charles Kelley it has to be said is not exactly overwhelming, he only really comes to the fore towards the end, although his backing vocals are there throughout adding his timbre to the overall sound, just maybe a little more muted than you might expect. The lyrics though are not exactly conducive to having both a prominent male and female lead as one needs to be the bad guy/gal.
Undoubtedly a little more mainstream, than Karley's previous 2024 single the rootsy, "Marlboro Reds", it does showcase her skills rather well, the hurt confused vulnerable vocal of the verse or the explosive chorus are delivered equally well. She is definitely an aspiring talent and this single is surely another stepping stone on the way to greater things.
"How Do You Do That?" is available now https://ksc.lnk.to/HDYDT