Writing songs from personal experience requires a lot of living to create something truly special. Fortunately for Kelsea Ballerini, a multi-GRAMMY nominee and Country Music Association award winner, finding inspiration is never a challenge. Since the release of her GRAMMY-nominated Rolling Up The Welcome Mat in 2023, Ballerini has continued to build a deep connection with her fans, drawing from her ever-evolving life.

Teaming up with producer and longtime collaborator Alysa Vanderheym, Ballerini embraced an all-female approach for her upcoming album PATTERNS, set to release on October 25th via Black River Entertainment. The concept for the album took shape during a songwriting retreat with Vanderheym, Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Hillary Lindsey, GRAMMY Songwriter of the Year nominee Jessie Jo Dillon, and Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild. During the retreat, Ballerini, who is known for her honey-blonde locks, chose to create an album centered on themes of female friendship, vulnerability, honesty, and the reality of relationships beyond the polished portrayal seen on social media.

"There was an unpresumed feeling of knowingness that happened on that retreat,” Ballerini reports. “I felt safe, so then I was able to feel honest, and then more so, creative. We were all, as songwriters, in tandem but more so as women just in a real heart flow of it all. Having these heroes and friends champion the process and the guts of it all has been one of the joys of my career. Disassembling and sorting through the habits and nuances of ourselves, and then those that we love the most, is a chapter I am still in and will always stand by. I’m really proud of that story through music."

You can pre-save PATTERNS and pre-order exclusive versions of the album on vinyl and CD through Black River Entertainment.

PATTERNS offers a judgment-free space that feels comforting while exploring the patterns that hold us back, the conflicts that could end relationships, and the friends who help us through tough times. Following the success of the raw and vulnerable "Cowboys Cry Too" with Noah Kahan, which has been gaining traction on country radio and streaming charts in America, Ballerini shifts the focus to her own journey of self-discovery with the track "Sorry Mom."

“I never could have started a song with, ‘Sorry Mom I smelled like cigarettes…,’” admits Ballerini, who speaks candidly for her generation. “But that’s what was so special about working with these writers: everyone encouraged and pushed each other to dig deeper into the truth of our lives. And that’s exactly what you’ll find in ‘Sorry Mom’—chasing dreams, leaving school, losing my virginity, and dropping out of college.

“But the best part of the song is – in the fullness of time – I can appreciate how she felt about all of it, I can understand why. We can both look back on those times, knowing it was part of the journey, and it’s part of a lot of people’s journeys… But when you look at everything that happened, it turned out pretty well. To me, that’s what you can’t know ‘til you’re here.”

With an acoustic guitar leading the way, the midtempo ballad is more than just a collection of personal details—it’s a tribute to anyone who has ever chased a dream, even when the people they love don’t fully understand. As the band joins in, the song’s creamy California pop sound and harmonies create a moment of reflection and appreciation for the mothers, daughters, sons, and friends who offer tough love but never stop believing in the dreamer.

Author: Adam Bailey

Adam is a regular contributor for established press release distribution website Release-News.com. He writes on a wide range of topics including music.