Kelly Prescott set to take London to Church

Originally posted in Tourism London's Best of London section - 03/03/20

Growing up, there was little doubt where Kelly Prescott’s path would lead.

What she couldn’t imagine, however, was what story she was going tell.

“My goal was never to do radio country, which is funny because I grew up with such a love of country music, but I was really all over the map,” Prescott explained, adding after having a hand in everything from bluegrass to pop, eventually it came time to regroup. “I was trying too hard to be somebody I wasn’t. I had to sort of start from scratch again, build everything up. I really needed to take some time and figure out what I wanted.”

Prescott comes by her musical gifts more honestly than most, as a third-generation singer/songwriter — on both sides of the family.

Music, it seems, is literally in her blood.

“I was a goner from the get-go . . . I really didn’t have a choice,” she said with a laugh. “I really couldn’t even picture myself doing anything else.”

Now, Prescott is set to hit the Forest City with Alan Doyle’s cross-Canada Rough Side Out Tour on Friday, Apr. 1 at Centennial Hall, with some brand-new music in tow.

Prescott released her highly anticipated solo EP, Love Wins, in late February — anchored by the emotional single Church, co-written alongside Donovan Woods and Jason Mater. It’s an offering that has seen the musician heralded for returning to her roots, with songs that tackle some pretty tough subjects — all of which hit pretty close to home.

So, it turns out, the story Prescott was destined to tell was a deeply personal one.

“Church might be one of the most honest songs on this record, and it comes from a very real place,” she said. “It’s so hard to grasp the fact there was so much love between two people and it just totally disappears. I know that kind of experience isn’t exclusive to my life — it’s one that can resonate with a lot of people, and as a songwriter that’s really what you strive to do.”

Fact is, this EP has been a long-time coming. Prescott’s previous release, Hillbilly Jewels, dropped in 2016 — practically a lifetime ago in an industry that constantly demands more, on ever-tighter deadlines. But for Prescott, it was her experiences over the last for years that truly built the foundation for Love Wins.

“I went through a divorce, as well as a horrible time in the industry where I had to sort of step back and revaluate,” she said. “I think it really took everything falling apart for me to finally feel good and ready to release this music. The struggles I faced continue to lead me to much bigger and better things.”

Kelly Prescott joins Alan Doyle on the London stop of his cross-Canada Rough Side Out Tour, at Centennial Hall (550 Wellington St.) on Friday, Apr. 1.

For more info, or for tickets, visit centennialhall.london.ca.

Photo by Mike Highfield