Kat Harlton
Lead Photo: Liz Rosa Photography
Kristin Carter originally broke into the country music scene with a Top 20 Canadian radio single and over 3.8 million digital streams. Now after her first two singles in the contemporary pop genre, 2023’s “I’m Still Here” and 2024’s “Euphoria”, the album release of “Full Bloom” (which she co-wrote and co-produced) represents Kristin’s dynamic artistic evolution into a fully-formed artist, songwriter, and producer.
Co-produced and co-written by Kristin, “Full Bloom” is a 12-track album that is presented as a “musical garden” with each flower being a song that reflects individual moments within a broader human experience. It’s a sonic journal chronicling Kristin’s curiosity, exploration and growth throughout her 20s. The album’s many topics include physical chemistry, self-doubt, complex realities for women, female empowerment, quiet moments of love, the quest for vitality, unrequited love, personal resilience, loss and grief, and gratitude.
“Full Bloom” also features the writing talents of Steve Mitchell, Emma-Lee, Luke Collins, and Marcus Ramsay (who co-produced the album).
I had the opportunity to chat with Kristin about her musical journey, her new album and what’s next.
Kat: Can you talk about the inspiration behind your debut album, “Full Bloom”?
Kristin: I’ve gotten really into gardening in the past while, and so I imagine “Full Bloom” like a sun-soaked garden.
As detailed in my album foreword, the past few years have had me reflecting a lot on what it means to be resilient, patient, and joyful – much like a gardener.
In digging for the meaning of these words, their roots, I allowed myself to celebrate the beauty in temporality, accept what I could not control and find comfort in the seasonal nature of life.
Each song on this record is a carefully planted seed, a facet of thought nurtured and tended to until it pierces its way to the surface; ever-evolving and never complete.
This record is my garden, in “Full Bloom”.
Kat: What do you hope fans take from the album?
Kristin: My hope is that people reflect on the beauty of the diversity of life’s experiences.
“Full Bloom” is a testament to appreciating and acknowledging that you need the good, the bad, and the sad to round out a life. Much like a garden of one type of flower would be boring, you need different experiences to appreciate them all.
I also hope that each time someone listens to “Full Bloom”, it will be different – they’ll hear things in a different way that makes them new all over again. I liken this to how flowers are always growing and evolving before our eyes, even if we don’t notice.
Kat: What do you find is the most challenging part of your creative process?
Kristin: I think for me, it’s getting the song out of my head and into the world.
Sometimes when inspiration strikes, I can hear an entire song in my head before I’ve written it out, but I can’t always identify what instruments I’m hearing in order to translate that to production. I find that chase challenging. It can also be rewarding, though, because it leads you down other paths that you might not have considered.
Kat: What has been a career highlight for you so far? What have you learned along the way?
Kristin: It’s the combination of a few moments, but I think it would have to be releasing this album.
These songs are very special to me and it was a long labour of love to get here. It means a lot to me to see the reactions and hear the responses to the music.
I performed in Calgary Canada about a year ago where someone asked me to use one of the songs on the album – “Love You, Forever” – as their first dance and that really floored me. I couldn’t believe someone would want to use my music for one of their most special moments.
As for lessons, I think it’s to trust the process and have more fun along the way. It’s easy for me to get caught up in the stress of things.
Kat: What’s next?
Kristin: A Christmas album! I’ve always wanted to do one – it’s been a dream of mine for a long time. There’s something really timeless about that kind of music.
I’m excited to dive in after “Full Bloom” has had its moment.
Connect With Kristin
Website: thekristincarter.com
Instagram: @KristinCarterMusic
Facebook: @KristinCarterMusic
X: @KCarterMusic
Tiktok: @kristincartermusic