CONSTANT MOTION

‘Every Little Thing’ she does positions rising country artist Carly Pearce toward stardom

Country singer Carly Pearce is on the move. ¶ The Kentucky native, who watched the title track of her 2017 debut, “Every Little Thing,” go to No. 1 — making it that year’s highest charting solo female debut — has been touring seemingly nonstop ever since. ¶ That included opening for the likes of Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, Rascal Flatts and Luke Bryan. ¶ Now Pearce, coming off a co-headlining tour with Russell Dickerson, is on the road with Jason Aldean’s “Ride All Night Tour.”

Pearce said it was a nobrainer to accept an invitation to tour with Aldean, Kane Brown, Pearce and Dee Jay Silver this summer. The bill comes through Northeast Ohio for a show Aug. 9 at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls. “I don’t know anybody who wouldn’t want to be on tour with Jason Aldean,” said Pearce, calling from Merritt, Canada. “He’s just awesome — and one of the biggest artists in our format. Kane is, as well. I feel very fortunate to be a part of that tour. “You’re going to just see great artists coming together on one tour that are all under the country genre but offer something different.” Pearce, who is engaged to country singer Michael Ray, is working on the allimportant sophomore release. Looking back to the hit song “Every Little Thing,” the singer-songwriter said its success came out of nowhere. “It’s kind of completely the opposite of all of the things that people tell you will be a radio hit,” Pearce said. “It’s a ballad; it’s a heartbreak song with very little production. “Not that I didn’t think it was a great song — I just didn’t even really think about it being a hit, because those are normally more up-tempo songs. What’s great about ‘Every Little Thing’ is it broke so many of the molds for what people say will work at radio.” Emboldened by “Every Little Thing” being accepted by the mainstream country audience, Pearce is challenging herself creatively for her next studio effort, which is due out next year and is being produced by songwriter busbee (Katy Perry, Keith Urban, Maren Morris). Already her fans are excited about the project’s lead single, “Closer to You,’ which she plans on performing. Fans also can expect unreleased up-tempo song “Heart’s Going out of Its Mind,” at Blossom. Coincidentally, Pearce played the same venue nearly a year to the day in 2018 with Rascal Flatts. If she’s able to keep up her success, pretty soon Pearce could be headlining the amphitheater. “I think I’m a few years away from headlining, but I would love to do my own version of headlining clubs,” Pearce said. “Hopefully, I’ll start getting into that direct-support slot.” After moving to Nashville in 2009, Pearce clearly has been living out a dream started decades ago at her first concert. As a child, she saw Wynonna at Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati. “She was just an amazing female artist that I feel like had a distinct sound and tone,” Pearce said. “I remember watching her wondering what it would be like to be on the other side of that.” She’s starting to get an idea.

JOHN SHEARER While you have to wait until next year for the sophomore album from Carly Pearce, the country singer has been performing lead single “Closer to You.”