He's a God-fearin' and God-lovin' country-singing cowboy, but when Brett Kissel refers to the motivation he uses in his stage life, he jokingly refers to something more musical than spiritual.
"You know how people have the letters WWJD on a wristband or something like that, well I"m more of a WWGD — What Would Garth Do," said Kissel who opened for three of entertainer Garth Brooks' nine back-to-back Edmonton shows during the country superstar's 2017 leg of his three-year long world tour. Brooks tour sold an estimated 6.5 million tickets over its three and a half year run. "It was just amazing to watch his work ethic."
From his beginnings on the Flat Lake family farm near St. Paul, to sharing the stage with Brooks and other county music icons as well as releasing his own albums, Kissel says the last several years have been a whirlwind.
"It's been the best six years of my life," he said during a phone conversation with the POST between acts of his own legacy tour that will see the 28 year old make 120 performances — including the Lac La Biche stop — by the end of 2018 within his We Were That Song tour.
The tour, which will hit every province and territory in Canada, coincides with the 2017 release of Kisel's third album We Were Than Song. Since releasing his first album, It Started With A Song, in 2013, KIssel has toured the world, shared the stage with musical legends and created his own growing fan base.
Stages and accolades aside, Kissell, who was recently named the Interactive Artist of the Year at the 2018 Canadian Country Music Awards, says his biggest rewards are at home. The married father of two, who now calls Nashville home, made special time with his family for a fun Halloween night three weeks ago when his epic tour wound its way into Manitoba. With his family on the tour bus, the Kissel clan stopped at a neighbourhood just west of Winnipeg and emerged as characters from the Little Mermaid.
"I was King Triton, my wife Cecilia was Ursula, the girls were Aerial and Flounder ... Charlie, our weiner dog was in on it too. He was Sebastian," he said, joking that in the Kissel version of the Mermaid tale, Ursula and King Triton weren't enemies.
Making time for family is essential when the tour schedule is so busy as it has been — Also when the family is so young. Kissel's two daughters are just two and a half and one and a half years old.
They give him inspiration. They could also give him enough new material if he were to document all the sleep-time songs he makes up for them.
"I"ve sung so many little jingles ... I could probably make three children's albums if I compile them all," he said with a laugh.
But it will be his country hits that will fill the room at the Dec. 1 concert in Lac La Biche — a venue and community the singer is very familiar with. He's spent time in the early years of his career at 'home concerts' in the local area, performing for small audiences in the homes of some local residents, including former Lac La Bcihe County mayor Aurel Langevin. Kissel was also part of the grand opening of the Bold Center, sharing the stage with country singer Charlie Major at the facility's first concert in 2012.
Since then, the singer's career has taken off — with much more to come.
"I've definitely crossed a lot off my bucket list," he joked, "but when you cross one off, there's always something that can get added."
No matter what is next for Kissel, he's true to his roots — his country roots and his home roots.
"I grew up on an Alberta farm not just listening to country music, it was a way of life," he said, saying that coming back to the Lakeland for the last week of his year-long tour is a fitting end. He plays Lac La Biche on Dec. 1 and wraps up the tour in Bonnyville on Dec. 8.
Lac La Biche has always been special for me," he said.
Tickets for the Bold Center show are $56.50 and available online at www.brettkissel.com
