Alexandra Kay‘s raw, honest, and deeply personal All I’ve Ever Known album was released last year. The record, which includes her recent Top 30 hit, “Everleave,” is Kay’s own proverbial heart on her sleeve, sharing songs about her painful decision to leave her husband, Indiana, after spending a decade together.
“I’m not gonna lie, when I put this record out, I was terrified,” Kay admits on Joel Madden’s Artist Friendly podcast. “I was like, ‘There’s gonna be some backlash.’ And I think when you’re doing something that’s really gonna help people, or is going to make a difference in any way, it feels really scary. And so, I felt like how terrified I am to put this out, I really need to make sure that it goes out.”
While it might have been hard to share her deepest thoughts and innermost feelings in all of the songs on All I’ve Ever Known, every night that Kay performs, she feels nothing but gratitude that she was willing to be so honest in her music.
“I have women just collapse in my arms at the meet and greet every single night,” Kay shares. “I know how it felt after ten years. They’re going through it after 30, 40 years of marriage, and I get to be their therapy for that one night, for that hour and a half that I’m on stage. The people that are saying, ‘I took a flight in because I just got a divorce, and this is my night of healing.’ With all of the pain that came with it that I’m still processing a year later, with all of the pain that came with it, those nights make it worth it.”
Not all of the songs on All I’ve Ever Known have to do with Kay’s complicated feelings about leaving her husband. She also included a song “She Stayed,” written about her best friend’s loyalty while Kay was grieving the end of her marriage.
‘When my husband and I split, my best friend never left my side so I wrote this song for her,” Kay said when releasing the song.
When All I’ve Ever Known, which debuted at No. 1, was released, the singer-songwriter shared how she felt to have the songs out for the world to hear.
“Having All I’ve Ever Known finally out in the world feels like a sigh of relief,” Kay said at the time. “The process of creating this album top to bottom has been so therapeutic for me, and I hope that these songs can be a source of solace for those who need them, too.”
Kay just announced her All I’ve Ever Known: The Tour Chapter Two, kicking off on March 23 in her home state of Illinois. She will also serve as the opening act for Jelly Roll, on his Beautifully Broken Tour. Find all of Kay’s music and upcoming shows at AlexandraKayOfficial.com.