There are some songs that make you want to turn up the volume, roll down the windows, and sing along. Then there are songs that do that and make you stop and think. Karissa Ella’s new single, “The Country,” is one of those songs.
The upbeat country song celebrates farmers, factory workers, tradespeople, truckers, family-owned businesses, and small-town families — the people whose hard work often happens behind the scenes but makes so much of our everyday lives possible.
From the food on our tables to the clothes we wear, the buildings around us, the roads we travel, and even the coffee we drink, there are people working long before those things ever reach us.
For Karissa, that message is personal. She grew up in Ohio surrounded by people who worked hard, took care of their families, helped their neighbors, and didn’t necessarily expect recognition for doing it.
That Midwestern upbringing became part of the inspiration behind “The Country,” and it is also part of what makes her story such an interesting one to share.
Why We Love Written Q&As at Greatful Moments
At Greatful Moments, we love giving people an opportunity to tell their stories in their own words. A press release can tell us when a song was released, where an artist is performing, and what projects are coming next. But a written Q&A allows us to hear something different. We get to hear why a person created something.
We get to learn about the experiences that shaped them, the people who influenced them, the lessons they’ve learned, and what they hope other people take away from their work.
That’s especially meaningful when the story connects with the things we value here at Greatful Moments — family, hard work, gratitude, community, and remembering the people who helped us become who we are.
So we were excited when Karissa Ella agreed to answer our questions about “The Country,” her Ohio roots, her growing career in Nashville, and the people who inspired the song.
Meet Karissa Ella
Karissa Ella is a rising country artist and Belmont University graduate who grew up in Ohio before building her career in Nashville. Her music combines country storytelling with the experiences and emotions that connect people across generations.
She has released multiple projects, including her EP Growing Wings, and has shared stages with artists including Carly Pearce, Dierks Bentley, and Zach Top.
She has also had the opportunity to perform at Country Fest in Ohio and is opening for Russell Dickerson at Mansfield Motor Speedway.
But behind the growing list of performances and accomplishments is an artist who still remembers where she came from — and who hasn’t forgotten the people who helped shape her.
Her new single, “The Country,” is a celebration of exactly those people.
So let’s hear from Karissa herself.: A Conversation with Karissa Ella
1. “The Country” celebrates farmers, factory workers, tradespeople, and small-town families. What inspired you to write a song honoring the people and communities that keep America moving?
I think a lot of it comes from how I grew up and the people I grew up around. I’m from Ohio, and hard work was just something I saw everywhere. Farmers, factory workers, people working with their hands, family-owned businesses. Working hard for their families but also for all of us to have things like food, shelter, clothing, gas and so on.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate where our everyday needs come from. “The Country” was my way of celebrating those people and reminding all of us that so much of what we depend on starts with somebody willing to put in the work and without them, we wouldn’t have so much that we love and use today!
2. How did growing up in Ohio and your Midwestern roots shape the way you see small towns and the people who call them home?
It shaped me so much. I grew up around people who work really hard but don’t necessarily need recognition for it. It’s actually a lot of what my song “Hall of Fame” is about too! They just show up, help their neighbors, take care of their families and keep going. There’s something really special about that.
The older I get and the farther I travel, the prouder I am of where I come from and the more I realize how much those values have stayed with me.
3. Was there a particular person, place, or experience that helped inspire the message behind “The Country”?
My co-writers and I started the write talking about how Nashville has lost some of its “country” with all the new high-rises. Then we realized without the factory workers, truckers and steel workers, we wouldn’t even have those beautiful buildings! From there, we had fun listing all the things that start in the country before they ever arrive at our door.
From our lattes to the clothes on our backs, it all started somewhere. We wanted to write a fun song that reminds people how much we rely on hardworking men and women every day. Without them, we wouldn’t have the high-rises, the clothes or, well… the nice whiskey!
4. The song has an upbeat, boot-stomping feel while carrying a meaningful message. What did you want listeners to feel when they heard it for the first time?
I wanted it to be fun first! I love songs that make you want to turn them up, roll the windows down and sing along, but then you catch what they’re actually saying. I wanted people who come from these communities to hear it and think, “That’s me. That’s my family. That’s where I’m from.” There’s a lot of pride in the song, and I hope people feel that.
5. You sing about how “everything comes from the country.” What do you hope people who grew up in cities or suburbs take away from that message?
I definitely don’t want the song to feel like country versus city, because that’s not the point at all. It’s really about remembering where things begin. You might buy your food at a grocery store in the middle of a city, but somebody had to grow it. You might buy a shirt at a store, but there’s a whole chain of people and work behind how it got there.
If you didn’t grow up around that or see it firsthand, it might not be something you ever really think about. I hope the song makes people stop for a second and appreciate where it all comes from and the people behind it.
6. You have had an exciting year, including your EP Growing Wings and opening for artists such as Carly Pearce, Dierks Bentley, and Zach Top. How has performing alongside established country artists influenced you?
Every opportunity like that teaches me something. I love watching how established artists carry themselves onstage, how they connect with a crowd and how much work goes into making a show feel effortless. Dierks was especially full-circle for me because years ago I went to Country Fest in Ohio, watched him perform and remember thinking how badly I wanted to be up on that stage someday.
Then I got the opportunity to play Country Fest myself the same night as him. He even gave me a shoutout on the stage! Those are the moments that remind me why I started doing this in the first place and keep me going.
7. You are also opening for Russell Dickerson at Mansfield Motor Speedway. What are you most looking forward to about that opportunity?
Getting to play back in Ohio always means a little more to me. There’s something really special about being able to bring the music I’ve been working on in Nashville back home and play it for people there. And getting to share a bill with an artist like Russell makes it even more exciting.
I’m really looking forward to being on that stage, meeting some new people and hopefully making a few new fans along the way!
8. For someone discovering your music for the first time through “The Country,” which other song would you recommend they listen to next?
I’d probably send them to “Working Man.” It feels like a natural next step because there’s a similar thread of celebrating hardworking people, but it comes at it from a completely different angle.
“The Country” is about where things come from and the people behind them, while “Working Man” is a love song about appreciating a man who understands that the things worth having are worth working for. I think together they give you a pretty good idea of who I am and the kind of music I love making.
9. As a Belmont University graduate who has built a career in Nashville, what has been one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned about pursuing your dream?
That there really isn’t one path or one timeline. That has probably been one of the hardest lessons for me to learn. It’s really easy in this industry to look around and feel like someone else is getting there faster than you are, but everybody’s story is different.
I’ve learned that you have to keep showing up, keep working, keep growing and remember why you wanted to do it in the first place. There have definitely been highs and lows, but I think every season has taught me something I needed for the next one.
10. What do you hope listeners remember about “The Country” after the song ends?
I hope it makes people think about the people behind the things we sometimes take for granted. Maybe they think about their dad who worked in a factory, their grandparents’ farm, a family business back home or just the people in their community who work hard every day.
More than anything, I hope they walk away feeling proud of where they come from and maybe a little more thankful for the people who keep everything moving.
There Is Always Someone Behind What We Have: That last thought is one that stayed with us.
It is easy to walk into a grocery store and think about what we’re buying without thinking about everyone who helped get that food there. We put on a shirt without thinking about the people who grew or produced the materials, worked in the factories, transported it, stocked it, and eventually put it on the shelf.
We drive down a highway without necessarily thinking about the people who built it or maintain it. We walk into a building and may never stop to think about the people who designed it, constructed it, supplied the materials, drove the trucks, operated the equipment, or worked behind the scenes to make it possible.
That’s the heart of “The Country.” It isn’t about saying one place or one group of people is more important than another. It’s about remembering that everything has a beginning. And behind so many of the things we enjoy every day are people who simply showed up, worked hard, took care of their families, and did their part.
That’s something worth remembering. And perhaps it’s something worth being a little more thankful for.
Listen to Karissa Ella: If you haven’t heard Karissa Ella’s “The Country” yet, take the time to give it a listen. And since Karissa recommends “Working Man” as the next song to hear, be sure to check that one out as well. You can also follow Karissa and keep up with her music, performances, and upcoming projects.
Thank You, Karissa
We would like to thank Karissa Ella for taking time out of her busy schedule to answer our questions. We really enjoyed getting to know her and learning more about her music, her Ohio roots, and the inspiration behind “The Country.”
I hope you will take the time to check out her music and listen to “The Country” and “Working Man.” I think you will enjoy getting to know Karissa and hearing the stories behind her music.
Sometimes gratitude starts with something as simple as asking, “Who made this possible?” and then remembering to say thank you.
Thank you, Karissa, for sharing your story with Greatful Moments!
Grateful, Thankful, Blessed.
GreatfulMoments.com
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
