Kirstie Kraus and Craig Wilson S03EP08

On this episode of Roger the Wild Child Show, we are joined by country music artist, Kirstie Kraus and singer/songwriter/producer, Craig Wilson!

KIRSTIE KRAUS

She’s thirsty for love and magic, for joy and sunshine. She’s thirsty for compassion and authenticity. And more than anything, she’s thirsty for anything that sets her soul on fire.

Kirstie Kraus carries her thirst in her songwriting, in her live shows, and in her everyday connection with other kindred spirits.  Nowhere is her appetite more quenched than on a stage in front of her fans, appropriately named “Thirsties”. Her confidence naturally shines under the bright lights, taking concert goers on a well-defined path of self-discovery and bliss. Her writing infuses her own transparent journey with others’ experiences to create sustainable lyrics and catchy melodies.

The result is a perfect blend of country, funk, blues, and rock because with Kirstie, there are no boundaries. There’s only the process of “letting go” and letting the song tell you what it wants to be.  It will also tell you WHERE it wants to be and for an intuitive deep thinker like Kirstie, that place is Nashville. Three years ago, the Wisconsin native made the move to Music City and having heavily toured the summer before with her Midwest band, Thirsty Jones, Kirstie made the decision to really focus on honing her craft in town. She immediately began demoing out songs for her upcoming full length record and playing established Nashville venues, like the Listening Room Café and the Bluebird. She also leaned into the production side of her album, gaining great insight from her then producer about arrangements, vocal styling, and mixing. Her first Nashville based single, “Delusional” (2018) fancies a sassy 80s funk groove while 2019’s “Gotta Do” pulls in early 2000s Shania vibes. “Silver”, her July 2020 release, possesses the licks of Joan Jett and attitude of Avril Lavigne, proving that she’s not a one lane roadmap.

And now, here she is, proving to the world that if you truly set your mind to something, “Yes You Can” do it! Taken from the bridge of her song, “Gotta Do”, the words “Yes You Can” will also serve as the title to her debut album, looking to drop in 2021. And in prelude to the highly anticipated 11 song record, the world gets to learn just how “thirsty” Kirstie is with her new song of the same name. Written solely for her by a close friend, “Thirsty” serves as the “ultimate biography of what goes on inside of me when I’m in a relationship—the fear of allowing yourself to actually fall in love and trust somebody.”

CRAIG WILSON

Craig Wilson is a top 10 Billboard charting, #1 iTunes singer, songwriter and producer living in Nashville TN. 

His music crosses Country, Pop, Christian and Sync genres and has aired on major market radio and SiriusXM, cracked the top 100 in the Rhythmic and Top 40 Mediabase FM, and has millions of streams on digital platforms.

Career Highlights:

Co-wrote and produced #1 iTunes "My Heart Beats For You" by Paul Cardall and David Artchuleta,  “Wildcard” by Lucky Harmon featuring Lil Wayne and has over 65 artist cuts and singles. His songs considered for Grammys include “Ones That Leave” by Peyton Gilliland and “Heart Needs You Back”  by DJ Afterprty featuring Wilsn.

A big part of the Nashville songwriting community, Craig has written with Jimmie Allen, Charles Esten, Tennille Towns, Tennille Arts, Catie Offerman, Harper Grae (CMT Next Women Of Country), Michael Logan (Grammy Winner), Matt Wynn, Sarah Jones, Cassidy Daniels.

Craig has played on the Grand Ole Opry stage, Bridgestone Arena, Madison Square Garden, at the Indy 500 and many other venues. He has performed alongside Taylor Swift, Chris Stapleton, Rachel Platten, Luke Bryan, and Norah Jones.