KC Johns’ music is infectious with dynamic powerhouse pipes that take you on a whiskey-soaked jaunt to your favorite honky-tonk in the best way possible. Think Miranda Lambert meets Sheryl Crow with a touch of Brandi Carlisle, and you’ve got an artist with a voice all her own, with songs that make you feel like you’ve known her forever. Hot off the tails her viral 2024 single, “Rodeo Queen,” which was selected for Top 10 Songs in Texas by Texas CMA and reached nearly a million streams across platforms, KC Johns released her single “Break from the Heart” (#2 Surging and Emerging on Texas CDX Radio) and now, welcomes her new single “Smoke Show” on April 4th ahead of a UK Tour.
Johns explains, “‘Smoke Show is a song written for the girls! It should be okay for women to tell women they are beautiful, strong, intelligent and straight up SMOKE SHOWS! During live shows, from the stage, I will often point out, when a girl has taken the time out of her hard workin’ day to curl her hair, mellowly fix her makeup and search for the perfect outfit (to maybe impress someone) – that she is an absolute SMOKE SHOW! Women should tell women this more often – lets build each other up EVERYDAY! #SMOKESHOW”
Having just completed a Texas Radio tour, KC Johns has an impressive past and upcoming show schedule. She plays 150 shows a year including fairs, festivals, clubs, corporate conventions, and private parties, ranging from Washington to Florida. These include Gordy’s HWY 30 Music Festivals in Idaho and Texas, Big As Texas Festival, The Steamboat Musicfest, Grand Jam Music Fest in Oklahoma, and looking forward to the Ellensburg Rodeo in Washington and the Fantasy Fest in Key West FL. Additionally, Johns has taken her talents internationally with several past and upcoming Norway and UK tours (dates below).
Born in Memphis, Tennessee and raised in Hernando, Mississippi, a small town along the Tennessee-Mississippi line, KC was surrounded by music for as long as she can remember. Named after KC and the Sunshine Band and raised on the greats like Led Zeppelin, Stevie Nicks, and Sheryl Crow. “My mom is a championship barrel racer, and my stepdad was a bull rider,” she recalls. Although the energy of the rodeo was intoxicating for a young KC, so was making music.
So, by 17, with her acoustic guitar, KC and her mom headed to Nashville to make her dreams of becoming a recording artist a reality. “I just took my guitar and started hitting all the clubs on Broadway asking people if I could sing on stage,” KC adds. One thing led to another, and ultimately, she landed an offer to work on Carnival Cruise Lines as a cruise ship performer. “It was supposed to just be a six-month contract but ended up lasting seven years cruising around the world singing for international audiences.'” she says.
Having discovered and honed her stage legs young, KC was featured in Dolly Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors” at Dollywood. However, the recording/touring artist life was calling once again, and so KC took another leap of faith. “I moved to Nashville on a whim,” she explains. “I had nowhere to stay. I just packed up all my stuff and took a chance, sleeping on friends’ couches and singing on Broadway again. Before I knew it, I started meeting incredible and influential people.” She made her way up the mainstream ladder opening for artists like Luke Bryan, Chris Young, Randy Houser, Trailer Choir and Morgan Wade. KC’s now playing fairs, festivals and venues around the country.
Then the pandemic began. KC, along with her fellow songwriters and musician friends utilized social media to grow a new audience. They performed live online and galvanizing new fan bases across the globe. They started playing cover songs and soon integrated some of their own material. “With that whole 2020 year, I just started doing TikTok Lives, Facebook Lives, and started meeting people on the internet,” she recalls. “And they were like, ‘Man, we’d love for you to come and do a private party. Then all of a sudden, we’re doing shows in Norway.'” As the world opened back up, KC continued traveling to perform at various venues and festivals. Songs like “Whiskey Break” and later “Confused” fueled the shape of things to come. She released her digital debut album Thunder in 2022.
2023 also saw KC releasing her own whiskey line, KC Johns’ Thunder Mesquite Smoked Bourbon Whiskey in partnership with Cali Distillery in Glendale, CA. The brand is now being distributed nationwide and can be ordered online from Cali at https://www.calidistillery.com/thunder/. Thunder recently won multiple awards at the Sunset Magazine Spirits Competition including Best Bourbon from among more than 260 entries.
From the U.S. to the UK and beyond, KC Johns is a unique musical force. As she enters the next phase in her career, her mission remains clear. “I honestly just want to continue going out and meeting wonderful people,” she humbly advises. “I love relating to people through my music.”
