Brett Kissel. Photo Courtesy of Ben Dartnell.

Canadian country artist Brett Kissel chatted about his new album “The Compass Project — West Album.”

Song selection process of the new CD

On the song selection approach of the new album, Kissel said, “The song selection was a lot more difficult than I thought it was going to be. I realized that in my catalog I had a lot of western songs, and those themes could get sad and dark. I had to make sure that I had enough uplifting material on there.”

“Some of the songs will take the listeners on a real emotional journey, but I also wanted to simplify things and to select songs that mattered the most to me,” he said.

“Doing this album was really therapeutic, especially to write and record these songs. I really wanted to tip my hat to the western way of life, and the way I grew up with some themes that were important to me,” he added.

Favorite song on the album

He listed the opening tune “Missin’ You in San Antone” as his personal favorite track on the album, especially with how well his band played on that one. “That just speaks to the country and western way of life that I love,” he said.

Also, with his rendition of “Wichita Lineman” by the late Glen Campbell, Kissel wanted it to be “identical” or as close to the original as possible. “There is no sense re-imagining a song that is so perfectly written,” he said.

Working with Cooper Alan

Kissel spoke about collaborating with Cooper Alan on “Two of Us.” “Working with Cooper was so much fun,” he exclaimed. “Cooper is amazing; he is so kind and a great performer. I love the way that he controls a crowd. Cooper is such an awesome performer, he is the best.”

‘Die of A Broken Heart’ with Carolyn Dawn Johnson

Kissel discussed performing “Die of A Broken Heart” with Carolyn Dawn Johnson live. “I’ve done that several times with her live and it has been really, really special. Carolyn is one of my favorites,” he said.

Michelle Wright

Kissel is also looking forward to seeing Michelle Wright on tour and taking his kids to see her in concert. “I am really looking forward to seeing Michelle come to my community,” he said. “We’ve had a great friendship and we did a few gigs together back in April. I would love to work with her more.”

Closing thoughts on ‘The Compass Project — The West Album’

For his fans, he concluded about the new album, “I want fans to enjoy the variety and the trip down memory as we talk about the themes, and we play music that was the original form of country music. I wanted to strip it all back to when country music was all brand new.”

“I am extremely proud of this album, and the approach that we took on it,” he added.

“The Compass Project — West Album” is available on digital service providers by clicking here.

To learn more about Brett Kissel, follow him on Instagram, and check out his website.