News & Updates
About me
Hey y’all! Thank you for visiting my page. My name is Kayley Nell Walker and I'm a singer-songwriter from Arlington, Texas. I moved to Nashville, TN six years ago and am currently Music Director at Backlight Productions. Music has always been a constant in my life, whether it was writing silly songs to entertain my elementary school friends or performing in high school show-choir. I taught myself how to play guitar after my 86 yr. old Nana began taking lessons.
In 2013, while attending the University of North Texas, I had the opportunity of singing live on NBC Today show for a jingle writing contest. Since then, I've been fortunate to have some more serendipitous experiences with my music-
Teaching Full-Time for 4 years in the Taylor Swift Education Center @ Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum.
Experiencing the joy of performing at The Bluebird, The Listening Room, Third & Lindsley, Franklin Theatre, Belcourt Taps, and a summer residency at The Bowery Vault.
Receiving the Mentor Award at Nashville Songwriters Association International in 2024.
2024 Shiner Song Contest Finalist judged by Martina McBride.
Semi-Finalist in International Songwriting Competition in 2020.
“Autumn” selected for Top 11 in NSAI Song Contest in 2017.
“Old School” selected for NSAI Top 40 In Honor of Bob Kingsley playlist.
Winning "judges choice" for Sing Me a Story & performing in Nashville at Tootsie's Birthday Bash 2016.
Wanderlust being nominated for an Independent Music Award (Best Country/Roots EP) in New York City.
Runner-Up of Texas Local Live Songwriting Competition.
Finalist in Country Deep Rising Star Contest /The Voice Bootcamp.
Local radio play by 99.5 The Wolf/ 92.1 Hank FM. (The Wolf surprised me with playing Hunter Hayes my song on-air and meeting him backstage!
Winning a trip to Nashville to meet Taylor Swift at her RED Tour. I blinked in the photo we took…
Music parody videos recognized by Kidd Kraddick Show, HollyWire TV, Business Insider, and WFAA Good Morning Texas.
Daydreaming EP is my third independent release. I couldn’t be more excited to share it with you! Special thanks to Kevin Dailey, my incredibly kind and creative producer, and my mentor Billy Herzig for co-writing “Old School” with me back in Texas. My heart will always love 60’s-70’s folk music- Janis Ian, Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, Jim Croce, which I hope is reflected in this project.
To the listeners- I hope my music can touch your life in some small way. Writing is my refuge and I hope these songs can be a source of comfort or inspiration. I have hundreds of more songs in me and God willing, I can share them all with you.
LYRICS:
Songs About Me
My name is not Delilah, Rosemary or Eileen
Never been serenaded or treated like a Queen
What a lovely feeling to be somebody's muse
What I wouldn't give to be inside her shoes
No one ever writes songs about me
No one ever takes the time to see
that I've been waiting patiently to be loved
I may never be as sweet as Caroline
or anything like Georgia, always on his mind
Don't know how Layla does it, to bring him to his knees
Why's it always me that ends up begging please?
No one ever writes songs about me
No one ever takes the time to see
that I've been waiting patiently to be loved
Tell me what happens to girls like Maggie May
Do they end up happy in their one hit wonder fame?
Will I go down in history as a heart that went unloved?
No one ever listening, will my song be unsung?
Daydreaming
Can someone pinch me?
I don't think I am awake
This can't be real life
You'll disappear if I touch your face
Are you a mirage straight from a movie screen
I don't want to talk
I just want to hear you sing
Feels like I fell asleep and never waking up
Living a fantasy you're all I'm thinking of
Stare into space and hypnotize me like you do
It feels good daydreaming with you
Let's talk of nonsense
We've got the whole day to waste
We don't get tired of kissing so we'll stay out late
Can't snap out of it, we lost track of time
Waited for so long and darlin' now you're mine
Feels like I fell asleep and never waking up
Living a fantasy you're all I'm thinking of
Stare into space and hypnotize me like you do
It feels good daydreaming with you
Fire
I would like to forget you
Would be nice if you let me try
How can I still want you?
Why am I surprised lightning strikes twice?
I would stand naked in the rain
to feel your flood storming through my veins
Stay awake, til' I see you once more
Set myself on fire just to keep you warm
What's it like to forget me?
Must be nice to be cold like you
Pull me in when you want me
Push me out when you are through
I would stand naked in the rain
to feel your flood storming through my veins
Stay awake, til' I see you once more
Set myself on fire just to keep you warm
You're getting dressed, say we'll talk soon
Your eyes turn black, right then I knew
I'd go blind for you to see
but you won't do the same for me
I would like to forget you
would be nice if you let me try
By The Way
You make me think that just maybe life could be worthwhile
I can't compete with the way that you smirk that smile
Please, put me out of my misery
oh it's killing me to watch you walk away
Know I should say, hey...
By the way, I love you
By the way, I can't stop thinking of you
You play it cool, I'm the fool who's hoping that you don't see
my stuttering gather up what's left of my dignity
Why's it so hard to tell you how I feel?
Guess that would make it real
I'll just tell you in my dreams
I wanna scream...
By the way, I love you
By the way, I can't stop thinking of you
Now you're walking up to me
What a strange sight to see as your hands shake
What a lovely surprise
Oh I can't believe my eyes when I hear you say
By the way, I love you
By the way, I can't stop thinking of you
Old School
I think you and me were born in the wrong time
If I had a machine I'd press 1949 and take us back
I'd be wearing your letterman jacket to school
Take me to prom in a dress of pink tulle
The theme would be Under The Sea
Out at the drive-in with friends Friday night
In the back of the Cadillac holding me tight
We've got an old school love
Black and white looks good on us
Yearbook poses and corsage roses, oh things were so simple back then
When people wrote letters, love lasted forever
Oh babe, I know we would fit in
Cause' we've got an old school love
Two straws in a milkshake, a cherry on top
In your cardigan sweater, sippin' soda pop
and we're dancing along to the jukebox
We're not caught up like all these kids to say
They just stare at their screens, ain't got too much to say
But we're living proof, laughing in this corner booth
You're a blast from the past
Will you be mine?
Live like it was in our grandparent's time
We've got an old school love
Black and white looks good on us
Yearbook poses and corsage roses, oh things were so simple back then
When people wrote letters, love lasted forever
Oh babe, I know we would fit in
Cause' we've got an old school love
Those days were then
These days are now
But can we pretend?
Darlin' slow this world down
We've got an old school love
Black and white looks good on us
Yearbook poses and corsage roses, oh things were so simple back then
When people wrote letters, love lasted forever
Oh babe, I know we would fit in
Cause' we've got an old school love
Written by Kayley Nell Walker and Billy Herzig
© kayleynellmusic 2020
ContacT
For booking requests, please email kayleynell@gmail.com