Alexandra Kay had no idea that performing cover songs while making her morning coffee on TikTok would lead to opening shows for some of the biggest artists in country music.
Kay’s ‘Coffee Covers’ on TikTok have earned her recognition from artists such as Dolly Parton, Tim McGraw, Sara Evans, Clay Walker, Tracy Lawrence, and many others.
“My thought process with it was, everybody drinks coffee in the morning.” Kay told Music Mayhem. “And I’m always making my coffee in blasting ‘90s country. So one day I just clicked record and never did I believe that Sara Evans would duet it making her own coffee. I think it’s really great that they’re participating in it with me. It’s really, really cool.”
@saraevansmusic #duet with @alexandrakaymusic I love your page!! I had to make a coffee with you ☕️❤️ #Sing2gether
The covers have even secured her a spot on the road with Clay Walker and Tracy Lawrence for nine shows in March 2022.
@alexandrakaymusic #duet with @claywalker WHATTTTT!?
The Waterloo, Illinois native chatted with Music Mayhem about her experience with the ’90s country music icons and how they supported her in unexpected ways on the road.
On the first night of the tour, Kay had finished her set and was standing on the side of the stage when she heard a headliner acknowledge her for the very first time. Clay Walker delivered that uplifting message for the newcomer.
“He came out on stage and he said something about, ‘We’re so excited to be able to do this tour and to come out, and thank you guys for all the love and support on social media.’” Kay explained. “‘And that’s really led us to this and this and that, and to discover incredible talents like Alexandra Kay.’”
Hearing that rare shout-out on stage was a very meaningful and emotional moment for Kay.
“I just had this warm, fuzzy feeling,” said Kay. “Because do you know how many times… over the years, how many major acts I’ve opened for… that I’ve been direct support for, that have never even acknowledged that I opened for them? They never say your name. They never say give it up for the opener. Nothing, literally nothing.”
For Kay, hearing that acknowledgement from Walker carried even more weight. “For somebody of that caliber, with that amount of success over so many years, to go out there unprompted and give me that exposure and that validation to his fan base was a true testament to his class.”
Both Walker and co-headliner Tracy Lawrence continued to shine a light on Kay throughout the tour.
“They gave me moments like that every single night,” she shared. Lawrence even invited her to hang out on his bus and chat about the music business. “I just would pick his brain about his number one songs, the rise and fall of his record deals and charting independently with ‘Find Out Who Your Friends Are’ and how that went down.”
@alexandrakaymusic didn’t see that one coming 😱 can’t wait to see y’all this weekend!
The tour with Walker and Lawrence may have ended, but Kay is both grateful and optimistic. “I learned so much on that tour and I just cannot wait to see them again and to do it again.”
Kay already has another major tour lined up, thanks to one of her other coffee covers. This time, she’ll be hitting the road with Tim McGraw.
“He has shaped me so much. I know just about every single one of his songs,” Kay gushed of McGraw. “And so, as much as I’m excited to be on the [massive] stages and [performing alongside the other] artists, I’m also really stoked to just get to watch 17 of his shows from the best seat on the side stage for free. Like that is worth it.”
@alexandrakaymusic dreams come true yall 🥺♥️ @Tim McGraw see ya this summer 🤠
Starting April 29 in Rogers, Arkansas, Kay will join fellow support acts Russell Dickerson and Brandon Davis for 17 shows with McGraw, which will run for just over a month before wrapping up on June 4 in Mansfield, Massachusetts.
Additionally, the fast-rising country star is gearing up to release her brand-new single, “That’s What Love Is.”
“My now husband and I were together for eight years prior to getting married, and when I started to think about songs that I wanted to dance to at our wedding. I couldn’t find anything that really summed up everything that we went through in those eight years in order to get us to this moment of saying ‘I Do,’ so I wrote one,” Kay explained of the forthcoming track, which is destined to become the soundtrack to wedding’s across the nation in no time.
Hear the chorus and the first verse of the upcoming new tune below.
“That’s What Love Is” is set for release on April 29 and is available for preorder/pre-save now HERE.
