We like Kirstie Kraus here at Rock the Joint Magazine, we’ve covered her a few times and she is a musical busy bee with tours and new material often on the horizon. This time she has paired up with Ariel Jade, a Nashville based country performer whose debut album ‘Honky Tonic’ was released to acclaim. She is a feisty, folksy performer whose track “Crazy Loves Company” I enjoyed. With that in mind I was interested in how this combo would sound, and the girls are off on tour soon, the links are all on their homepages that I link below.
I am told in the press release that ‘produced by Mike Loudermilk and co-produced by Kraus and Jade, “I Now Know Better” resonates with pure confidence and authenticity — a showdown forged by two women who have grown from their past relationships. From its piercing chorus — “I’ll roll you in the river, if ya ever do me wrong”— to its
take-no-prisoners delivery, the song boldly declares their independence from former bad relationships and their new found unwillingness to compromise their happiness.
Speaking about the release and working with Ariel, Kirstie Kraus shares:
“From the moment I met Ariel in RCA Studios I knew we were gonna be friends. Her work ethic combined with her fun spirit is unmatched. That girl is on a mission and accomplishes each day with love and resilience.”
“This release has allowed me to share a sillier side to my staple female empowerment anthems. Ariel and I have similar backgrounds where music has always been in the forefront and we are both complete hambones so working on this song and music video was a hoot!”
Ariel Jade adds: “This was our first write and it came out in 45 minutes. We laughed so hard when writing this and can’t wait for everyone to hear it. This is my first duet and I am happy Kirstie was on board to put this song out together. Lord knows we’ve both had our fair share of bad relationships and this is our anthem to say we’re done with that!”
So, with that in mind, it is time to listen to the music! I do think Kirstie Kraus is a great artist for summer, if a sad song is best for winter then her music usually wears a smile.
My review:
The single was released July 11 so is out on all platforms now. It is country sounds all the way, and I suddenly found myself doing a quick search for my boots! The melody sways and the harmonies are sweet and strut nicely through the headphones. It is exactly the type of number that should keep the live crowd happy and it should attract some radio play – country music can be great to drive to!…And let’s be honest, there’s something wildly satisfying about a country song that packs both sass and swing. “I Now Know Better” flips the bird to heartbreak and does it with glitter, grit, and a grin.
So, slap it on your summer playlist, crank it up on that road trip, and remember: if he ever does you wrong… there’s a river nearby. 🌊😉 Yeehaw, ladies—this one’s a cracker.
We hope you liked the review, dear reader! If you did, please check out the other pages of the magazine; we have many great features, merchandise, editorials and even poetry! We work hard for you, and if you want to show some appreciation and support what we do, then do use the Support Us link below! Always appreciated.
Ariel Jade homepage here
Kirstie Kraus homepage here
Stream music from Kirstie Kraus here
By Lorraine Foley
