If one was to recall the person they were at the age of 19, already having been named iHeart Country’s On The Verge artist wouldn’t necessarily be easy to envisage. However, in the case of teenager Callista Clark, this was her reality, when the major American radio network gave her the accolade in 2021.

A performance on Live With Kelly and Ryan adds yet another bullet point on the country star of tomorrow’s glittering CV, and first full-length album Real To Me: The Way I Feel, released in October, marks a trifecta of jaw-dropping musical milestones for Clark. Including singles “Gave It Back Broken” and Top 20 debut “It’s Cause I Am”, Clark’s debut project signals a decisive new star-making epoch for the irrepressible talent.

As the stratosphere of country fame beckons, we caught up with Callista to chat everything Real To Me: The Way I Feel, the artists that inspired her, and performing on Live With Kelly and Ryan…

You’re only 19 now, when did you start making music and decide you wanted this as a career?
I’ve been singing since I could talk, since back when even the microphone was bigger than my face. Growing up I loved to sing, but I was super shy. I started singing with my siblings and that made it a little easier and made me less nervous. It’s always been what I loved to do and the more shows I played, the more my stage fright faded. I started writing songs when I was 11 and posting my singing videos to social media around that time too. That’s when the idea of making singing a possible career started for me.

Real To Me: The Way I Feel is your first full-length album, how did you make this record and what was it inspired by?
I started writing in Nashville for my album about five years ago. Real to Me: The Way I Feel is about validating emotions, learning from decisions and growing as a person. It was inspired by what I was feeling and going through, and my goal was to write something that everyone could relate to no matter how young or old you are.
In 2021 you were Country radio’s most successful new artist, was this a surprise to you? What do you think made this possible?
It was a huge surprise to me! I am a huge believer of keeping my head down and working as hard as I can. It’s important not to compete or compare myself to anybody else’s successes, but just to better myself as much as possible.

Which artists were you most inspired by as a child?
Growing up I loved Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, The Judds, and Tim McGraw. I listened to ‘80s and ‘90s Country, R&B and Rock.

“It’s ‘Cause I Am,” “Brave Girl” and “Give it Back Broken” became fast hits, and especially “It’s Cause I Am” garnered a lot of attention, fans and invites to perform at festivals. Which of these songs is your current fave and why?
Those three songs are some of my favorite songs to perform live because they all show different sides of me as a person and as an artist. They are very different in what they’re about on the surface, but they are all actually about self-confidence. Even in sad songs and with negative feelings, there can still be confidence. I would say “It’s ‘Cause I Am” is my favorite out of those three because every time I play it at shows I get to hear people singing it back to me.

You’ve been called both vulnerable and brave, do you agree? How do you describe yourself as it relates to your work?
I absolutely love both of those words. I have grown so much over the last few years, and I feel like I have truly gained confidence in living by the narrative of these songs and being both vulnerable and brave.

When you performed on Live with Kelly & Ryan last year, you were touted as “the next big thing in Country music” and the momentum continued with Billboard featuring you two years in a row on their annual “21 Under 21” list, plus you’re the youngest member ever named to CMT’s Next Women of Country in the 2022 class, this is a lot for someone of any age to take in, how do you manage to stay grounded and humble?
It’s a huge honour to be a part of all of those things. It’s still mind-blowing to me any time something like that happens to me because there are so many incredibly talented artists. I try not to compare myself to others and just validate where I am at today and keep moving forward.

How has your hometown inspired your career and what do you suggest to visitors as a must-see and do there?
There is not much to do in my small hometown, but it’s helped shape me as a person and artist. We have to go to the city north or south of us to do most things like shop or go to the movies. The downtown square in Zebulon, Georgia is pretty adorable though. We have a coffee shop, a bookstore and a cute boutique.

What would you say is your fashion style and your favorite places to shop for your looks?
My casual style is usually a little Bohemian and baggy, comfy clothing, but when I am on stage, it’s platform heels, sparkles, and fringe. I shop anywhere I can from Goodwill to the mall to online.

What is the best advice you have been given so far and what is the best advice you would give someone else?
The best advice I’ve been given is to trust my gut and be myself. No one is you and that’s what makes you unique. A new story comes from your own perspective, not someone else’s.