Kiwi country music star Kaylee Bell’s flying high. Her career has taken off. She’s performing at festivals and gigs around the world. At home, she’s mum to an adorable little boy named James and works alongside her partner, musician Nick Campbell. And after years of struggle, there was really only one thing missing, so last year, Kaylee dropped a giant hint.
“I put out a song called Ring On It,” she smiles.
“The first line is, ‘It’s been eight years and that’s a long time for my left hand to feel so light.’ I said to Nick, ‘If you make me sing nine years, there’s going to be trouble!’”
The song seems to have done the trick. On Christmas Day, while staying with family in her hometown of Waimate, Nick surprised Kaylee with a marriage proposal on a walk up to the town’s White Horse monument.
A Christmas surprise proposal
“Nick had brought a bottle of Champagne he’d wrapped up in Christmas paper,” says Kaylee, 37.
“I’m obsessed with Christmas, so there was no way I was going to open it early and wreck my own surprise. If I had, I might have suspected something.”
As the couple sat together on a bench, with wee James on Nick’s knee, her longtime love asked Kaylee to be his wife and ever since, her left hand has been very much enjoying the weight of a bespoke diamond ring from Culét Jewellery.
“Nick had spent a few months designing and getting it made,” she shares.
“Then we got down to Waimate and he asked my dad first, so he was the only one who knew. It was really lovely afterwards being able to go around to tell all my family and friends in person.”
Kaylee and Nick are now considering venues in Queenstown or Waiheke Island for a summer 2027 wedding that’s likely to be quite the occasion.
A big day for all the family
“I was happy to do something small, but Nick said we should do it properly because it’s the one day you get to have all your people together,” smiles Kaylee.
“So that’s blown my original plan, but it’ll be awesome to have a big wedding and really special to have our son James there too as part of our day.”
James steals the spotlight
James turned one in January – celebrating with dinner at a steak restaurant because he loves his food – and Kaylee says he’s a sociable little boy.
“He’s genuinely one of the happiest babies I’ve been around and I worked in childcare for a couple of years, so I’ve been around a few. He’s always smiling. He’s been a very easy baby – we’re lucky.”
During his first year, James has been on 17 flights with his musician parents to the US, Australia and around New Zealand for gigs.
Backstage with baby
“It’s funny to walk off stage on such a high, then go into my changing room, where it’s dark and there’s a Baby Shusher going,” laughs Kaylee.
“What a contrast!”
This month, she’s playing at home in Auckland as part of the line-up at the Synthony Festival. The event pairs live electronic music with a full orchestra. Then in May, she’ll be onstage for the event’s Christchurch date. It will be the first-ever concert held at the new One New Zealand Stadium, alongside Six60 and Cassie Henderson.
Kaylee enthuses, “It’s my first time playing Synthony, but I’ve been as a fan and love it. What they’ve created is unique, so we’re really excited to be part of that.”
A global year ahead
With country music’s popularity soaring, Kaylee has another big year ahead. She’s just played the C2C Festivals in Berlin and Rotterdam. There are also plans to head over to Australia later this year. But as James is growing up, it’s getting trickier to take him on longer journeys.
Kaylee explains, “He isn’t walking yet, but he’s pretty close and he’s definitely making lots of noise. He loves singing and talking to himself.”
A family effort
Fortunately, they have a supportive family to help out. Especially when Kaylee’s busy in the spotlight and Nick is working behind the scenes, looking after all the logistics of touring and live performances. It’s a juggle, but Kaylee says she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I always knew that to be a good mother, I’d have to keep doing the thing that I love,” says Kaylee, who’s already working on new singles and planning an album for next year.
“Each stage of our career is a new chapter and the one we’re in right now is so much fun. The fans are showing up and I want to keep showing up for them, so we’ll carry on juggling and finding
ways to tour and make music. “I’m really fortunate this is my job and to work with Nick too. It’s awesome to have a partner who cares about that world.”
The Synthony Festival is on 21 March in the Auckland Domain and 16 May at Christchurch’s One New Zealand Stadium. For more info and tickets, visit synthony.com.
