On September 25, Canadian country star Brett Kissel sat down with Full Access Magazine in New York City about his latest single “Drink About Me.”

Kissel recently made his U.S. debut with the release of his latest single “Drink About Me,” whose music video features Bachelor Nation’s Kaitlyn Bristowe and Jason Tartick. “I love Jason and I love Kaitlyn. I am very thankful that they were a part of this music video. They really brought our story to life and I give them a significant amount of credit for that,” he said.

“We’ve always felt that our music could stand toe to toe with great American country music and songs, and we are proving that with the response that we are getting from ‘Drink About Me.’ I am very proud of that,” he said.

His album, We Were That Song, won the 2019 Juno Award (the equivalent of a Grammy Award in the United States) for “Country Album of the Year.” “That felt amazing,” he admitted. “I didn’t think I was going to win it at all. It was a thrill to be nominated. The real power in the award show is the recognition you get by being nominated and being in the top five or the top 10. When they called my name though, it was unbelievable.”

Another proud moment for Kissel this year involved winning the Fan’s Choice Award at the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards since it was the only award that is voted on by the fans. “That was extremely special since it isn’t voted on by the industry,” he said.

He listed “I Didn’t Fall in Love with Your Hair,” his collaboration with Carolyn Dawn Johnson, as the “most important song” he has released and dubbed it as probably one of the most important songs that he will ever release in his career. “More people talk about this song than anything else since it has helped people through a hard time, especially those that are going through cancer,” he said.

Kissel has opened for country mega-star Garth Brooks on 16 dates across Canada; moreover, Kissel is among the top acts in Canada, where he sells out stadiums, averaging about 15,000 to 20,000 tickets per show. “Opening for Garth Brooks and performing with him, standing shoulder to shoulder with him, was what Cloud 9 feels like,” he said. “It was in the center of a football stadium standing next to Garth Brooks with 55,000 people there.”

“Garth, to me, is a unicorn,” he said. “He is a mythical creature that is almost like he doesn’t exist. The things that Garth has done are genuinely out of this world and outside the realm of capabilities from almost everybody else,” Kissel said about Garth Brooks.

On being an artist in this digital age, he said, “It would have been very interesting to see what would have become if I were in a different generation. I love that I have social media, where I can reach out to my fans and I can have conversations with people that love my music on a one-to-one basis. Streaming services are awesome, but you can’t replicate a live concert. That is one of the greatest things about the digital age.”

Kissel listed country queen Martina McBride as his dream female duet choice in country music. “I would love to do a duet with Martina someday, perhaps a Christmas song,” he said.

Regarding the title of the current chapter of his life, he said, “Now or Never.” “I am not going to wait for things to happen anymore. It’s now or never,” he said.

A career-defining moment for Kissel this year was playing his hometown festival at Big Valley Jamboree in front of 30,000 people, where not only did he get a standing ovation but an encore as well. That milestone felt like a Bruce Springsteen moment for him since he could command a crowd of 30,000 people and he could rock it and they could enjoy the moment together. “We can party and celebrate together,” he said. “That was when I discovered a new level that I didn’t think I was capable of. I really found myself in that moment.”

In the past, Kissel worked with acclaimed Nashville country producer Mickey Jack Cones. “Mickey Jack is one of Nashville’s greatest producers because of his time, attention, work ethic and how much he cares about doing right by the artist, the song and most importantly, by the fans. Mickey Jack is relentless. I love him,” he said.

For Kissel, success is about how his family and friends perceive him. “Being a great dad, husband, and guy. That’s a success,” he said.

“Drink About Me” by Brett Kissel is available on Apple Music and on Spotify. “I hope the fans enjoy this song and what it stands for, as much as I enjoyed putting it together in the studio. We have done this song in a very unique way, and I am very proud of that.”

To learn more about Canadian country sensation Brett Kissel and his music, check out his official website.