Seven Songs, One Very Personal Story | Karissa Ella
For Karissa Ella, Growing Wings isn't simply another collection of country songs. It's a snapshot of the people, places, heartbreaks and experiences that have shaped her.
The Ohio-born country singer-songwriter joins Heart of the Gulch to break down her seven-song EP Growing Wings, including six tracks she helped write herself and stories that stretch from honky-tonks and hometown pride to cowboys, heartbreak and family.
Karissa Ella discusses her Growing Wings EP and the personal stories behind its seven country songs during her Heart of the Gulch interview.
It's personal country music built around something Karissa has always valued: songs that feel like real life.
Inside Growing Wings
Each song on Growing Wings reveals a different side of Karissa.
“Honky Tonk Heartbeat” brings the energy, while “Hall of Fame” turns toward the hometown that helped raise her. “Last Call Cowboy” carries a more sentimental side, and “Heartbreaker” delivers an empowering message about knowing your worth.
Then there's “‘Til Chevy Stops Making Trucks,” another example of Karissa taking familiar pieces of country life and turning them into something personal.
Heart of the Gulch host Tony Mendoza talks with Karissa Ella about Growing Wings, songwriting and the experiences behind her music.
Together, the seven songs show an artist increasingly willing to put more of herself into the music.
A Midwest Soul Raised on Country Women
Growing up in Ohio, Karissa found inspiration in some of country's most recognizable female voices.
Shania Twain, Gretchen Wilson, Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood all helped shape her appreciation for powerhouse vocals, personality and songs capable of saying exactly what they mean.
That influence remains present in Karissa's music, but so does her Midwest upbringing and her own approach to modern country storytelling.
Years of Building an Audience
Country artist Karissa Ella reflects on her Ohio roots, songwriting and creating deeply personal songs for her Growing Wings EP.
Heart of the Gulch has actually been following Karissa's story for years.
She was first featured on the platform in 2022, giving this conversation an opportunity to look at how much has changed since those early days.
Songs including “I Hope Heaven's Like” helped Karissa develop an emotional connection with listeners, while years of releasing music and touring continued building her audience.
Her work has also earned attention from outlets including CMT, PEOPLE and Sounds Like Nashville.
But Growing Wings feels particularly revealing because so much of Karissa herself is embedded in the songs.
Karissa Ella performs “Mamas Do” during the Walk the Line performance segment inside the Heart of the Gulch studio in Nashville.
A Song for the Mamas
The episode ends on an especially personal note.
Karissa steps into Heart of the Gulch's Walk the Line performance segment to perform “Mamas Do,” a song centered around the unconditional relationship between mothers and daughters.
It's a fitting conclusion to a conversation largely about the things that make country music resonate in the first place—home, family, heartbreak and the stories we carry with us.
Watch Karissa Ella on Heart of the Gulch
Watch the full Karissa Ella interview as she breaks down Growing Wings, “Honky Tonk Heartbeat,” “Hall of Fame,” “Last Call Cowboy,” “‘Til Chevy Stops Making Trucks” and the personal experiences behind her songwriting.
The episode concludes with Karissa performing “Mamas Do” for Heart of the Gulch's Walk the Line performance segment.
Tony Mendoza is the Nashville-based host and creator of Heart of the Gulch, featuring conversations with country artists, songwriters and personalities from Nashville and beyond.
