“Had To Go There” by Kalyn Beasley
GRAHAM- May 2
- 2 min read
Kalyn Beasley’s latest single, “Had to Go There,” is a quiet gut-punch—a slow-burning ballad that unfolds like a dusty letter you thought you’d thrown away. Hailing from the wide, wind-worn expanse of Wyoming, Beasley brings his lived-in authenticity to every note, shaped by a life steeped in rodeo arenas, remote skies, and small-town bookshops. This isn’t music crafted in a vacuum, but born of saddle leather and solitude, of nights spent staring into campfires and mornings chasing horizon lines. With “Had to Go There,” Beasley again proves why he’s one of Americana’s most compelling new voices.
The track begins with a gentle strum and a hush. Beasley’s warm, worn, and weathered voice guides the listener into a story of emotional return: to places, to people, and pain we believed we’d outgrown. “I swore I wouldn’t look back,” he sings, “but there’s a road I can’t forget.” Its lyrics don’t need a chorus to stick with you. The song doesn’t dramatise heartbreak but honours it, acknowledging the ache beneath the surface long after a clean break.
Musically, “Had to Go There” is spare but never empty. Acoustic guitar leads the way, with subtle piano and pedal steel drifting in like ghosts. The production is intimate, letting Beasley’s narrative take centre stage. There’s an emotional geography here that echoes the vast landscapes of the Mountain West: space to breathe, but also enough shadow to get lost in. Like the best storytelling songs, it allows the listener to bring their memories into the room.
This single follows the success of Beasley’s 2022 album “A Matter of Time,” which earned a nomination for All Genre Album of the Year at the 2023 Josie Music Awards. Beasley’s accolades include being named a Wyoming Arts Council Performing Arts Fellow and sharing stages with top-tier songwriters at festivals like Treefort and Red Ants Pants. His work resonates because it’s real and never tries too hard, yet cuts to the bone with ease. With “Had to Go There”, he leans even deeper into that rare power: the ability to say something quietly and still be heard loudly.
Fans can experience Beasley’s intimate performances live across the Mountain West this year. He’ll take the stage at the Pitchfork Ranch Horse Sale in Meeteetse, WY on May 31, and continue with stops at the Red Lodge Songwriter Festival in June, Bozeman’s Music On Main in July, and a full slate of summer and fall dates including Red Ants Pants, Forget Me Knot, and the prestigious Whitefish and Livingston Songwriter Festivals. If ''Had to Go There'' is any indication, Beasley’s tour will be more than a setlist but a masterclass in vulnerability and storytelling, delivered with Wyoming dust on his boots and truth in his lyrics.
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