Country newcomer Karley Scott Collins has officially taken flight. Her long-awaited debut album Flight Risk is out now, and the 25-year-old singer-songwriter has delivered a fearless, hands-on project that’s as personal as it is powerful.

Fans who’ve been with her since her very first single at age 20 know Collins has grown up right alongside them, and this album reflects that journey.

“It’s been really cool to change and put out music and have my fans be growing and changing and listening to the music with me,” she told Fandom Daily. “It’s a really special relationship, especially with the ones I’ve known for so long.”

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That bond shines brightest in Flight Risk’s breakout moment, the sassy kiss-off “Cowboy Shit.”

“We kind of wrote that song as a joke,” Collins admitted. “I was about to go ride a horse and I told my friends, ‘I’m on some cowboy shit right now.’ They said we had to write it. I didn’t even send it to my team at first – they found it a year later and told me I had to cut it. I was hesitant, but I’m glad I did because people have loved it.”

The song has already racked up over a million streams and has become a fan favorite at her shows. Collins’ creative fingerprint graces every part of the record. She co-produced the project with Grammy Award winner Nathan Chapman, and together the two played nearly every instrument. Collins even picked up banjo, violin, and bass for the sessions – sometimes learning the instrument just hours before recording.

“Nathan taught me how to play the bass about an hour before we recorded it,” she said with a laugh. “Now I play it live on stage.”

She also taught herself engineering skills in the studio to make sure every detail was exactly how she envisioned it. “It was really important that all the songs were ones I wrote, because when I get on stage, I want to feel like I’ve lived them,” Collins explained. That honesty pulses through the record, which speaks with the hard-earned wisdom of someone well beyond her years, unafraid to tell the truths gathered in just 25 years of living, loving, and learning.

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Beyond the studio, Collins is on the road as part of Keith Urban’s HIGH AND ALIVE TOUR 2025, a 41-city trek across the U.S. and Canada that wraps October 17 in Nashville. For Collins, it’s a surreal full-circle moment.

“Keith Urban was probably one of the first country artists I remember hearing because my aunt played his music all the time. Being on tour with him is a dream come true. I wake up every morning like, ‘Someone pinch me, is this actually my life?’” she said.

The tour will also take her overseas, including her first-ever performances in Australia.

“It’s really strange to go across the world and have people know your songs,” she said. “I’ve wanted to go to Australia forever. I’m even going cage diving with great white sharks—after the shows, so no one has to worry about me before I perform.”

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Outside of music, Collins still finds time to ground herself. She recently visited family, took her dog to the beach, and indulged in her love of books. 

With Flight Risk now out in the world, Collins is proving she’s more than ready for her moment. Whether she’s turning jokes into streaming hits, teaching herself new instruments, or winning over crowds on a global stage, she’s showing that risk isn’t something to fear – it’s what makes the journey unforgettable.

Photo Credit: Matthew Berinato