Catching Up With Singer-Songwriter Kathleen Edwards

Why did Kathleen Edwards – a Canadian roots-rock artist who cut her teeth touring across the provinces – write a song about loving life in the Florida sun?

“Well, I moved to Florida, actually,” she said in a phone interview with Forbes last month. “I’ve been to Florida a few times over the year, but then my husband and I went to St. Pete in early 2021 and we were blown away with how cool of a town it was.”

She chronicles her relationship with the Sunshine state on “FLA,” a can’t-miss number from 2025 album Billionaire. Co-produced by world-class troubadour Jason Isbell and two-time Grammy Award winner Gena Johnson, the 10-song Billionaire debuted in August via Dualtone Records. Blending timeless Heartland rock riffs with urgent ruminations, Billionaire offers a soundtrack to days worth fighting for and the hard-earned nights to follow – whether that’s on a familiar beach or a long drive to a new adventure.

In a new interview with Forbes, Edwards discusses working with Isbell, her return to songwriting after an extended hiatus and the meaning behind Billionaire.

Her Definition Of ‘Billionaire’

Edwards didn’t name her album in nod to a faraway class of wealth. Far from it. The album takes its name from “Billionaire,” a song about a friends of Edwards’ who “went to bed one night and didn’t wake up the next day,” she said.

“I couldn’t write any new songs because I was deeply upset about her loss,” Edwards said. “[It’s] this idea of ‘if this feeling were a currency, I’d be a billionaire. I didn’t ever, when I was making the record, think I would call the record ‘Billionaire’ but when I played the song for people, I could see it really moved [them].”

She continued, “I think that we should all want to be billionaires in this world, in the way that we feel about our friends, in our pursuits, in the things that make us happy. In the way that purpose and hard work are actually things that are worth celebrating and instilling in young people. … I think we should all aspire to be billiaires, and I don’t necessarly mean the financial kind. The quality of life that we have and the people we surround ourselves with and the relationships we build as we grow older.”

Returning To Music

Edwards returned to the studio in 2020 to cut her album Total Freedom after an eight-year hiatus between LPs. 2025’s Billionaire marks her second full-length release in 13 years; and, yes, she knows the music business isn’t what it was when she temporarily stepped away from the stage in 2014.

“I’m not on TikTok,” Edwards said. “I’m very careful to never say never, but I never will be. I know some people have really thrived and built audiences off of it, and I’m thrilled for them. But, man, talk about chasing a carrot when you are a person who built your body of work in a very different time.”

On Chasing (And Catching) A Good Song

Edwards cut Billionaire at Nashville’s Sound Emporium about a year ago, she said. It follows a covers EP that included a duet with Isbell on his song “Traveling Alone.” That collaboration opened the door for the sessions that became her new album.

On the release, listeners hear songs like the richly-detailed ballad “Little Pink Door,” restless rocker “Say Goodbye, Tell No One” and standout Americana single “Save Your Soul.” The tracks come during a creative streak for Edwards that outpaces previous years, she said.

“I’m a lot more prolific than I used to be,” she said. “I’ve written a lot more songs in the last three years than I’ve written in the 10 before. One of the things that I’ve realized is songs, thankfully, sort-of show up and you don’t neccesary get to pick the moment. I’ve learned to not ignore them and just jump in.”

And, of course, she’s ready to play her new tunes on the road this fall. Edwards tours this season in support of Billionaire, with upcoming dates in Minneapolis, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and more.

“I really wanted to make a rock record, essentially,” Edwards said. “One with a lot of rippin’ guitars and upbeat drums. That’s a lot more fun for me when we’re playing live. I’m excited that I’m touring with a band again. It’s not acoustic, folk-y time for me now. I’m going through my Neil Young Crazy Horse era.”