Soulful country artist Kree Harrison was smack dab in the middle of the ocean when friend and fellow songwriter Chris Gelbuda came to her with the idea for a new song.

“He told me that he knew I was looking for a song and that he thought he had a song I would love,” Harrison recalls in an interview with Taste of Country. “He had written the song with Clare Dunn. I listened to it and I knew that I needed to sing this song.”

The song was “Make It Easy,” a masterpiece of a musical plea that premieres exclusively today on Taste of Country.

“I just think this song is so relatable in so many different ways,” the American Idol alum explains. “It’s all about making it easy for someone to go, whether that’s a lover or a family member or...who knows? I was immediately taken by the melody. It was just beautiful.”

While she doesn’t have writing credits on this song herself, Harrison says that singing songs from other songwriters is something she increasingly loves doing.

“I love writing songs, but I also love being able to take outside songs and then put my own life on it,” says the Texas native. “I mean, I feel like you can hear a teardrop in Patsy [Cline]'s voice and you can hear the sass in Etta James. To find that and emote that in the studio, rather than just sing it, that’s where I go now more than ever.  If I don’t believe what I am singing about, why should you?”

It’s this new philosophy that fans will soon hear firsthand on her sophomore album, Chosen Family Tree, when it comes out on June 12. Produced by Jordan Lehning and Skylar Wilson, the album will include 12 tracks, including the Chris Stapleton co-penned “I Love the Lie,” a cover of John Lennon’s “Mother” and the title track, which will feature a guest appearance by Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne.

“Every song on the record has its own life,” explains Harrison, who got engaged to love Jason Martin this past October. “Every song is essentially a puzzle piece to me — this piece gives me this feeling and this piece gives me that feeling. I’m so proud of this record in the way that it does that.”

And her inner confidence? Well, it’s never been higher.

“My fan following is so loyal, which is an amazing feeling,” she says. “Everyone has been so patient with me to create my own masterpiece. I didn’t want to put something out half-ass just because I wanted to keep up a momentum. My music is showing a big piece of my heart that I haven’t shown before.”

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