Kile Antone -

A former detective walks into a recording studio for the first time and cries when the band starts playing his song. That’s the kind of real, lived-in moment that makes this conversation with South Carolina country artist Kyle stick with you long after the credits roll.

We talk through Kyle’s winding career path from dispatcher to police officer to detective, then into ministry as a pastor, and later into EMS as an EMT and paramedic. Along the way, he shares how a rough childhood shaped his drive to serve, why the physical demands of the ambulance eventually pushed him toward teaching, and how he now trains the next generation as a paramedic program director. If you’re searching for a career change story that’s honest about risk, faith, and the need for steady income, this one delivers.

Then we turn the spotlight to the music. Kyle grew up with guitar in his hands, but he doesn’t return to writing and releasing until his fifties and within a few years he’s landing chart attention and building momentum as an independent country singer-songwriter. We get into songwriting craft, the studio workflow, adding Nashville session players, and the unglamorous business reality of building “numbers” through live shows, social media, Spotify, and distribution tools like DistroKid. We also unpack what a modern artist team can look like: mentorship, management, radio promotion, and PR, even while paying for growth out of gig money.

If you enjoy stories about second acts, country music with real stories, and the behind-the-scenes of building an indie career, hit subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find it.

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