Katelyn Clampett says she wrote her new song "Hang Up and Hang Out" as a way to remind herself and others that a break from life is essential mental health. The punkish country-rock song is a ready-made stress release that's perfect for the unofficial kick-off of summer.

Taste of Country readers get to hear "Hang Up and Hang Out" first during this exclusive premiere. The song will be available via digital retailers and streaming platforms on Friday (May 27). You may struggle to find a better lead-in to the holiday weekend.

"I just wanna go where the wild things go / Where the river flows and the fireflies glow," she sings to begin her contagious chorus. "Get out of my head and get out of this town / So I can hang up and hang out." 

"I wrote this song by myself, in the middle of the pandemic in 2020, in a moment of feeling so overwhelmed with what was going on in the world every time I looked at my phone," Clampett tells Taste of Country. It's easy to understand how lyrics like, "Sometimes this little busy bee / Just needs a place to lay her wings" followed.

"I just had to get out of the house and go where I could have peace and breathe a little easier. I got myself a camper, learned how to use it from YouTube tutorials, and started spending more time outside to clear my head, reset and find more peace in the present moment."

The North Carolina-raised singer attended Berklee College of Music on a songwriting and vocal scholarship before auditioning for Season 9 of American Idol. That proved not to be her path, but while in L.A., she honed her craft before moving to Nashville in 2013. Since then, she's opened for artists including Dan + Shay, Kip Moore and Ariana Grande.

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