This is EPISODE #1!!! CHEERS! Coming to you from the heart of Music City Nashville, TN—This is The Rock-N-Roll Conservative Podcast, where conservative beliefs are the new counterculture.  On this show, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are the new punk rock.  You may be wondering who am I, why am I doing this and why should you care? In order to get rolling, I need to tell you a little bit about me. My name is Kelsey Merritt. I was born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1989. (Yes, I'm a millennial...) I moved to New York City at a young age to pursue a career in the music business.  I am a 17-year music industry veteran. That has been my whole life so far—a singer, songwriter, band manager, tour manager, small business owner and performer. I attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. It was there that I started my band, Kelsey and the Chaos. At 18, I made my first record, signed a deal and hit the road.  Most notably, I spent five consecutive summers on the Vans Warped Tour. (This was a big deal in the early 2000's!)  I had a single on top 40 radio and was featured in the New York Times, the Sun-Sentinel, MTV, and the Alternative Press.  Throughout this time, I stayed relatively quiet about my political beliefs. A Conservative thinker in the music business is DEFINITELY not in the majority. My fear was always either isolating my fanbase or that I would end up being blacklisted by industry executives. Seeing all of the "cancel culture" today, my fears were justified.  I decided in the last year or so that by not speaking out and by suppressing my beliefs to get ahead in music, I was no longer being my authentic self or staying true to my core values.  It took me a great deal of bravery to do this. I have been trying to decide whether or not I’d have the guts to come out publicly and put myself in the line of fire. So, why the F *%^ am I doing this? My goal for this show is to give the voiceless a voice. You can turn on any mainstream news channel and hear from politicians and pundits but the people’s voice has been completely lost.  I want to give an opportunity to everyday people, from all walks of life and backgrounds a chance to speak their minds and have their viewpoints heard.  DISCLAIMER: I am not a journalist, media personality, politician, professional speaker, writer or social influencer. I am merely an average woman, wife, daughter, sister, small business owner, and proud American. If can impart one piece of wisdom on this show, it would be that: It is up to us, you and I, regular, every day people to stand up and speak out AGAINST THE MOB. The politicians in Washington DC, privileged-ass celebrities, the mainstream media and the education system don’t have the guts to speak truth to lies—BUT WE DO! Be brave and be fearless in all you do. Love,  Kelsey Chaos My first episode is a conservation is with Javier Vicente. Javier is a makeup artist and fashion industry veteran. He lives in Barcelona, Spain.  I met Javier when I was traveling and performing with my cover band on a cruise ship for 5 months. Javier and I became friends because he did my hair on the ship. (Ship life is crazy, ya'll) We never spoke of politics. When we got home from our contracts, we "friended" each other on Facebook. I noticed Javier was posting SEVERAL, very conservative memes/opinions several times a day. He especially ramped it up in the times of Covid. I was fascinated. Not only because he's an ultra artsy type, but because he's also a gay man. The mainstream media NEVER talks about conservative thinkers in LBGTQ+ community, but I WILL. In this episode, we talk COVID lockdowns, being an outsider, the "narrative," thinking for yourself, and MORE! ENJOY.