Local Singer-Songwriter Karli Blood Headlines At North Haverhill Fair
By Trish Griswold
Karli Blood is the featured performer at this year’s 82nd Annual North Haverhill Fair. Karli is a Ryegate, VT, resident and a Blue Mountain Union School graduate. She is currently enrolled as a public relations major at Belmont University in Nashville, TN, where she is also pursuing a career in country music. - Courtesy photo
North Haverhill, NH - On Saturday, July 25th, Ryegate’s very own Karli Blood will light up Thayer Stage at the North Haverhill Fair with her positive energy, musical talent, and country vibe. For the 20-year-old college student, this opportunity is one she never thought possible. “Growing up, I never imagined I’d get the chance to take the main stage at such a special event,” Karli says, “and I’m so grateful for the opportunity.”
Karli’s passion for music began at an early age, giving private performances for her family. Ironically, however, it was the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 that sparked her drive to create music. Like many people, Karli found herself struggling with the lack of social interaction outside her immediate family, so she turned to music as an outlet. Karli set up her dad’s old DJ equipment in a loft above her parents' garage, a cozy little space she fondly dubbed “the barn,” and began belting out a myriad of well-known hits from country to pop, rock, and even theater music. She started teaching herself to play the ukulele and began writing songs as an emotional escape, transforming her negative feelings into something more positive.
“[The pandemic] was definitely a hard time,” Karli says, reflecting on the perils of quarantine. “I found that music really helped me through that. It was definitely an outlet for me to express how I was feeling, and I was able to put some of those feelings into lyrics.”
A few years later, at age 16, Karli gave her first public performance—a duet at her school’s spring concert. In August of that same year, with her dad running sound and lights, Karli gave her first solo performance when she opened for Bad Horsey at Sunset Rock RV Park in Isle La Mott, VT. “I couldn’t have done it without my parents, brother, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and friends,” Karli says. “They never fail to show up and support me. Without them being there, I probably wouldn’t have the courage to get up on stage.”
From that moment on, Karli’s music career blossomed. Bryce McNall, the lead singer of Bad Horsey, connected Karli with a producer, who is originally from Vermont but travels back and forth to Nashville helping find up-and-coming talent and assisting them in the process of producing tracks with in-studio bands. This introduction was a catalyst for what came next.
In October 2022, during her sophomore year of high school, Karli ventured off to Nashville, the heart of Music City, where she recorded her first original song, titled “What We Used To Be.” The following February, Karli played her first official gig with a backing track and her guitar at the Iron Rail in Woodsville. She continued to perform locally at bars, campgrounds, and various community events before returning to Nashville three months later to record “Nashville Cowboys,” one of her most popular songs to date. According to Karli, “Nashville Cowboys” was released in September 2023 as part of an extended play mini-album with a collection of songs from her two recording sessions. To date, Karli has released eight songs in total.
When asked to choose her favorite original song, Karli ponders for a moment. “I think ‘Nashville Cowboys’ because it’s fun to dance to, and that’s the kind of music I’m hoping to release if I ever get more opportunities to record. But I also like ‘Doin’ Good.’ Those are probably my top two.”
Without question, Karli Blood’s music career has skyrocketed since those early years of belting out KIDZ BOP-type playlists for her family. Following her graduation from Blue Mountain Union School in June of 2024, Karli moved to Nashville, where she currently attends Belmont University while simultaneously forging her path in the music industry. Karli originally enrolled as an education major, as she was uncertain about her long-term career aspirations. “I needed to start somewhere,” she remarks. “I thought that might lead me into music education or becoming a teacher, but I went into it knowing that I was probably going to change my major.”
While networking with other students through various organizations that she had joined, Karli learned about public relations (PR). “I didn’t even really know that was a thing when I was searching for majors in high school, and then I talked to a lot of other students who spoke so highly of the program and the professors and explained what PR was. I said, ‘I need to try this.’”
At the beginning of her sophomore year, Karli switched majors and is pleased with her decision. “I had a reflection moment of, ‘Why am I in Nashville spending so much money for an education degree when I can do that anywhere for a lot cheaper?’ I feel like I should be taking advantage of the connections and the professors and the programs related to music.”
Though PR is not an official major within Belmont’s School of Music, Karli explains, public relations is certainly an integral part of the music industry. “PR is important from an artist’s perspective with the age of social media, but there’s so much that you can do with PR even beyond music. If I wanted to learn how to promote myself or other artists and stay in the music industry, I 100% could, but if my goals in life change, I will have job security in other parts of the workforce because PR is so broad.”
The life-changing opportunities afforded to Karli in Nashville, both personally and professionally, have been plentiful. As part of Dolly U, a partnership between Belmont University, Dolly Parton and CTK Enterprises, Karli recently took a class called “Dollyology: Branding, Leadership & Strategic Communication to Customer Relationship Management in the Dollyverse.” This course focused exclusively on Dolly Parton’s branding as an artist and her journey in the public eye.
In addition to a rigorous course schedule, Karli is a member of Phi Mu, the second-oldest female sorority in the United States, as well as Towering Traditions, an orientation council that supports incoming Belmont University freshmen on move-in day and throughout the school year. She co-leads the Belmont Boulevard Team, a small group of students who create all of the social media content for Belmont’s Instagram and TikTok pages. Karli also spent 16 days with a group of fellow PR majors traveling through Europe, starting in Madrid, Spain, with additional stops in Lisbon and Porto, Portugal.
In her spare time, Karli is on stage in Nashville. In April 2025, she auditioned for the Honky Tonk School, a highly acclaimed training and development organization. Karli earned a spot filling in for singers who perform on Broadway. She plays consistently with a multitude of bands on the “Tootsies Circuit,” a network of venues that include Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, Kid Rock’s Big Honky Tonk, Honky Tonk Central, and Rippy’s Honky Tonk. Karli performs at various times of day and in different environments. She also “runs the bucket,” taking song requests and accepting tips from the audience. “It has been a great way to connect with people in the music industry in Nashville and artists that are chasing the same dream that I am.”
Karli’s journey into the music spotlight is beyond inspirational. She is ambitious, passionate, humble, and kind. She is also a positive role model and a beacon of inspiration for those who have the courage to dream big dreams. Karli’s advice to budding young artists is simple and genuine. “Keep going if music is something you truly love. It won’t always be easy, but it is so much better to take the chance than to look back years later wishing you'd been brave enough to try.”
While Karli is chasing her dreams in Nashville during the school year, she spends her summers in Vermont with her family, pursuing those same dreams here at home. Karli recently opened for Waterbury, VT, native Jamie Lee Thurston at The Dispensary in St. Johnsbury. Other venues on her summer tour included 98 Mill, McIndoes Academy Community Center, Sunset Rock Lake Shore, and Kingdom Campground, with her final stop being Thayer Stage at the North Haverhill Fair.
“I feel nothing but pride to represent my community and put on a really fun show for everyone who shows up and supports me,” Karli says. “I think it’s going to be a great time, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Karli Blood (second from left) has received unwavering support from her family throughout her musical journey. Her dad, Scott (far left), is her lighting and sound technician. Her mom, Melissa (far right), is her manager, and her younger brother, Kason (second from right), helps Scott with set-up and tear-down.“It’s definitely not a one-woman show, even if it appears that way,” Karli says. - Courtesy photo
Karli Blood serves as a “fill in” for singers who perform on the “Tootsies Circuit,” a collection of honky- tonks in Music City. She is seen singing on stage at the legendary Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge on Broadway.- Courtesy photo