Karissa Ella Puts Her Own Twist On “You Can’t Make Old Friends” With Johnny Gates As Part Of The Acoustic Sessions

Karissa Ella takes on the famous Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers’s hit “​You Can't Make Old Friends'' with Johnny Gates for the third release of her collection of songs, The Acoustic Sessions. Ella’s powerful voice takes an exciting spin on the song that continues to show that a deep friendship comes with time, growth and true enjoyment for who a person is. The artist’s youthful take on the classic song makes you think about the friendships that you have had since the original release of the song. 

“When I first heard this song, it almost brought me to tears. The heartfelt message this song sends really hits home especially with the recent passing of Kenny Rogers. I am honored to cover this Kenny and Dolly Parton duet and to sing with my talented friend, Johnny Gates!,” said Karissa Ella.

“It’s really cool to be a part of this song, not only because Dolly and Kenny are legends, but also because I’ve known one of the writers, Caitlyn Smith, for a while now and we’ve written one of my favorite songs, 'break' together. Karissa sounds incredible and was such a blast to work with and we’ve become 'new friends' really quickly,” said Johnny Gates.

In choosing the songs to cover for The Acoustic Sessions, Ella picked out songs that have influenced her musically. These songs are some she grew up listening to and have inspired her to pursue a career in country music, including “Who I Am,” “Maybe It Was Memphis,” this song and “Blame It On Your Heart” rounding out the project in mid-April. Getting back to her roots, the budding country songstress is writing and recording new music to be released later this year.