Carly Pearce on Why Her 30s Are Her 'Favorite Season of Life': 'I'm Not Chasing Anything' (Exclusive)

Carly Pearce is enjoying every little thing about being in her 30s. 

The “Country Music Made Me Do It” singer, 33, spoke to PEOPLE about what makes this era of her life feel different than the rest before taking the stage in New York City Tuesday night for the All for the Hall guitar pull.

“I get to literally do what I love every single day. I get to be the artist that I always wanted to be. I get to sing the kind of songs that I always wanted to and write the kind of music I want, be a part of events that I always wanted to be,” she said ahead of the show, which benefited the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “I'm not chasing anything anymore, and that feels really good.”

Pearce, who is gearing up for a headlining tour in October while also preparing to release a new record, noted that she experienced a lot of highs and lows in her late 20s, including getting married to and divorced from Michael Ray in the same year (she was 29 — which has since served as the inspiration behind her 2021 album of the same title, 29: Written in Stone). 

“That such a pivotal record, but also a really painful time for me. I feel like more than anything, what 29 did for me is it solidified who I am as a performer. The traditional side of country music is so important to me, so we're just really doubling down on that,” she explained of how she plans to move musically into the new album.

“So much has happened in the last few years for me in my personal life and professional life, and I just feel even more confident to just put my flag on the ground with all that I am.” 

Pearce ultimately took the stage at the benefit alongside Country Music Hall of Famers Vince Gill and Emmylou Harris, and her partner in crime Ashley McBryde, with whom she won a Grammy in 2023 for their duet “Never Wanted to Be That Girl.”

“It'll be very full circle to get to play this song with [Ashley] tonight. To sit next to somebody that you've had success with, who you also just admire so much, is really cool,” she said. 

McBryde, for her part, shared in Pearce’s excitement to be able to perform the song together, though she did voice a small logistical concern to PEOPLE:

“I was like, oh, Carly's here. We get to do ["Never Wanted to Be That Girl"]. And what's funny is if I do it in my show and she does it in her show, now we've probably forgotten who's saying what!” she quips. 

(The two did not, in fact, forget.) 

As for what makes Pearce the most proud and passionate at 33? 

“The 30s are my favorite season of life, and I feel the most myself,” she said, adding: “which I think is just me feeling really happy.”