Samoan-New Zealand country artist TheWesternGuide (Aaron Pulemagafa), who grew up in West Auckland, is back with a beautiful new single, ‘Truth I Keep’, featuring one of Aotearoa’s best-loved country artists, Kaylee Bell. The emotional collaboration explores love, honesty and the complications that come with sharing your past with someone, particularly when you’ve worked hard to move beyond it.
“I think everyone has things in their past that they’re not necessarily proud of. You start wondering, if I told this person, what would they think of me? That was the feeling I wanted to capture with ‘Truth I Keep’,” he says.
Bringing country and pop together, the track is a bittersweet reflection on how much of your past you choose to share with the person you love, and the fear of what that honesty might mean for your relationship. Kaylee and Aaron’s voices melt into each other on a ballad that feels like a conversation between two people. There’s a beautiful guitar riff running through it too, adding another layer of emotion to the song.
Having shared the stage, Kaylee and Aaron have now come together in the studio. Bell has been a longtime supporter of TheWesternGuide’s journey, with Aaron having opened for her on tour in 2025. She says she has always admired his songwriting and musical talent.
“From seeing Aaron open for me on the Cowboy Up tour in 2025 to now being on this track with him is such a special moment. He has a beautiful voice, and it’s great to add to his depth of storytelling and help tell this intricate, tragically beautiful love story,” says Bell.
Aaron has made a name for himself in contemporary country music, bringing his own mix of humour, passion and storytelling to the genre. His sound and identity have seen fans affectionately refer to him as Aotearoa New Zealand’s “Samoan Cowboy.”
‘Truth I Keep’ finds TheWesternGuide opening up even further through his songwriting. The early verses come from a place of fear and uncertainty, before Kaylee’s voice brings another perspective, moving the song towards acceptance and the hope that someone will love you for who you are now, regardless of what’s come before.
‘Truth I Keep’ will feature on TheWesternGuide’s debut album, Poviboy, out November 20, 2026. Produced by Christian Tjandrawinata and Jeremiah “Hales” Fale, the album explores identity, self-discovery and community, as Aaron continues to find his own place in country music.
Listen to ‘Truth I Keep’ here.