James Dupre’s Debut

What do you get when you mix Waylon Jennings, Blake Shelton, and add in some soul and blues? You get Louisiana native, James Dupre who is releasing his debut album, Stone To Death. As someone who loves country music, I appreciate all the new facets of country that we are being handed. As someone who grew up on Brooks and Dunn, George Strait, Shania, but also had some Dolly Parton and Randy Travis in there, I have a deep love for old country, and that is exactly what Dupre is bringing to the table. He mixes his contemporary time in country with his old country sound, and it is brilliant.

Many of you probably recognize James from his four-chair turn around audition on The Voice where he absolutely killed his cover of Hootie’s “Let Her Cry,” a song I still look forward to in his set every time I am able to see him live. When his journey ended on The Voice, James took time to write and record songs that really spoke to him as an artist. After listening to the entirety of Stone to Death, I can say the wait was absolutely worth it. No song is bad; in actuality every single song is incredible. The album starts with a good pick me up, “Green Light” and tells a story all the way through; whether that be about a small town living or falling in love with the right and the wrong person.

Produced by Jordan Lehning  (Nashville show music compositions, Kacey Musgaves’ Pageant Material) the album brings every aspect of who James is as an artist to the table. Between the production, song choices, and James’ voice, this album is one of my favorite recently released albums. It makes me want to sit around a fire with a beer and my friends, much like I used to do when I jammed to George Strait with my family and friends.

Below, I talk about my favorites on the album, which is probably going to be half of the album, but these just stuck out to me. Every song is good, every lyric is powerful, and James’ voice is every bit if not more talented than when one of you may have seen him on Ellen, and others on The Voice.

The album begins with “Greenlight” a song that talks all about living in a small town, a place James knows much about. It is the perfect song to to begin this album, because as a small town Louisiana boy, that is where the dream started. As a Louisiana girl myself, I love songs about living in the South and appreciating the cultures around you, which is exactly what James does in “Someday Today.” He recalls being in New Orleans, and seeing that lifestyle in everything he does, and everything he sees.

For the song, “Lonesome Alone” I never not jam and dance in my car. It is about a guy who misses the girl he used to be with, and thinks of all these crazy ways to show he misses her, but realizes that “going with a simple knock” may do the trick. It is extremely catchy, and is on the top of my list.

The next song is my ABSOLUTE favorite on the album for many reasons. I am a fan of broken down songs; some of my favorite songs are acoustic versions. “Hurt Good” written by Mike Mobley, Jessi Alexander (“I Drive Your Truck”), and Travis Meadows (“Mr. Misunderstood”, “Riser”) is that song you just replay. He starts with “You’re a twisty road, that I can’t undrive. You’re the perfect knot that I can’t untie and I don’t want to try…” Right there, you know this is a complicated situation, but when the chorus goes away he forgets all about it, “Come on, crash my bed, girl wreck my head, do me all night long, do me right, do me wrong…” He describes that longing for an old love that every single listener will relate to.

The next song is another one at the top of my list. “Whatever That Was” is a song that I feel like is the most relatable. We all have that relationship, where we weren’t a couple, but we knew there was something there. He sings, “Never quite lovers, but more than friends. Maybe that’s the best thing we could’ve been, cause what never starts, never has to end.” This line gives me chills every single time. It is that moment when you realize, you want to be with that person, but can’t. You rather just stay the way things were, then risk anything else. Dupre puts the emotion of longing and acceptance perfectly.

The next song on my list is my absolute favorite along with “Hurt Good.” Yes, I realize I have said that about many, but listen to this album. You cannot blame me. “Perfect Time” is the song that I have gotten all of my friends obsessed with. It is about that relationship that was great, but only lasted a little while. You were happy, nothing really went wrong, but it just wasn’t the one. He sings, “I know we were never meant for tomorrow, life was only letting us borrow each other for a little while.” There is never more genius than that. It is simple, but speaks volumes. “You’re gonna find, we were perfect for the perfect time.” This is how every person wants to feel when they end a relationship. James sings this song in such a sincere way, that you feel exactly the way he does. Again, something he is extremely good at.

This album has my heart for many reasons. It brings me back to the country music I grew up listening to, and gives me such encouragement that this kind of country is coming back. I love new country, but I love that James dives into the old sound, because country music is about all kinds of sounds; that includes old country coming back and making a stand. I really encourage all of you to listen to this album, listen to the words and the melodies, and feel the emotions James feels. It will bring you back to the days of your childhood, and bring so much joy to your ears.

 

 

Carrie’s Faith In Media Matters

If you know me, you probably know I am one of the biggest Carrie Underwood fans out there. I have no shame in saying so. If you ask me why, I will of course tell you her voice, her classiness, her concern for the world around her, and her songwriting. However, as I grew up with her as someone I thoroughly enjoyed, I realized there was another reason I really looked up to her. Her faith. She is someone who has lived out her love of Christ no matter what the media says or criticizes her about. She knows God is the reason she is doing what she is doing, and she never strays away from that.

Our world and society right now is based off of relativism, what you believe is you and what I believe is me, conversation done. I am not the biggest fan of this, right now there is a lot to be concerned about. Carrie Underwood is one of the biggest Christians the entertainment industry has, and she doesn’t run from it, she embraces it. In an interview not long ago, the interviewer asked her what she wants to do with her career, and her answer was one I will never forget. She responded with, “If I can bring one person closer to God through my career, I have done my job.” In another interview with Oprah, she and husband, (NHL Predators player) Mike Fisher, talk about the role that faith plays in their marriage, and in their life. They recall how right after he proposed they prayed together, but even before as they dated, they would make time to call and pray together. This is something you do definitely do not hear about in celebrity marriages, and many reasons they probably fail. They based their marriage on faith, and not the glamour of the celebrity world. They understood their careers are not who they are, but who they are is who Christ made them to be. I remember watching this, and just being in amazement that two people like them have no issue with answering this question with no hesitation. This is the right way to do it. These are not answers you hear often, but one that Carrie, and Mike as well, uphold in all that they do. She was given this platform for her voice, but her talent was given by God, and He knew exactly what he was going to use her talent and voice for.

A few years ago, Carrie Underwood was honored as a part of the ACM’s and she invited Vince Gill on stage with her. She performed her own rendition of the classic gospel hymn, “How Great Thou Art.” If you are like me, when I even thought about this performance, I went and pulled it up, because it NEVER gets old. Anyway, that performance was a game changer. Millions and millions of views later, people could not and still cannot stop talking about it. A few appearances later on a television interview, Carrie recalled when Reba McEntire came up to Carrie after she performed that and said, “thank you. You just sang about God on national television.” Carrie says she didn’t think of this as any big deal because it is something she is used to doing and didn’t think twice about it. This is why Carrie Underwood is important to the faith in the media. She is using her voice for good, and is not ashamed to sing on a national broadcast about the Lord and the faith that he gives her.

If you live under a rock, and don’t know what I am talking about:

 

More recently, Carrie performed on the American Idol finale. Instead of singing her newly released single or something like her MEGA hit “Before He Cheats” she sang her hit, “Something in the Water.” Not only does this song prove every reason she was Season 4’s winner, I mean have you heard her sing, but she again used a performance to praise the Lord who gave her the opportunities from that stage to where she is now. At the end, she mouths, “praise you Lord,” which fans all over Twitter were posting about. Not only in her performances, but in her acceptance speeches, the first person she thanks is her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Fans take notice, media takes notice, but it is not about being noticed, it is about being genuine.

When you look back at her career, her first single was “Jesus Take the Wheel” which so many said was risky. She never looked back and it is one of her biggest hits. When I saw her two nights ago, the first note of that song played and people could not stop cheering. Many raised their hands and sang every word back, it was like her own choir. In that moment, the faith of Carrie and the audience was evident. In a prior album, she was inspired by Mike to write “Temporary Home.” A song about how life on Earth is just temporary, we are going to a bigger home. Not only did she record this for an album, she released it as a single and performed it on the ACM’s. She never let the media tell her otherwise, she did what she believed was right.

This post is not just to praise Carrie for her faith, but to inspire each and every one of us to do the same. There are a lot of celebrities who use their career and talents for the good along with Carrie such as Hillary Scott, Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, Candace Cameron Bure, and many more. We may not have the huge awe worthy voice Carrie has or the platform, but we have our platform that God calls us to use. Whether it be in the classroom, in your work space, or in your group of friends and family, make sure His will and His Word and love show in all you do. Make sure you don’t stand down when the world is telling you to. She could easily straw away from mentioning faith, especially with how much media pays attention to her. Instead she lets the media know that she is a faith filled person who gives her thanks and praise to Christ. This is inspiring to me, and I am sure to many fans around the world.

That video of her singing reached millions, and while the world right now is saying keep your mouth closed about your faith, there is a reason people watch it over and over. People want hope, they want faith, and they want to know God is there. While society goes against that and says that we make our own happiness and hope, there is a reason everyone prays when tragedy hits, there is a reason people want more. It is because He is the answer. We are not the answers to our own issues, He is. Carrie is an inspiration in many ways as someone who loves the music business, but wants to live out her faith to the fullest. I was told the other day how great of a role model she is for young girls. She embraces that, and I agree. I agree that she is a role model, because she makes fans remember it is about Him, not her. This is so important, especially for young people who look to her for advice. Right now, culture has young people looking to their favorite celebrities, and while this is already not the greatest thing to do, Carrie uses that knowledge to change the outlook. She wants fans, young people included, to know that while she loves their support, she wants them to know there is more out there. Instead of listening to our favorite celebrities about politics, and how to make decisions, we need to realize that following in their footsteps is not what we are called to do. We need to walk in His. In our life we need that realization. We are given the blessings and opportunities, but it is through Him. We all need to realize this, and make the most of it.

We may not be in the media, we may not be on the ACM’s, but we are in our own purposefully given platform, and God knows exactly how we are supposed to give His praise and spread His love. Let Carrie be an example, and let us become that example to those around us. Let us use our voices and our talents for His good, and not let any one keep us away from that. It is something I have to remind myself about, and I am sure everyone else struggles with it as well. We just have to be solid in our faith, and continue to learn and be brave in our journey.

Lauren Daigle Interview

 

It is probably one of my favorite things in the world to talk and hear all about someone’s dreams. You see them light up or you hear it in the way they speak; that their passion is such a large part of who they are. It is even more exciting when those dreams coincide with talking about faith and the love and passion God has in people’s hearts and in their everyday lives.

I had the chance to talk to award winning now Grammy nominated Christian artist, also Lafayette native, Lauren Daigle recently. I have been super excited to talk to her about her music, her faith, and her journey from Lafayette to Nashville. Sidenote: Then the day before I was scheduled to talk to her, it was announced she was nominated for a Grammy, so I knew our talk would be even more exciting.

I was so thankful she was able to fit me in during a crazy time where she was on the Adore tour with Chris Tomlin and Crowder. When we got on the phone I freaked out for her, then we both freaked out together. It was a phone call full of freak-outs and tons of fun. Her energy is probably one of my favorite things. You just can hear the love she has for what she does in every answer, but also the message God is pouring through not only her, but her talent and music she sings every night.

We talked about Grammy nominations, that incredible Christmas song that was being shared all around Facebook, college life, and living out the faith in every way possible. This interview will give you a glimpse into the beautiful person that Lauren is and the incredible things God has working through her. Enjoy! 🙂

 

Congratulations on the Grammy nomination, that is SO huge. Finding out, what was that day like for you?

Well I was asleep in my bunk, and my road manager came in and woke me up to get my phone, because she knew that people were trying to call and text me. I got up, and was panicking. I’m like somebody got in touch with my other managers to tell them something is wrong with my parents or my family, and now my other managers are contacting my road manager to make sure that I get they my phone before I find out, so that I don’t find out on my phone. So she is taking me out to the front lodge to tell me all this news, like ok. It was something funny at first, like my mom showed up to surprise me or something. But then I was like ok, wait my mom is not in the lounge. What is going on? Then she was like, ok, Leigh (manager), you are on speaker, tell her the news, and it was that I got the Grammy nomination. I was like, “oh phewwww, that is a lot better than I was thinking.”

Right, it was like no one was in trouble.

 Right, exactly. I had to look at her at some point and say is it good or bad thing. Are you about to tell me something bad? She was like, “no, no, it’s good.”

SO so good. You deserve it. That album is unbelievable.

Aww thank you so much, I appreciate that. It was crazy making it.

I bet, were you a songwriter all before?

Yeah I would write in Lafayette by myself all the time. I never wrote co-writes and stuff though.

Did you always write Christian music?

Oh no. I would write worship music just driving around sometimes, and a song would come in my mind, so I would record it. I would really write singer songwriter kind of stuff the most.

Yeah, we try to write here, and it is not easy to do. I always wondered if Christian music was harder to write, because it is more putting your heart out there.

 I feel like Christian music is way more difficult. I don’t know. I can write a pop song in like a minute, like really I can write a full song in like 5 minutes. But for some reason, when it comes to Chritian music, sometimes it takes me days to write one song.

It would probably take me months…like I think you have to put your heart out there sometimes and God has to put it there first.

It is hard to phrase things while staying in a safe bubble, you know? It is easier to phrase things in pop music because the world is at your fingertips and you aren’t necessarily considering everybody’s opinions. Which sounds silly, it should be the opposite, and it should be different, but it’s not. In Christian music you have to be cautious about the way you say things, and the way you phrase things because it may be theoretically wrong or people might have opinions about it that you didn’t even know were there.

Yeah, you have to be more careful. Like in pop music, no one cares, but in Christian everyone makes every move you make and you are doing for such a bigger purpose.

 Totally. And like with pop music and stuff, it is more melodically driven whereas in Christian music, it is more lyrically driven. It makes a big pressure on lyrics.

Well you did well, we jam to that album a lot. A friend of mine is just really getting back into her faith, and I told her to listen to your album, and every morning she has it on. You just put things in such a different way, relatable but yet so profound.

 That means a lot. That is a big deal.

And that is why you got a Grammy nomination.

I can honestly say that it is not just cause of me. Like the people around me, the writers around me, that I would co-write with. They are so profound. I am like that is a good one and I am going to take that right there.

That is what Nashville is too, it offers you so much greatness in that.

It is such a tight community. There are a lot of people, who are really really close. I love the dynamics with everyone. You know, I am going to go to these three people and I am going to get this sound. And I am going to go to these and get this sound. It is very clear, so it is pretty fun, I like it.

I love Nashville, it’s my favorite. People always ask me to describe it, and I really think it is a lot like Lafayette, in the community wise. Like that small town, I mean bigger, but you still have that community that people love one another.

Totally. It has that small town feel, even though it’s bigger. I mean there are some differences between Nashville and Lafayette, but as far as people are with each other, it is really close. You can ask people to come over to your house for coffee and it not be weird, like “why did you invite me over?”

Ok first, let’s talk about this new Christmas single, “Noel,” you sound incredible. You are the Christian Adele. I will give you compliments, because that is something I truly believe in; giving girls compliments haha.

Did Chris ask you to be in this with him, how did that work?

Ok, so the story is interesting. So Ed his producer, who I love, we write together sometimes and Ed was like, “hey I am interested in having your voice on a song for Chris’s record, would you be interested in that?” And I was like, “uh I mean yeah, that would be an honor, that sounds amazing.” Ed was like “ok cool, I will talk to Chris and see if he’s interested, let me just play it out.” So right after, I get a call from Chris saying, “Lauren, I talked to Ed…” and I had never met Chris before, that was the very first time I had ever heard his voice. So he asked if I would be interested in doing a Christmas record with him. He was like, “my heart behind it is just to bring worship to people during the Christmas season.” Well that already resonates with me, because when we recorded “Light of the World” they were like Lauren we want you to write a Christmas song, let us know what kind of stuff you’d like to write. I was like, Christmas, new Christmas songs, can get kind of corny kind of quick, the only way I would feel comfortable writing a Christmas song, because this was before anything came out, like “Light of the World”, was before “How Can It Be,” so I was like if we can keep it like a worship song, and let that set the tone, and not like tinsel and treasures type of thing…and they were like ok that sounds good, and so it worked. And so I recognized that same part in Chris, like just because I wrote “Light of the World” before. I recognized that place of wanting Christmas music to be worshipful.

For sure, because it’s usually fluffy.

Totally. And you can hear like the worship elements of O Holy Night, those really old ones. I don’t really hear, “worshipish” in the new Christmas music.

It was perfect; everybody was on the same page. Chris was so generous. We got to record it at OceanWay Studios, which is amazing. It is like the Abbey Road studio of Nashville. Super iconic, just amazing studio. I was really pumped about going there. I had never been before, and I walked in and I was like, “oh my gosh, this is beautiful!” Every instrument was live, it was just absolutely breathtaking.

It is going to be that Christmas song that everyone shares. I have seen it on my newsfeed being shared with people just saying how beautiful it is, getting chills.

Wow, that is exactly…when recording it, I was telling the guys lets just think about the people who are experiencing loss in this season. So often Christmas is a lonely time for many people, so I was like lets just be a song that brings comfort to those that it may be a comfortable season for them. So that’s the cry of the song, that’s what its all about.

I love that. And you hear that cry a little bit, I love it. Now you are on the tour with them. How is a Christmas tour different than other tours? Do you feel a difference every night?

Totally. It’s amazing because, first of all we are playing in these beautiful theaters. So you feel you are apart of the past. This theatre we were in the other day, was like built in the late 1800s or early 1900’s. So you get to experience that awe and wander of the venue and of the night beforehand like when you walk in to do rehearsals. It is so breathtaking. And then, I wish this would be difference, there is a sense of awe and wander that comes during the Christmas season that isn’t necessarily there the rest of the year at shows and stuff, so it is really beautiful to see the crowd’s interaction. You can just feel like difference in the room, like the room feels like oh my gosh, it is a sense of comradery.

Like that excitement that Christ is coming.

Yeah, so it’s difference. I love it. Every year I forget how much I love Christmas tours until we are out.

Ok, I want to switch up the topic on you a little bit. You have always had a faith life, I know you’ve said, but going to college, everyone talks about how it’s hard to maintain. I know you went to LSU and got involved at a church there, so did you also find that as a struggle, or did you have a good community?

YES. I would say that community is everything. For me, I got there, and like, don’t get me wrong there were stages where I probably hung out with the wrong crowd and whatever, but finding the niche of people that can hold you accountable and keep you together. The beauty is that everyone in college is learning you know? Its not like one person has it straight, and so we need to go here and do this. I feel like college, is one massive season of figuring out who you are, where God fits, like how important He is to you, all those things. It truly something I believe in, and something I have been taught. You know, all the challenges present themselves in that time. So I just found community, like where I could. I got involved with the Refuge, and because of them, I started going to this awesome girls bible study group, where 8 of us, yea about that many, it was not overwhelmingly large, it was perfect and we could truly open up. Those are the friends I still have to this day. Like I was just in one of their weddings the other day, another one I do ministry stuff with her and her mom all the time. They are like are the friends I will have forever.

It comes down to definitely finding community, finding people that you trust, that when you are stuck and off the track, it takes one to say we are doing this together. You realize how exciting God is when you are in your 20’s. You see He is way bigger than any religion. That is the struggle, especially I find in Lafayette. There is just, we know God, because we know religion, and we know what our parents have taught us, and what it is supposed to look like, but going from that to an actual relationship where you mess up and you find out oh wow that’s what grace looks like, it is way more than I thought.

And that is something I was going to ask you as well. We come from such a Christian based community here in Lafayette, but when you moved to Nash did you have one there?

It took some time. I didn’t know anybody, I was totally brand new. So I had to start church hopping. And I would search, and I didn’t find my home church that I’m at now until almost a year into living in Nashville. It definitely wasn’t right off the bat, I found a place, and yay everything is good. It definitely took time. But the friends I had met, I was a waitress when I moved to Nashville, so the friends I had met waiting tables, the roommates that had lived there, I became friends with their friends, and one thing led to the next.

 It makes me excited to think so many people from Lafayette are moving to Nashville, because that is already such a great community in itself.

Yeah absolutely.

Now, you could have sung any genre, but you chose Christian music to sing.

It was definitely hard in the sense of; my friends growing up were not the goody goody two shoes. So I knew ok if I go and do this Christian music thing, people are going to make fun of me. That was my exact response. So I told the Lord, I was just like “God I am not…” When I was 15 years old, I got sick with an illness called cytomegalovirus virus and I was placed on homebound for 2 years, and it was during that season that the Lord started showing me all these dreams and visions he had in store. Like He told me about the Grammys, He told me all the stuff way back then. It was crazy. And so I was like, ok God, I’ll sing music if you want me to, but the only thing I wont do is Christian, because I was afraid of being made fun of by all my friends, but the more and more I pursued the heart of God, the more I realized like I would do anything, whatever it takes, whatever you want, because of learning the nature of God and how incredible He is, I just wanted to give him whatever I possibly could. You know I just want to serve Him and honor Him in anyway. So it made going into the Christian music genre a little bit easier, when I was thinking more about Him and me being surrendered. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to eventually start putting out mainstream records, because I definitely plan on doing that. But I think establishing what comes first is really important.

 Absolutely. I definitely think starting in Christian music with that steady ground in Nashville and having that community is such a great way to start.

 That is what it will do. Because I can’t say that if I moved to Nash and didn’t immediately do Christian music, I would not have been running around being crazy. I just know my community helps me, because being on the road it does get tiring and does get lonely. And sometimes, you are like ok wait what am I doing this for again? But then the second you realize wait I have a voice to encourage people, like the Lord has given me a platform to really sow seeds of the kingdom of God and to other people. That changes everything. Nothing is more alluring or enticing then really just recognizing that.

That is such a blessing that He chose you and it’s such a call in its own way.

It blows my mind, it really does.

 

 

Thomas Rhett Making Us Die Happy People…

I have not done a music review in awhile, but I felt the need to when I heard Thomas Rhett’s new song. One of my favorite things about country music is the stories that they tell. Whether the song be about partying in a random field or falling in love, you can feel every emotion when a country song plays.

That is exactly why I love Thomas Rhett’s new love song, “Die A Happy Man.” At first, you hear just the guitar and get a very John Mayer-esque feel, but then he starts singing and you feel all the country in his voice and the lyrics. You hear in his voice, how much he cares about making this song feel exactly as he feels about his wife.

He gives you different circumstances that he finds himself completely in awe of his wife. No matter if you aren’t in their position or in a relationship quite like theirs, you relate. You know what he is talking about when he says he doesn’t need all the fancy things, just that special someone. If you don’t have someone, you want it, especially after hearing this song. You want to be as happy as these two he describes. We live in a time where real love means asking a girl out through Instagram or seeing a guy and only talking through Facebook. This song is more than just that superficial love. It is the real thing. It shows what qualities he loves about his wife and their love. This is why country music is the best. It tells the best love stories out there.

Then you see the music video, and you completely melt. You want to be in a relationship like him and Lauren. You watch it over and over, wanting to be on an island. Then you realize you have relationship goals to be just like them, though the song already brought relationship goals to a new level.

This is probably one of my all time favorite Thomas songs. I love the raw authentic feel, I love the honest lyrics, and I love the message. It will be huge on radio, I can already tell. The video is already blowing up all over my Facebook newsfeed and I have seen numerous articles about the song. And I love it. I love that this song is going to blow up, because right now in our society we need to be reminded what being in real love is like and Thomas sums it up in this song.

Taylor Edwards Interview!

One of my absolute favorite things is discovering new artists through different parts of social media, through other artists, or any way possible honestly. One of my favorite discoveries happened through Twitter. Taylor Edwards is a talented singer, songwriter, and big fashion guru in my opinion. Her kind nature shows in every tweet, and in every fan interaction. Social media has become a huge part of finding talent, and I love it. It shows a passion, it shows what people love to listen to or cover, and gives fans a good way to find good music. Taylor is just that, she is GREAT music. Some of my favorites are her covers of “Leave the Night On,” “Over You,” and “Try.” Both are such different songs, but she makes them her own. That is something brilliant that Youtube, sound cloud, mix tapes, or in form of getting music out there is so great. It gives the artist a chance to show their sound, something genuine to who they are as people and as artists. Recently, she released a cover of “Ghost” and the internet went wild. There was nothing, but positive feedback, and rightly so. She has so much greatness already, and I am sure with every new step in her journey, it will get even better. I got the chance to talk to Taylor about her covers, her own music (coming soon!), fashion, and more. She is the sweetest, and I cannot wait to see what amazing things are in store for her!

Hi beautiful! What are you up to today?

Hello, helloooo! I actually just got home from a jam packed day of college. BLAH…but learning is good…& I get to go to school for songwriting SO I can’t complain much! J

Many people have gotten to know you from your different Youtube covers. How do you pick which songs you want to cover?

I usually pick a cover by checking top 40 charts. Lately, I’ve really loved taking pop song and put a little “country” twist on it. It’s fun to be able to take something everyone is so used to hearing one way and change it up! It’s the songwriter side of me that loves leaving my own mark on something, I guess.

Do you have a favorite song you have covered?

Right now it would definitely have to be the last cover I posted which is a song called “Ghost” by the British artist Ella Henderson. We really stepped up the production for this video. It was a fun one to dream up and even more fun to see come to life.

As a songwriter, I am sure you sometimes look at other people’s songs and think, “wow, I wish I would have thought of that.” Is there a specific song that you have had that thought?

Goodness. This question is always my most feared. There are SO many songs I wish I could have sat in the room for. A classic would probably be “You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon. That’s just a jam and I love the tonged and cheek lyric. As for something right now, the new Colbie Caillat record “Gypsy Heart” is full of stuff I wish I would have written. “Just Like That” is super interesting rhythmically and melodically and I would have loved to been apart of writing it.

Living in Nashville helps being in the music scene so much, what are some of your favorite things to do in Nashville?

AH! Nashville! It’s one of my favorite places in the world. I’m so lucky I get to live here. I love the fact that I can go listen to live music any night of the week. One of my favorite spots for that is The Listening Room Café. I also have a major obsession with a place called The Dry House. It’s a blow dry salon and If I could, I’d get my hair done there everyday. It’s amazing. My friends and I like to go to out to dinner a lot too and when we do it’s normally at this crazy good Mexican restaurant called Taco Mamacita!

You recently played for Song Suffragettes. Why do you think it is important for girls and women to come together like that to share their talent?

Song Suffragettes has been one of my favorite shows to play! There are SO many talented girls in Nashville (and beyond) and if we don’t stick up for one another…who will? It’s so important to empower instead of compete because at the end of the day we all share the same crazy dream. I can’t wait to look back in 10 years and say “Remember when girls weren’t on the radio? HA! Times have changed!”

You have such a great style to you. (people can follow Taylor on her Insta to see what I mean at tayloredwards) What would you say is your style?

Thank you for saying that! I love fashion…I love clothes…and most importantly, I love a good graphic tee. If I wasn’t doing music, there is no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t try to be pursing something in the fashion industry. One of my favorite places to shop is a California based company called “Brandy Melville”. I’d say they are the epitome of my style. Ripped jeans are my go to. I like the laid back vibe.

Name a female and a male you would love to work with?

I’d love to write with Jason Reeves. I love his past work and think it would be amazing to get in a room with him one day. Nicolle Galyon has also been a big influence for me. She’s a woman in the songwriting community that completely owns it and that’s super admirable.

As a songwriter, there are times when songwriting may not come easy. Where do you get inspiration?

Honestly…social media. I creep on my fans. I see what they are going through. It only takes one quote or interesting word that might work as a title to get my wheels turning.

 If I really want to get real, I’ll text an EX or something. HAHAH…kidding. Maybe.

What has your journey been like so far to getting to Nashville? Do you have advice for girls looking to do the same?

It’s definitely a never-ending roller coaster ride when you try to chase this dream…and I’m still a newbie rider. All too often things aren’t exactly how you would have planned them. Sometimes for the worse…sometimes for better – but I think that’s why I’m so driven to keep it all up. The adrenaline of that is like nothing else. I’d say my biggest piece of advice would be to focus on what YOU do. It’s human nature to play the comparison game, but that’s such a dream killer. I’ve learned that “just doin’ you” is the easiest way to cope with any jealously/or self doubt…(and those can be dream killers too).

You just met Taylor Swift, was that the first time and how did all of that go down?!

I’ve actually been lucky enough to meet her a couple times before (back in the day), but when I met her this last time it was very surreal. I was at an industry event and turned around and saw her. Of course she was swarmed by people and I initially had no intentions of trying to talk to her, but I knew that I’d kick myself later. It was really cool because I just grabbed her arm and said “Hey girl!” And she turned around and was completely focused on me for the duration of our short conversation. We talked about how we both grew up not loving our name (but how it’s cool) and also about songwriting being my major at Belmont. Getting to tell someone who inspires how MUCH they inspire you is so special and I love the fact that she is exactly the person she portrays herself to be. Sweetest soul. Sweetest experience. 

You release covers and you have an original song with Liz Mace of Megan and Liz called, “Home.” How did that song come to be?! It’s so good!

It’s so funny because that writing session was actually one of our first “friend hangs”. It’s crazy to look back at that because I really didn’t know Liz that well yet. She came in with the idea of being the girl you take home to your MOM and not being the girl you take home after a late night. I thought it was so clever and things came together super organically. I kind of knew we were going to be great friends after that night because of our similar views on topics like the one we wrote about…and also our love for the massive amount of cookie butter we ate.

You and so many others are releasing songs before an EP or album and letting fans get to know you more. That worked out so well for Sam Hunt and many others are starting to see how much the internet helps a career. Why do you think so?

At the end of the day, it’s all about the music. You can have a cool brand, be fun, have a great relationship with your fans…but if the music isn’t there…it isn’t there, you know? It’s so important to me to let my fans in on my songwriting. That’s the best way they can know me as a person. I also feel like it’s the best way I can get to know them. Figuring out what they love, what they don’t love. It’s very helpful. I will say though, the new project will consist of songs that no one has heard before and I’m really excited about that. I hope they are too!

With 2015 coming up, do you have any goals set? Any plans?

2 0 1 5! YES! A year of writing and trying to piece all the different sides of my artist-self together! On New Years Eve I tweeted that this would be the year I’d finally release a project. It’s still in a bit of a dream phase, but I’m really excited to put a stamp on the kind of artist I want to be. Because I’ve never officially released anything before, it’s all a little scary. I want to make sure I take my time with this EP, opposed to just throwing something out there and hoping it sticks with people. I’ve got ideas and big dreams for the sounds and songs going on this project, and I’m truly excited to see what the reaction will be.

Flash Round:

Favorite smell: Capri Blue volcano candle

Favorite movie: Parent Trap!

Favorite TV show: Real House Wives of Beverly Hills (I’m. Such. A. Girl)

Favorite junk food: Donuts/Salt and Vinegar chips (not together – don’t worry)

Favorite album at 16: Taylor Swift – Fearless

First car: Light Blue Volkswagen Bug convertible

Favorite song on the radio right now: Girl Crush by Little Big Town

Motto for life: Be nice. Be nice. Be nice.

Best advice you have been given: If you never give up…you can’t lose.

The Lipstick Graffiti Tour.

I have been to a good amount of Sam Hunt shows, but my latest has to be the top of the cake. When Sam announced his headlining “Lipstick Graffiti” tour, I knew I had to be there. He already has put on amazing shows, and from what I was hearing this show was going to be insane and even bigger. On top of this, my good friends Native Run were announced as the openers. I drove about 3.5 hours for a show that I can say was more than worth it.

Let me start with this crowd. The place had a 600 capacity limit with seating, and they cleared it all out to fit the 1000 tickets that they ended up selling (mind you this show also sold out in an hour.) That is to just give you a good sense of what the crowd was like all night. The energy was high, and the love for Sam was evident. As someone who has known Sam and his team for a little while now, it is the coolest feeling seeing this all come to life so much so fast.

Native Run were the openers and I don’t think any band could have been more perfect. If you have seen Sam before, you know his energy on stage is off the charts. Native Run is no stranger to this energy. From the moment they walked out, the passion and energy was huge. They started with “What’s Not to Love” one of my absolute favorites. It is a song about a guy who treats his woman like a queen pretty much, and the upbeat song makes you feel just as you would in that relationship. Some of my favorite songs have yet to be released yet, but they played many during their set. One is “When I’m Taken” which is the tale of a guy who only comes back into ex’s life when she is happy with someone else, saying he wants her back. They did some amazing covers, “Steal My Girl” and “Waterfalls,” that got the crowd engaged, and going crazy. They ended with their recent single, “Good on You,” which some may mistaken for a Sugarland style from the insanely good harmonies, lyrics, and beat. These guys are seriously two of my favorite people in this business. They have such a love for what they do, but also for those around them. They are always happy, and ready to spread love and music everywhere. Their faith and passion is some of my favorite parts of this band, and these two beautiful people. I cannot wait for everyone to experience their brilliance in this tour and when the album drops.

The crowd was ready for Sam. They were dancing to the music playing, but you could tell everyone was just waiting for the famous rising country star, Mr. Hunt, to hit stage. Something he did completely different that I loved was he came out at the beginning, just him and his guitar. He played snippets of “Speakers” and “Break Up in a Small Town” two huge hits from his debut album, Montevallo. The crowd went crazy. I have such an appreciation for when an artist does this. It shows their true raw talent, and that though the lights and big bass notes may hit, the talent and emotion of every lyric and song is still there made by the guy at the forefront of the show. After breaking these two down, the loud show started with “Ex To See”, which has always been a crowd favorite. He played song after song, and the funniest part is, had Sam needed to stop singing for some reason, the crowd would have had it covered. They sang every single word to every single song back to Sam. His smile the entire show as such a sight to see. You could tell he takes every moment in, because he still cannot believe this is his life now.

One of my favorite things about Sam is he appreciates every person around him, especially his team. In a part of the show, the acoustic part, Sam explained how he started off with his buddies playing music in their house just guitars and covers. They recreated this for the crowd, but Sam even let his band take over. Tyrone Carreker, the man if I may say so myself, got his own solos in this part. Ty is known around Nashville for his soulful voice, and from the covers he sang, no one should ever doubt that. He started off the acoustic part of the show with a cover of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” The crowd went wild….again. The covers during this part ranged from Reba’s “Fancy” to Destiny Child’s “Say My Name.” This is one of my favorite parts of the show because you got to see the boys in their natural state of just hanging out, and you got to see every single band member’s talent. He ended the show with “Break Up in a Small Town,” a song many credit as a favorite of Hunt’s. The crowd was so stuck on the show, that even when Sam had left the stage, they just stayed their staring wishing for more.

This whole show was a game changer for Sam. The music he played before actually going into his songs was to pump up the crowd, something Sam definitely did not have to do, but it made the crowd even more excited to be there. Sam puts himself all out on the stage, and wants you to understand he is here to stay. He loves what he is doing, and from the energy on stage, you can tell. His smile when he walked out and saw the number of people out in the crowd still makes me so happy. Me and my friend Katelyn (who many of you may know from social media) have known Sam for awhile, and we constantly looked at one another with such admiration and pride in our eyes. He has come so far, so fast and no one deserves it more than this guy and his incredible team.

The last thing I will say is if you have the chance to go to this tour, you NEED to go. It will absolutely be one of your favorite tours you have seen, and you will gain such an appreciation for what Sam, Native Run, and the entire team does. If he is in your town, a few exits away, or even 3 or more hours, do it. I promise you, it will be worth it. This guy will be Entertainer of the Year one day, and this is just the beginning.

  

Chattin with Megan and Liz

I am absolutely positive you have heard of these two beautiful girls. They were and still are Youtube famous, they have toured with Boyce Avenue and many other amazing names, host Country Nation, and are now taking on the country music world. These two twin sisters are the epitome of down to earth, talented, kind-hearted people. They have a love for what they do, they have a gift in their ability to write a song and sing it, and have a love for their fans. It is like they were made to be in the country music world. I got to see them live for the first time in December, and their energy was so much fun. I had of course watched many covers over the years, and was so excited to see them in action. As I watched, it was amazing to me how much talent came in these two sisters and how much fun they had together. Their EP, “Simple Life” is an amazing start into the country world with songs and stories that every girl can relate to, and a sound that brings the twang. I was able to catch up with them this week to ask them about their music, Taylor Swift, their style, and more. I had so much fun talking to them, it was like talking to my best friends, so I hope you love this as much as I loved doing it.

PS. This is longer than some because I kept it really like our conversation to get the way in which the interview went down, so there is a lot of back and forth between us all to show the fun! 🙂

 I like to start with a random question, so right now, your favorite tv show?

Liz: I have to say Friends, because it is on Netflix right now, and I could watch it back to back to back. So Friends is number one for me.

Megan: It is really hard for me to get into TV shows, just because I am a like to get things done person, so TV shows feel unfinished to me, but I have really been getting into House of Cards on Netflix.

Ok so kind of from the beginning of your career, you started putting covers on Youtube, you then became a phenomenon on Youtube, and then you did your own pop thing, but now you moved to Nashville, y’all are doing country, so what was that journey kind of like, and why country now?

Well the thing about country music for us, is the pop music thing that we were doing always sounded like country. The way we write our songs, the way we grew up in writing songs was in Nashville. We lived in Nash for 2 years before we moved to LA for like a second, then back to Nashville. So it is almost like we have always been here, and we have always been writing these more country leading songs, but we just officially decided to start making the change and the commitment to country music because we feel it is just so much more. We feel like we make better music here in Nashville, and we are creating a longer career for ourselves here, so we are really loving it.

Yeah, Nashville is the best place, I love it. Do y’all have a favorite thing to do there?

We both just love going to shows, and writer’s rounds. Especially when your friends are playing, that is just so fun. Nashville ensures, no matter where you go, everybody is great. You can’t go see a bad writer’s round, so we love doing that.

And I have loved all of your music, but I just feel like country, you both tell stories so well in your songs, and that is what country music is about is telling a story that is personal, and not just something random. It is real life stories. Do you have a favorite song you have written?

Megan: Honestly it changes based on the time in my life that I am at because sometimes I can relate more to the song I wrote a couple of years ago more than the one I wrote yesterday, but honestly one of my favorites of all time is “Like I Would,” which came out a couple of years ago. Yeah, it was the first country song we got our label to put out and we were so excited. So that was a moment of liberation for me.

Liz: For me, I would say the song I am most proud of is a song called, “White T-Shirt.” It is not officially out, but you know it is on our sound cloud. I don’t know I just feel like that song was also a pretty big turning point for us, and kind of like the game changer for us to be like, “ok, this is the kind of music that we should be writing all the time.” And after we wrote that song, it was like ok, this is it and so it is still just one of my favorites, and it still means a lot to both of us, so mine is definitely “White T-Shirt.”

I love y’all’s sound cloud because it has little things people haven’t maybe heard. Like a “Little Drunk” is soo good!

Yes, thank you!! Yeah, that sound cloud was kind of like an experiment almost. Like we don’t talk about it a ton, but you know it just kind of like a place we can put up unreleased stuff and see what people are responding to. Especially in this kind of new space we are in, so it is like a good tester.

Yeah, every song y’all have uploaded is amazing. The testing is great!

Awww thank you!

For y’all too, did you always know…like y’all are like the twins and y’all are both super talented. But did that all of a sudden kind of come, were your parents like “oh wow, our kids are super talented!?” How did that come to be?

Honestly, it sounds cheesy when people are like “oh I know I was born to do this.” But that is how Megan and I have always been. You know, this has been something since we were little girls we just knew in everything that we were that we were meant to be artists, meant to be musicians, we were meant to be entertainers, there was no other question really. It just like, ok yeah when we grow up, we are going to live somewhere where we can do music as a job. We were lucky enough to have the situations we have had, with Youtube, and our parents were super supportive. But if anything, we forced our mom to take us to the talent shows, we dragged her around more than she did. They were very supportive, and that is how we are able to do what we do. I think we have always known this is it.

So did songwriting come before singing or did singing before songwriting?

Umm, we were definitely singing before we were songwriting. But I remember writing our first songs when we were like 10 probably. They were awful awful songs. But we did it, and we got them done, but man not good.

Songwriting is such a beautiful art to me, and Nashville is so known for their songwriters. Have y’all written that you were in awe of?

I mean, I feel like every writer has their own style, and in every writing session I am amazed by something that a co-writer will do. It is usually something that you would never think of and you are like “oh my gosh, that is so cool that you would think of that and that it works!” But I think one of our favorite writing sessions, or like writers we were able to be in the room with was Max Martin of course. Like he is the king of melodies. That was one of the first times we were like oh my gosh these melodies are like truly, like I understand why he is so legendary and why you know he is so successful because you just experience those melodies that he comes up with, and they are just like so insane. So we have to say Max Martin.

Little tid bit for the readers, he definitely worked with Taylor Swift on 1989 didn’t he?

Yeah he did!

That is super cool!

We will throw some Taylor in there, because we all love Taylor.

Yeah we do!

Ok, lets throwback a few years back, where you were on Oprah, and got to meet Taylor. I mean, how was that?! Who goes on Oprah, that is so cool!

Megan: Honestly, that experience still to this day is just so out of nowhere and like life changing. We were just so young, we were 16 at the time. We had no…I literally can’t even put it into words, because it all happened so fast. I mean we were just these two girls from this small town of like 1200 people, and then something huge like that happened, it was just life changing. And I think that ignited the fire that we already had in us.

I re-watched it last night, people always wonder, is it authentic. Like did you know Oprah would be on the screen or was it like a complete surprise?

That whole experience, we got an email from Oprah’s producers and they said that we were going to auditioning for the producers for a possible Youtube musician’s show, and we were like oh my gosh that’s awesome, that is why we are like sitting in front of that Skype with our guitar, because we thought we were Skyping in with their producers. So, we were waiting around for the producer to come on, and they were really late, and we were like “is there anyway we can move this” like we were cheerleaders at the time, and we had to leave for like a football game. The producer was like no, we can’t move it, they are almost done, just wait a second, and then all of a sudden literally Oprah came on the screen and that whole thing was us genuinely reacting because we were supposed to be talking to a producer.

Y’all’s reactions were perfect, like they were so genuine, because like what do you do when Oprah comes on your screen?

Yeah we said, “dude it’s Oprah.”

I mean yeah it is a pretty cool moment. Yeah, and then you got to meet Taylor later on. Have you seen her since that whole thing?

Yeah we actually saw her when we performed at iHeart radio in 2012. It was really cool because it was kind of went like full circle, you know like we were performing at the same show she was, she knew our song at the time which was “Bad for Me.” She sang a little bit of it to us, which is still to this day is still one of the coolest moments of my life.

I would have had a panic attack. That is so awesome!

So y’all are known for your style. Which is very good btw.

Aww thank you!

Oh yes! But y’all are both so different. At one point both of you were brunette, and then one became a blonde. Was that because you got older, and wanted you to show we are different personalities?

Megan: I think the blonde happened for Liz when somebody at our management, was like you know everyone asking who is Megan and who is Liz, and we can’t say the brunette one is Megan, and the blonde one is Liz, because Liz is brunette, so they were like Liz have you ever thought about going blonde? And she was like, oh you know I have thought about it sometimes, and then they were like you should try it. And now she is so happy somebody said something because she is like platinum blonde right now.

Liz: I love it!

Yeah, when we saw you at Song Suffragettes, I loved it, it is such a good color on you. Because some people go blonde, and don’t know if it looks good, but you look awesome.

Megan: Well, I think she was born to be a blonde honestly.

Liz: Yeahhhhh

Megan: It was just that little push.

But you have different styles, you kind of remind me, I don’t know if you will take this as a compliment, but Mary Kate and Ashley.

Both: Oh yeah!!

They are beautiful, and have such different styles. So what would you describe both of your styles to be.

Megan: I would say yours is definitely more hipster than me. I definitely tend to lean more preppy, on the preppy side. Liz likes to get really really crazy with her outfits.

Liz: I just like different, like I will try anything. Like some days I will try and look vintage today, and some days I wanna be, like wear all black. I don’t know…

You like to experiment?

Liz: I am adventurous, and I love to experiment. And Megan’s definitely more like classic, like girly girl sort of thing, that sort of thing, Gossip Girl…

Megan: Yeahh

Ooh Gossip Girl all the way. We keep naming TV shows I love. Gossip Girl, Chuck Bass…yes

Liz: Man, don’t even get me started on Nate. I need a Nate Archibald in my life.

Right, and I love Dan, like him and Serena

Both: Oh yeah, every guy in that show, is so attractive.

Ok, so y’all are hosting Country Nation, and you rock at it. Did you ever think you would both want to do journalism or something like that? Because you very natural at it.

Liz: Well thank you, yeah actually for the brief moment we were considering going to school, and staying in Michigan, which was a very brief moment, but I mean it happened haha, we were both considering studying broadcast journalism, to be like hosts of a news channel or something like that. So we have definitely always been passionate about hosting and being like a personality and I don’t know, I feel like that kind of goes with the entertainment blood in us.

Now, okay Liz, my friends and I still quote you from when we saw you at Song Suffragettes, it was brilliant with your hand dancing.

Oh yeah!

Which do you play or do you let Megan take the cake for that?

Liz: Honestly it isn’t like I haven’t tried. I have tried playing guitar, I have tried playing mandolin, like I did mandolin lessons, like I stuck at it for a good long time, but honestly as I am getting older, and realizing what is in my creative brain, and I don’t think playing an instrument is one of them. It is not something that I am really passionate about. I don’t know, I feel like there is a lot of other things that I am very creatively drawn to, but playing an instrument is just not one. I think as I have grown up, and admitted that, it is kind of like a relief a little bit, and I mean Megan is so talented

Megan: Oh Liz, stop haha

But really though, sometimes it just isn’t for people, some people excel at it, and some don’t. But you have the hand dancing down to the tee, so it is great.

Liz: Well, thank you! Yeah that is a talent. You know, I don’t mess around with that.

Really though. For me, I would be like “hand goes where, oh look microphone, yes.”

Liz: Having no shame about it, that is the trick.

Speaking of Song Suffragettes, had y’all played it before?

No actually, that was the first one we played ever.

It was my first time getting to see, because I watch on Youtube all the time, and y’all did such a great job. Why do you think it so important to have something like that in Nashville, especially because of this big topic with women in country music? Do you think Song Suffragettes is pivotal to have in Nashville right now?

I absolutely do. I feel like just even saying this is girls only, this is us saying, um hello, we are here and you know there are women and girls right in town who are writing these songs that deserve to be heard. It is just really really cool and so important because why aren’t there any women in country music? It is kind of like a lull in that market and just to have something every week that is presenting these girls who are writing these songs, saying hey we are here and we have these amazing songs, it is just great.

It is very eye opening, and I feel like so many go and that is such an awesome thing. Your night was packed, and this is what people need to see. There are so many talented girls. You have you, you have Betsy, and her songwriting is so good. And even the people in the market, like Danielle Bradbery, Cassadee Pope, Jana Kramer, all of them. Why aren’t they played more? The guys are great don’t get me wrong, and I was so excited Maddie and Tae finally broke through. I just like girls in country music.

Though kudos to Sam Hunt for not singing about me in the back of a truck.

Oh totally!

Which speaking of Sam, you got to go to his house party release party? Right?

Megan: Liz did. Yes!

How was that? Did you fangirl at all? haha

Liz: The thing is I really don’t fangirl a lot. I just think people are people, and talented people are just people too. But for me with Sam Hunt, like he is just my favorite writer. I loved him as a writer way before he was even an artists, like way before I saw his face, I loved his music. I don’t know, it was really cool, I got to meet him in person, and I was so nervous because I just love him so much as like a creative mind, and so I definitely was fangirling a lot. And it was really cool, because he is so cool and the Nashville scene is so chill and everything is really friendly. It was really great, and he is just a great artist.

Favorite Sam song?

Liz: Ummm, I really like, well actually my favorite Sam Hunt song is one that was on his sound cloud, but wasn’t on his record and no one has cut it, but it is a song called “Bottle It Up.”

Yes! Absolutely, one of my favorites too. 

Have you met someone where you have had a moment where you were like…”oh heyyyy, hi….” And kind of freaked out.

Liz: For me, it was Sam Hunt honestly. I was just so “fangirly” about him and I think he is a great artist.

Megan: Luke Bryan is who got me.

Oh man, I bet, amen to that haha. He is great.

Ok, so I was watching your Macy’s roadtrip. You went to NOLA, congrats Megan for eating an oyster.

Megan: Thank you haha…it was a challenge.

Yes hahah….and you had crawfish right?

Both: Yes!

I know it is weird, but did yall like any of it?

Oh I love the crawfish, and we had oysters that we were fried and cooked. It was delicious. I just don’t like raw, the texture was just slimy and weird.

Yeah I am with you. Fried is definitely the way to go!

Now living in Nashville, CMA Fest. Will yall be doing anything this year?

I really hope so! Everybody always talks about it, it is a good time to be in Nashville and meet everybody. So hopefully, yes! The next one we will be doing something.

Ahhh I hope so!

I love the new Simple Life EP. And I just love the song Simple Life, because especially in the world yall are living in, to just sit back and do nothing is probably wonderful, like bake cookies. But one song that really stuck out to me, because I am 21, is “New at This.” It is brilliant!

Both: AHH thank you!!

I watched something like that bartenders made fun, and I am with y’all on having no idea what to order. Did you ever figure out a drink that you liked?

Yes we both did! We both have a go to now.

Liz: I kind of like a boring drink order but I really like vodka tonic. It is not fruity or whatever, but I think it taste like water, like that is the best part for me. It is like I can’t even taste the alcohol, because I hate the taste of alcohol.

Megan: If I have the option, I will for sure go for red wine. I love wine. If it is not an option, I like Captain and Coke. I cannot taste the alcohol. I like it a lot.

I am with y’all. I don’t like it.

Megan: Like honestly, we don’t drink that often. Like we thought after turning 21 we would drink more. Maybe after a long day I will drink a glass of wine, like twice a week is about it.

Yep, I will drink coke, water, maybe some coffee actually.

Do you pick who sings, like whoever wrote most of the song will sing it?

Oh no, honestly it is really funny because people always think we like fight over who sings the most, and honestly we could care less. We just want the song to sound good, there is no competition, there is no underlying oh I need to sing more, it honestly what makes the song best. It is for the song.

Yeah, I wasn’t sure if like for Liz with “Karma” if she sings more because it is more of like her story or how that worked.

No, it just what sounds better on the song.

Yeah that makes sense.

So a friend of mine knew your name when we saw you in December, but I played the “Last Kiss” cover with Boyce and she freaked out when she figured out that was y’all. I promise you that is probably our favorite, the way the change of words happened and the harmonies. How did that come to be?

We had toured with them, that was our very first like real tour. At the end of the tour, it ended in Orlando, and half way through the tour they were like we really want to do a cover with you guys. Let’s plan to do it at the end of the tour, and stay a few extra days in Orlando, and that is kind of how that was born. They are so great, such great guys, and really really smart, and really really talented. That was great, and still one of my favorite videos we have done.

I have some fan questions from Twitter in a second, but you have worked a long side some awesome people. Has there been any advice that you really took to heart and used?

I think the one for both of us was from Amy from Karmen. She told us, learn to do your own hair and make up for everything, because it will save you the most time and the most money. That has proven to be so true. It is almost to the point where sometimes people will want to work with you just because you can do your own hair and make up. Because they will be like, oh we can’t fit that in the budget, or stuff like that, it is just a really big thing that has helped us a lot and has made it a lot easier and cheaper for everybody involved. That is the best advice that we have gotten and it has worked out great.

Ok, so Emma on Twitter asked some questions. The first is what is your favorite thing about writing letters to your Macers, and have you learned or discovered anything?

Ahh the letters. This has been a really cool, experiment for us and for the people getting them too just because you learn a lot about the person. We are really trying to like look up their names on Twitter and remember people, and we are really trying to make it personal. It kind of reached a whole new personal connection with a lot of people. It just feels really special, and I feel closer to everybody from doing it. I think definitely learned that and learned also that next time we do this, we are going to hire somebody to pack them all up for us. Because fighting with these envelopes, and stamps, and return things, it is just like omg, probably the most time consuming part. That part is tedious, but that part is honestly so worth it, to see everybody reacting to them.

So y’all have had some really awesome feedback? I have seen some.

Yeah, we posted a video on our Twitter today and it was like of somebody getting it, and opening it, and talking about it. I was literally sitting in the car crying, like I was bawling because it touched me so much. Definitely makes the envelopes worth it.

And social media is so great for that, because you have a faster way to connect and talk to fans, but letters are so personal and I think it is awesome that you are taking the time to do that.

What should we expect as far as youtube, music & shows go for this year? Will they be trying to travel new places?

Yes, I mean everything is kind of like in the works. We are working on more dates, and it not necessarily a tour, but it is just more random dates, and events, and things like that. Oh we are doing a show in Arkansas, Thunder on the Mountain, like a huge music festival. We are so excited about that. That is kind of like our first really big country festival that we have ever played, so we are stoked about it. We are playing that…

You are playing with some really awesome people.

Yeah we are playing I think, like the day we are playing, it is The Band Perry and I know Carrie Underwood is playing that festival but I don’t know what day or anything, but we are so excited.

Y’all are going to rock that! So you have some stuff coming up, so just keep in touch on Twitter and everything.

Yes absolutely.

What is your favorite thing about meeting your fans?

Well for me, it is everything. Just meeting people in general, it is just so cool to see how our fans, but I hate saying that word, because I feel like they are not our fans, they are people who help us, and we all help each other, and just meeting them and seeing how in general the type of girl that comes to all of our shows is just so smart, and they are all so strong and beautiful. It is just really really cool to meet these young women, mostly young women, we get a few guys, but mostly young women haha, who are just totally excited about life and passionate about so many different things and kind of getting like a little peek into their lives for like 5 minutes is just so excited and that’s like my favorite part and to see how we kind of help them achieve those goals and make them believe that they can do it, that is everything, that is why we do this is to help them and to help them and help people feel like they can do whatever they want to do. And seeing that in person is like the best thing.

That was such a good answer, I have asked that a lot, and that was just a really good answer.

Awww thank you!

You have a new single coming out…

Yeah we have a new single coming out on February 16. It is called “All The Way.” We actually wrote it like 2 years ago, and it is just now seeing the light of day. We are so excited about it. It is a ballad, a love song, and we are just so excited for it to come out.

It is that crazy too? How a song could be written 2 years ago, but it come to life 2 years later? Is that how it kind of works sometimes?

Oh absolutely, I think for this song especially the reason it was never released was because it didn’t really fit our sound that we were playing two years ago. You know and then we finally with now, it fits us perfectly. Sometimes a song are written and then they come back and this is just one of those songs, so we are very very excited about it.

I can’t wait to hear it! And then y’all “That Ghost” which oh my gosh, is so good!

Ohh yes, thank you! We are going to do a recording of that one eventually. I can’t say when, I don’t know when, but it will be out eventually.

Ok! Good enough haha.

Ok, so I always like to end with a little game to get to know you! 

Flash Round:

Favorite Smell:

Liz: Lavender, love it!

Megan: I love the smell of cupcake scented candles

Favorite Album when you were 16:

Both: Fearless!

Favorite song on the radio right now:

Megan: Taylor Swift’s All You Had to Do Was Stay”

Liz: Nick Jonas “Jealous”

Dream duet partner…other than each of you….haha

Liz: I think having a great male singer would be really awesome. Like the lead singer of Eli Young Band, love Thomas Rhett a lot, Sam Hunt, I mean hey…

Favorite item of clothing you own:

Liz: high socks, over the knee, because I think they make any outfit look cute

Megan: probably like a big t-shirt, because you can wear a big t-shirt with like ripped jeans and that would be cute, you can wear it with a sweater and knee socks and have it be cute, it just goes with so many things

Any cool person that you have met? Actors, singers, etc?

Liz: One time we got to interview Jennifer Garner, and that was really cool. Yeah I fangirled over that.

Megan: One time Brittany Snow was in our cycle class and I fangirled over that. I was freaking out, I loved her when I was younger.

Best movie that you have seen recently?

Both: Gone Girl

Guilty Pleasure?

Megan: Chocolate covered strawberries

Liz: I have no shame in anything hahah

Favorite quote:

Liz: “Just because another is beautiful, does not mean that there is a lack of your own beauty.” I feel like that applies to talent, just physical appearance, I don’t know, just because someone else is doing great, doesn’t mean that you can’t do great. Just because someone else is beautiful, doesn’t mean that you aren’t beautiful too. I just feel like there is this whole thing where it is like, “oh she is so hot, that makes me feel like crap.” But it is like no, that is not how it should be. You should appreciate other people for being beautiful and for being smart, being talented and realize it has nothing to do with you.

Megan: I think mine would have to be whatever is meant to happen is going to happen thing. Because it is so true. You know, you worry about things all the time, everybody does. Everything is going to happen the way it is supposed to happen, and life is a lot easier if we just stop worrying about it, and let it happen.

Follow them!

Facebook: Megan and Liz

Instagram: meganandliz

Twitter: @meganandliz

Kinda Diggin “The Railers” Right Now

When I first heard about “The Railers” I absolutely loved their sound. I was looking at who Hunter Hayes had chosen to be his openers on his upcoming tour, and the name sounded familiar, but I wanted to know more. I looked up their songs, and fell in love. They have such a unique country sound. The vocals, the various instruments you hear in every song, and the lyrical genius that is their songwriting just make for one amazing band. I got to meet them when they came on radio tour the night before their sold out New Orleans show with Hunter. They were the most down to earth, fun people who you could tell absolutely loved what they were doing. After listening to their single, hearing their EP, and then hearing it live, these folks are going nowhere but up. They are now on Taste of Country Music’s list of People to Watch, and have shown up on quite a few lists for Country Artists to Watch in 2015, and they are definitely deserving of this recognition. I was able to catch up with Jonathan and Cassandra, and talk to them about music, touring, and some amazing moments they have had so far.

Hey guys! Okay, so my first question goes out to Cassandra. You are the only girl in the band. How is that? Lol

Cassandra: Heyyyy! I am in the kitchen providing food for my boys, I call them my boys, I am kind of like the den mom haha. It’s awesome, I actually feel like I think the biggest statement I can say is that I feel really spoiled, because I know dudes have a reputation of having all sorts of fun body functions and odor smells and aren’t polite, and are kind of crazy. But I am actually with a batch of guys that has been so amazing to let me be a girl, and I know people probably think I am being paid to say that, but I am not. I have been really fortunate not only to be around a groupo of guys I love, but also my husband so it is a really cool thing.

 Jonathan: Mhmmm…

Now let us get some background of you guys. How did the band meet?

Jonathan: Obviously, Jordan and I are brothers, so we have been playing music together our entire lives, so it is really cool to be in that family arrangement. Cassandra and I met in college. She was a music major studying voice, and I was a music major studying the violin and we started writing songs together and pretty much realized pretty quickly that we both had the same plan. We wanted to come to Nashville and see what the music industry held, and so we came here in 2003, we moved to Nashville and she transferred into Belmont University here, and that is where she met Tyler our drummer. We became friends with Tyler before we ever knew he played an instrument. We would go out and play shows, the three of us, Jordan, and Cassandra and I and eventually Tyler kind of said, “Man I play drums, I would love to play with you guys sometime.” And so he started playing with us, and the band as it were, was kind of born at that point. So we did it, we finally got to being full time in 2010, we all signed a napkin at a coffee shop that gave ourselves 6 months. The napkin said, “September 1, 2010…band or bust.” We all signed it, we gave ourselves 6 months to be a band full time, and 6 months later Sara Evans actually asked us if we would open her fall tour. So that was a pretty amazing journey into becoming a full time band. We did it independently for a couple of years, and started meeting with record companies in 2012, and Warner Brothers was the one that really got it more than anybody else. They said, “man we really just want you guys to go and do your thing and make the music you want to make, and let us know when your album is done.” So we went into the studio, and signed with Warner Brothers, and it has been amazing ever since.

Were you always going to be named “The Railers” or did some name changes happen before that came to be?

Jonathan: Well originally we were a band called “Tin Cup Gypsy.” And back then, you know it took us a year before we finally realized that no one could remember that or say it. It didn’t seem like that tough of a name to us, but when MC’s would announce us, they would always say something wrong. They would say, “The Tin Cup Gypsies” “Tin Cup Grey”, “Tin Cup Lizzie”, “The Tin Pan Gypsies”, so we just decided you know what we need to go to something a little bit more memorable and a little bit easier to say and remember. And “The Railers” was that name, we just felt like it matched the energy, the level that we were trying to have going forward.

Did you all start off singing together or songwriting? Do you remember the first song you all ever wrote together?

Jonathan: Yeah, Jordan and I have played together are entire lives. We used to play in Branson, Missouri in a family band at Silverdollar City in Branson, we played there every summer until I was 11 and we moved to Arizona. So we have a pretty musical family. It seemed like every family reunion we would, somebody would pull out a guitar, or a fiddle or mandolin, and the next thing you know everybody in the family has got an instrument and we are all gathered around in a circle taking turns playing songs. So, the first song we wrote together haha Cassandra and I in college, the first song we wrote together was a Christian song called “Who Am I” and I am sure I still have a recording of that somewhere in my archives.

 Your new single, “I Kinda Dig the Feeling” is awesome! Why did you all pick that song to represent The Railers as the first single?

Jonathan: Thank you! When you listen through “Kinda Dig the Feeling” you know it has got energy and spunk and a little bit of quirkiness and attitude, and we feel like that is us as a band. So we were really excited to put that out as our first foot forward, so that people could get that first impression of us. We are energetic; we like to play our instruments hard, and to have a lot of fun on stage. So I think that is sort of the story of that.

That song was also on the TV show, “Nashville.” How did that come to be? And how awesome was that to watch/hear?

Jonathan: Yeah! It was on “Nashville.” It was so crazy. We didn’t know going into the episode, we knew that it was going to be on there, but we had no idea where. And so we are watching through and all of a sudden it comes on and it was a lot like hearing your song on the radio the first time. You just get excited that here is something that is on national television, and you are music is playing behind it. And that is pretty cool. We have some of those milestones in our career that we are really proud of.

 None of you are from Nashville, so what was the best thing about moving there?

Jonathan: You know when we first moved here, it sort of like how Little Big Town got their name. Nashville is a very small town, wrapped up in a bigger city. And you know that is changing a little bit now, there are a lot of people moving to Nashville. But when we first came here, it still felt kind of like a small town.

 Cassandra: I called my mom the first Sunday I lived here, and said “mom, you are not going to believe this. There is a traffic jam on Sunday, right outside churches. And I had never seen that many churches in all of my life and I thought it was just the coolest thing. There is such a cool sense of community in Nashville.

Ok, so you just finished the tour with Hunter Hayes and Dan and Shay, how was that tour?

Jonathan: In one word, that tour was absolutely amazing.

Cassandra: That was two words haha

Jonathan: Thank you Cassandra haha. Hunter is an unbelievable person and unbelievable human being and musician. And the fact that he took a chance on us after having only heard us one time, was pretty astounding to us. We quickly became friends with him on a musical level and on a personal level. And the same applies for Dan and Shay, such amazing singers, amazing people. We had so much fun out there. Just a great bunch of guys, and it seemed like a really musical tour to be on. So we were very proud to consider ourselves a part of that.

Did you learn anything from either one?

Jonathan: I mean when Hunter is going on at the end of the night, he plays so well, sings so well, entertains so well, that I mean it really makes you want to step up your own game so that you can try to deliver even half as good a performance as he does. So we were learning every night; how to put the show together and you know, Dan and Shay are some of the most energetic guys that we have seen on stage, and so it was really really cool to watch them and kind of see what they did.

Favorite song by each of them?

Jonathan: I think we all kind of picked out one from Hunter, he did a song called “Secret Love” in his set and that was such a cool song and such a great little guitar moment at the end of the song. That was my favorite one; I went out every night to watch that song. And then Dan and Shay, I love “19 You and Me”, and I love “Show You Off.” I mean the singles are a big deal. They also had some really creative covers during their show.

Cassandra: And the encore!

Jonathan: Yeah, we did “Hey Soul Sister” with Hunter and Dan and Shay, and that was always a big highlight for our evenings.

Is there a venue that you can remember vividly from the tour?

Jonathan: One that stands out to me, was we played The Palace up in Detroit where the Detroit Pistons play, and that was really cool because I looked up and I saw Isaiah Thomas’s jersey retired up in the rafters of the auditorium, and I watched Isaiah Thomas as a kid, so that was really cool for me to be able to play there and see that. It was just a great venue.

 So one of the most exciting things that an artist in country music can do is play the Grand Ole Opry. You all just got to do that not very long ago. Tell me about that experience?

 Jonathan: The Grand Ole Opry was an absolute dream come true. Cassandra had been thinking and dreaming the Opry her entire life, and the one thing she really wanted when that time came was to be able to have her mom make her wed- Opry dress.

Cassandra: Haha you almost said wedding, but it really did almost feel like a wedding of sorts. It is just think right of passage as a country artist that you cannot explain to anybody. Maybe its like, we don’t have kids, but maybe it is like having a baby. You cannot describe the feeling of getting to step on the stage and be able to be on that center microphone. I mean there is nothing that can compare to it, and nothing that can replace it. It was such an honor. And to be able to do it at the Ryman Auditorium was just phenomenal.

 Is there a song you wish you would have written that has previously been recorded by someone else?

Cassandra: Oh there is like a bajillion. I always joke around and say, “songs I wish I had written for 500 please” when we listen to the radio. I think a couple that come to mind are “Strawberry Wine” and “House that Built Me” and pretty much any Fleetwood Mac song…

Jonathan: I am going to say “Boys Round Here.” You know that those writers are rolling in right now.

Cassandra: All the way to the bank hahah

Any dream duet partner?

Cassandra: Not youuuuu…haha no I am kidding. Man, I just think it is so cool how strong women in country music are, so I am pulling that card. And I would probably have to say Sheryl Crow, although I probably wouldn’t be able to sing. I would just be staring at her like some weirdo, and I would be like, “I love your music!!!” hahaha…so that would be mine probably.

Jonathan: There is a lot. I think Mark Knopfler would be really cool or Jackson Brown. Some of those cool old dudes. Tom Petty would be pretty cool.

 In 5 years you want to be where?

Jonathan: I would say headlining a tour would be amazing, and hopefully that happens sooner than 5 years, but you never know. But that would feel like success to us, I think if we were at the point where we could headline a tour and have a ton of people come out.

Ok, let’s get to know you all more than just music:

Favorite smell?

Jonathan: One of my favorite smells is coffee, and my absolute favorite smell is breakfast cooking in the morning. Every time we would go to my grandmas house, she would get up and cook bacon and eggs, and sausage, biscuits and gravy, so we would always make a little mat on the floor and that is what we would sleep on, and so I would be in the living room. I would be half asleep, half awake and smell that breakfast cooking and that to this day is my favorite smell.

What makes you all different?

Jonathan: We are all extremely different. You know Tyler and I tend to be a little more analytical, a little bit more scientific. Jordan and Cassandra are the true artists that you know are a little flaky, a little creative, there are the ones who when me and Tyler are talking about business, usually Jordan and Cassandra are in the back with coloring books. Hahaha that is not true, but kind of is hahaha….

 Favorite movie:

 Jonathan: Probably “The Big Lebowski”

 Favorite TV show:

 Jonathan: I don’t know, I think right now, we are all on House of Cards. That is a big one for us.

Favorite junk food:

 Jonathan: Tyler would probably say McDonalds. But we love Taco Bell. We are actually sponsored by Taco Bell right now. We are with the Feed the Beat program, and they have been so amazing to kind of take care of us out on the road. We are excited about that.

Favorite song on the radio right now:

 Jonathan: You know, I that it is probably Tim McGraw for me, “Shotgun Rider,” I love that song and I am glad to see Tim come out with another hit sounding song. Congrats to Tim for that one.

 Must have on the road:

 Jonathan: Sweet tarts gummies, always hahaha

Motto to live by?

Jonathan: Work your tail off. That is probably the best motto to have. If it is not happening, just keep working.

Best advice you have been given:

Jonathan: Probably as if the room is sold out to capacity, even if there is only 5 people in it. Life is too short to make music that you don’t believe.

 Jonathan: I hope that is good, and answers your question! I appreciate you doing the write up! I hope you are well, and I will talk to you soon!

Follow them!

https://www.facebook.com/TheRailers?ref=br_tf

Twitter: @therailers

Instagram: therailers

Running with the Best Natives Around (Native Run Interview)

There is this song that you may have heard, actually I am pretty sure you have. It is super catchy, super relatable, and a song you just love to jam out to. It is a song you may have heard on Spotify, (it is now featured on the “While Taylor is Away” playlist), Pandora, your iTunes, or even at a concert you have been to in the last few months. The song I am talking about is “Good on You” by Native Run. Native Run has been exploding into the country music scene after being signed to Show Dog Records, and now opening for acts such as Lady Antebellum, David Nail, and Hunter Hayes. They have such a unique sound, and together have more fun on stage than you are probably having at the show. They have so much energy and love for what they are doing that you cannot help but love them as people. On top of their amazing selves, there is also the amazing music that they have put out. There is so much greatness to this band and we will be seeing so much more of them coming up. I am so excited to have the opportunity to interview these beautiful people, and I feel that this interview will show you just how fun and amazing these two people are.

Hello beautiful people! Y’all have been so busy lately. How is it going on the road?

GREAT!!! We’ve gotten into our groove and love our band so much. It’s not as easy to sleep on a bus, but the fact that we have a bus is an absolute dream! We’re lovin it!

 You have been opening for David Nail recently. What has that been like? Has he given you any advice?

David is awesome. A TRUE artist, writer, country singer. We’ve loved being able to witness his perfect pitch every night.

Has there been any venue or show that has stuck out to you?

We really loved playing to a sold out Grizzly Rose crowd in Denver, CO. Every show is so unique and special- both on our end and with the audience. We recently played The Victory Theatre in Evansville, IN, and that was such a different vibe since it’s seated, but right up there with the best! The audience was so connected and we had a blast!

Let’s ask the obvious question….what is your favorite smell?

Rachel: fresh cut grass, campfire

Bryan: sandalwood

Now, the actual obvious question.Native Run came to be from another name not working out. Tell us a bit about that. 

Our original name was Deep River. We received a cease and desist letter from another group in Asheville, NC called Deep River, but they owned the trademark so…they won.

The two of you met at Church. How big of a role does your faith play into your life and career?

Huge. Without faith we are drifters, and in this business, it’s too easy to drift into who knows where! We love that our families raised us to believe in God and we work as hard as we can to honor Him and our families.

The both of you are working with Luke Laird, who if people don’t know, he has worked with Carrie Underwood, Kacey Musgraves, and other large names in Nashville. Did you have him in mind or did you just go to Nashville hoping to work with anyone?

When we went to Nashville, we were totally green. We didn’t have a clue of what we were doing, but are SO grateful that we met the right people at the right time. It often comes down to that, you know. We were touring the East coast when a BMI rep from NYC led us to another BMI rep in Atlanta, who pointed us to Nashville. We first met Luke’s wife, Beth, when she worked at BMI. We continued to make trips to Nashville and eventually met other writers, producers, and it was a no brainer when the opportunity came to wok with Luke- we didn’t have to think twice. We love that dude!

You are signed to Toby Keith’s label. Does he have a lot of say in how the album is produced and the whole process?

Nope!

What came first for the both of you. Songwriting or singing?

Singing for both!

Songwriting is so easy for some and so hard for others. Has it always been easy for you?

Absolutely not. Songwriting is a learning process- when you’re 10, you write about what 10 year-olds experience usually, and naturally that’s not necessarily profound. But being committed to writing and developing your own voice took years for us, and not until we came to Nashville and started writing with the big guns, do we really feel like we found our voice as songwriters. We’ll continue to find it, change it, etc. School is never out…

You have an EP out with your single, “Good on You” included on it. How did you both figure out that was going to be the single?

It was quite a process. We were torn between that and another song, and eventually majority decided Good On You. Which ultimately, we were really happy about!

You have opened for some super cool people. David Nail, Lady Antebellum, Hunter Hayes; is there any moments that stand out in those shows?

Oh boy- They were all incredible, but I don’t think we’ll ever feel as nervous as when we sang on stage with Lady A. That was a highlight of our year for SURE.

You recently made your Grand Ole Opry debut. How was that?

..speechless……..

Is there a song as a songwriter that you wish you had written or could have had as your own?

Bryan: John Waite “Missing You.” All. Day.

Both of you are not from Nashville, so it was new to you when moving there. Is there anything you love to do in Nashville?

Eat and drink everywhere and everything. Nashville is the coolest town! There’s also a lot of great people:)

CMA’s are coming up. Do we have outfits picked out, anything or anyone you are looking forward to see/meet?

Rachel: I have a dress being made by my dear friends at Ani & Ari design! They’re incredible designers and GORGEOUS people!

 You already have so many exciting things going on! What is next for y’all? 

We are planning on releasing our full length album early 2015!

 

 Flash Round: 

 Favorite food:

Rachel: mac n cheese

Favorite song to jam to on the radio right now:

Bryan and Rachel: Steal My Girl by One Direction (it’s amazing. seriously.)

Dream duet partner: 

Rachel: Bryan

Bryan: Rachel….we’re totally dreaming:-D

Favorite song to sing live:

Bryan: Crash Landing- gotta feel that groove!

Rachel: Whole Lotta Something, it’s a song we wrote with Josh Osbourn and Matt Ramsey over 2 years ago, and our drummer, Rico, was like “Why don’t we play that song anymore it’s badass!” So we played through it and agreed, and now it’s my favorite!

Best memory of the other: 

Rachel: I’ll never forget the time Bryan held my hair back as I vomited the gallon of frozen yogurt I “accidentally” ate by myself. He was really super sweet about it, and now we can make fun of the fact that I ate way too much frozen yogurt.

Bryan: That would have to be mine, too:-D

Best advice you have been given:

When things don’t go your way, just shout “PLOT TWIST” at the top of your lungs, and then move on…

Betsy Lane has some “Southern Crazy” to share! (Interview)

Betsy Lane is a name you may or may not know, but soon enough she will be someone you know for her brilliant music. From her mature, emotion filled voice to lyrics that are along with Taylor Swift on feelings, boys, girl power, and more; she has a bright future ahead of her. She recently released her EP, “Southern Crazy” and it landed at #21 on the charts in the UK, which brought her to England to share her music live with some fans, in what she called the Garden Tour. Already, Betsy is achieving a ton, and is for sure on the road to even more success. I was able to talk to Betsy recently where she answered some questions about her life in Nashville, her EP, the tour, songwriting, and more. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I loved it! She is the sweetest, and it really shows in her music and even more when she just talks about her passions in music and life. It is so fun to see someone young going forth with their dreams and doing so, so well!

Hi beautiful! We of course know you are an amazing singer, musician, and songwriter. What are you studying in school? I’m a songwriting major, isn’t that crazy? I didn’t even know that was an option until my mom came home one day and was like “BETSY! You need to apply to this program!” so I did, and I ended up getting in, which was super cool because it’s a pretty competitive program. So now I’m a songwriting major with a creative writing minor, just loving life.

Is there anything you ever imagined yourself doing besides music? Music has always been a part of my life but it wasn’t until I was about 14 that I knew I wanted to pursue it. For a while, I wanted to go on to play Sports in College and then continue with that as a career, or be a teacher but I met one of my closest friends, Isabella in high school and she wrote songs too, so I finally realized that I wasn’t alone in what I was doing, and we encouraged each other a lot in that respect. We had a composition notebook that we would pass to each other in between classes filled with notes and lyrics and just fun friend things. She definitely helped me realize that it was okay to be myself and want to follow this dream of mine.

Before you released an EP, you did different covers? Do you have a favorite that you have done? I don’t really have a favorite, to be honest. I really liked covering “I Heard Goodbye” by Dan + Shay just because that song is magical. Some people even told me that they listen to them because of that cover that I did, which I think is so cool, like for me to have a hand in what music people are listening to is crazy to me.

You just released an EP, Southern Crazy, which is so great. How did you choose what songs you would release on it? I assume you have tons that you have written on top of these. OH MY, choosing songs is a process. There was talk about making this a full album because I couldn’t narrow the songs down, and it was pretty stressful at some times. It’s always a lot harder than it needs to be just because when I’m picking songs, I want to pick ones that best represent me and who I am at this time in my life. I think that’s one of the coolest things about an EP though – it kind of serves as a snapshot or freeze frame for the past two or so years since the last project I released. These six particular songs are super close to my heart and what I’ve been through in the last 18 months. I asked the fans for help on choosing the final track between “Drunk Because of You” & “What About 18” because my dad & I really wanted it to be a five track EP, but the votes were so split that I just threw both of them on there and surprised everyone! Really it all came down to what would make the consumers [fans] happy because they’re the reason that I get to do this.

Do you have a favorite off the EP? I don’t really like choosing favorites, but “What About 18” is definitely the one that is the most personal to me. It was a few weeks before I turned 20 and I was at home with my family for Christmas break and I just started freaking out like “where did the time go?” “HOW AM I ALMOST 20?!” “There’s no way I’m ready for my 20’s” so I picked up my dads guitar and sat in my window seat and wrote that song in about an hour. It’s a pretty nostalgic song, and even though I wrote it at 19.

As a songwriter, I am sure you look up to many songwriters? Are there any in particular? Nicolle Galyon is definitely a big one. Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris, Hillary Lindsey, Kelsea Ballerini. I just really love it all. GIRL POWER, ya know? Oh also, Steve Moakler is RAD.

What about songs? Any songs you wish you would have written? There are a TON, but I’ll try to pick a few off the top of my head. The song Golden by Lady Antebellum. They wrote the song with Eric Paslay and every time I hear it I just want to cry it’s so beautiful. Also “Mean to Me” & “One Mississippi” by Brett Eldredge. Brett wrote on both, Scooter Carusoe helped with MTM and Tom Douglas co-wrote One Mississippi. One more! Automatic by Miranda, Nicolle Galyon, & Natalie Hemby. THAT SONG IS PHENOMINAL and it’s breaking records left and right, so again.. GIRL POWER.  

Now lets talk about your awesome trip you took this summer. I absolutely loved the whole idea of The Garden Party in London, how was that? ohhhh you’re gonna make me cry! I miss The Garden Party Tour so much, it’s almost pathetic. When I released Southern Crazy it hit 21 in the UK on their country charts, which is still insane, so heading over to England on the heels of that excitement made the trip that much better. It was an incredible experience to be able to hop across the pond and play my songs for girls who knew every single word. I got to tell them stories and just hang out with them in another country and even just thinking about it makes me so giddy. I want to go back so badly.  

How did you get your music to people all the way over there? Honestly, I think it was a mix of things. I had met two girls named Stephanie & Jenni through mutual friends in Nashville and they’re from the UK. When I released my first EP “10 Months Ago” they got a hold of it and posted it on Instagram, Facebook, twitter, etc. and it basically just blew up over there. I think I had like 250 followers on twitter when I released it and after the first week I had around 1300, and I know that’s not a big deal to some people, but it was just really surreal that people half way across the world got a hold of my EP and loved it.

I also saw that you were a part of Ainsley Britain’s “Unveiled” campaign? A song you wrote was actually on the latest video! How did that come about and why did you want to be a part of it? Yes! My sister, Sarah Kate has been a huge part of Unveiled. She shared her testimony and her video is actually one of the most viewed in the campaign. Strangers were reaching out to her and telling her that she saved their life. I saw how much of an impact my sister made and I wanted to get involved, so I did what I could and wrote a song for her. Sarah recorded it on a voice memo and sent it to Ainsley that night and she said that she was crying! I felt so bad because I didn’t really know Ainsley at the time and I was like OH NO! Then they immediately wanted to do something with the song, and it’s about to become a bigger part of the campaign. I’m really excited for it. Like, REALLY.  

Will that song be released at any point? Yes, it will be! I’m not sure when, but I will definitely post about it on social media when I know. I’m excited to be a part of the campaign.  

Now let’s have some fun talk! Have you always lived in Nashville? I have, yes. It’s kind of crazy because no one thinks that I’m telling the truth when I say that because every musician moves to Nashville, and then says that they’re from here. I’m the 5^th generation of my family to live in this town so it’s about time we had a musician in the fam, right? I grew up near the blue-bird and downtown so it’s really cool to see the city grow wings and start to become this huge destination spot.  

What is your favorite thing to do? Just.. in general? BAKE. Baking is like a stress reliever for me, to be honest. Baking & Crafting. I’ll paint when I’m stressed. Also sleeping, can that be a thing? I haven’t gotten a lot of sleep lately so the days that I get to just sit in bed all day and work from there are the nicest.  

Any favorite places to go for those who are visiting Nashville? Jeni’s ice cream on 12^th South. Taco Mamacita in Edgehill. Try to get into the Bluebird, but it might be hard so book reservations early. This city is so full of life and there’s really no wrong answer.  

What is next for you? Any goals you are working to achieve? Lord, what’s ISN’T next for me? haha. Everything feels like a whirlwind of opportunities, and things I get to do and it’s so incredible. I’m always focused on the next move, not the next ten. Right now, I want to graduate from Belmont and get my degree. I’m constantly writing and working on bettering myself as a musician, but also as a whole. I wouldn’t mind having a publishing deal (ha, who wouldn’t) but I don’t need one to do what I love. The whole independent artist thing is working out pretty great for me right now, so it’s really nice. Long term goals: If it’s in store for me, I would like to be a major label artist and maybe win a CMA award so I can happy cry on national television in front of all my musical idols in the audience. hahaha! Ultimately, I’m just doing what I want to do and love, and making myself happy. Right now, the focus is making music, but who knows what it’ll be five years down the road?  

Thank you so much for talking to me! I absolutely love your EP, and I am so excited to see what happens next for you! Thank You so much! Your support means more than you know. I love watching my little family grow and I welcome you home with open arms 🙂

Flash Round:

Favorite Junk Food: Chex Mix or Chocolate Covered Pretzels  

Favorite place to eat: Chipotle  

Favorite song on the radio right now: Leave The Night On by Sam Hunt

Dream Duet Partner: Sam Hunt or Steve Moakler or if it can be a girl then definitely tswift.  

Favorite Movie: Hairspray or “The Other Woman”  

Favorite TV Show: I don’t really watch TV, but if I had to choose Modern Family or The Office (I cried at the last episode, don’t judge)  

The best smell is…. fresh baked cookies, or sunflowers  

Best advice you have been given: My dad and I have this saying “We’re just watering bamboo” and if you know anything about bamboo, you know that you have to water it for 2 years with no results, before it shoots up 10-12 feet in a matter of weeks. So, just water bamboo.