A lot of people have lovely singing voices - and a lot of those people will dream and talk about having a career in music but it won't ever happen. What has been the difference for you: at what point in your life did you decide that this was the path you would take?
I’ve always been the kind of person that if I want something, I’m going to work hard to get it. I wanted to be singer and musician ever since I was a little girl, so I have worked hard to achieve that dream!
Do you believe you would have written songs even if you hadn't had the voice to sing them, or do the songs flow from your voice?
That’s a hard question to answer. I think it’s probably a little more difficult to write songs if you can’t sing, but if I wasn’t a singer, I’m sure I would have found another way, if not songwriting, to express my emotions and creativity.
As this if your first album, you possibly had lots of expectations about what the process would be like - but also no expectations, because you'd never made an album before. How did you even go about planning for something so new, and so huge?
It’s one of those things that sort of came together as it went. I wasn’t sure what to expect at all. My producer, Dave Lubben, was such a huge part in the album becoming what it is and he tried to help prepare me for what to expect the best that he could, but in the end it’s just something that I had to experience for myself. It took a lot of hard work. There were fun days and there were emotional days, but I’m so happy with the way the album came out in the end.
What was the recording process like - is it hard to always access the heart and emotion you need for a song if you have to do a few takes?
The recording process was a great experience for me. I found that I actually enjoy recording. You have to sing the same line over and over again to get the best take, so sometimes it can be hard to keep the emotion and energy in what you are singing, but my producer kept reminding me to have passion in my voice. If you don’t mean what you are singing, no one will believe it! So even though it got repetitive at times, I didn’t mind doing a lot of takes because in the end I wanted the best possible product for my album.
Do you practise much - guitar or voice or both?
I sing ALL of the time, I sing even when I don’t mean to! So yes, I practice voice quite a bit. I probably don’t practice guitar as much as I should to be honest, guitar is something I’d really like to get better at, so right now I am taking guitar lessons and working that. No matter how good you are at something, you can always get better.
Do you enjoy live performance? Not everyone does ...
I love performing! I’ve loved performing ever since I can remember. It can be stressful leading up to a performance because of all the preparation and emotions that come along with it, but once I hit the stage all the nerves go away and I know I’m doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing.
I love performing! I’ve loved performing ever since I can remember. It can be stressful leading up to a performance because of all the preparation and emotions that come along with it, but once I hit the stage all the nerves go away and I know I’m doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing.
You play your grandfather's guitar in concerts - do you come from a musical family?
My dad’s side of the family is very musical (although my mom is musical as well). I grew up around music, that’s probably one of the reasons I love it so much. My dad would always play guitar and sing to me. My grandpa won a singing contest when he was in the army and I’ve been told that I am related to Jane Russell, who was a singer and dancer in the movie “Gentlemen prefer Blondes,” alongside Marilyn Monroe. So I guess you could say music runs in my blood.
Your bio mentions that what's important to you are 'faith, family and friends'. As a person of faith, have you ever felt that the music industry might prove challenging ground?
I don’t categorize myself as a Christian singer. I want to be a singer in a secular industry who is a Christian. My faith is important to me and I will always live that out. You can hear it in my songs if you really listen, but I’m not the kind of person to shove it down other people’s throats. I want to be a pop singer. I feel like that is my calling. I will just have to take everything step by step and make decisions as I come to them along the way.
Is there much of a country music scene on the West Coast - specifically, in Oregon?
There is a country music scene in Oregon for sure, obviously not as big as in some other places in America, like in the south, but there are some big country music fans here.
There is a country music scene in Oregon for sure, obviously not as big as in some other places in America, like in the south, but there are some big country music fans here.
What are you plans for the next few months?
My plans for the next few months are to perform where I can. I am traveling to Canada soon to sing at a charity event for an organization called “You Can Free Us,” which I’m excited about. I will also be posting videos on my youtube channel, so be watching my channel for new videos!
My plans for the next few months are to perform where I can. I am traveling to Canada soon to sing at a charity event for an organization called “You Can Free Us,” which I’m excited about. I will also be posting videos on my youtube channel, so be watching my channel for new videos!
So Much More is out now.
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