You wrote your first song at the age of 13 - what was it about? And would you
perform it now?At 13 I actually just started writing poems and different lines/lyrics trying
to put things together and my first set song was when I was 15 about my first
boyfriend. It was definitely puppy love so you can just imagine how those
lyrics might be like, haha. It actually had a good melody but if I were to
perform it now I’d tweak up a few things for sure!
Do you have any special songwriting rituals - like you need to be in a certain
place or write at a certain time of day or night?
I have so many different ways of songwriting. I love to write while I’m
traveling, all the sights I see on the road inspire me so much. I also love to
write at night jamming with my brother … but most of the time an
idea/line/lyric/melody can come to me any time, any day, during any situation
and I’ll quickly jot it down - for me that’s definitely a God thing.
You've been crowned Queen at several rodeos and other events - has that
experience had an impact on you as a performer?It definitely has! I see any opportunity to go in front of a crowd & have
the chance to represent who I am and what I do helps me as a performer. Meeting
new people, speaking in public, and being interviewed is all a part of the job.
You have some traditional and contemporary country sounds in your music - who
have your musical influences been?That’s exactly what I’m going for when it comes to my music. I want to stay
true to my roots yet have a “modern sound” for radio … I want the
traditionalists, outlaws, and today’s Country music fans to love what I do. I
grew up on 90’s Country mainly and I think you could hear that in my songs as
well. I love George Strait and hope to be as impactful as he has in the
industry. Other musical influences throughout my life have been Johnny Cash,
Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Selena the Tejano singer, Alan Jackson, and so many
more. I take in as many influences and their music as I can and make it my own.
You've sung the national anthem in public several times, as well as performing
your own music. What's the most nervous you've ever been before a show or
performance?
I want to first say that I love singing the National Anthem, I feel like it’s
the LEAST I can do to respect my country and the ones who defend it … I hardly
get nervous since I’ve been performing for so long! I do get anxious a few
minutes before performance time and just wanna get on the stage already and do
my thing, haha. I still am learning something new every time I perform, but I
feel like I’ve got that part down pretty good … it’s what goes on behind the
scenes that get me a little nervous and anxious. For ex. Setting up sound,
dealing with venue owners/managers, etc … I want to be as professional as
possible but also just be myself. It may seem like a lot but I love it all so
much.
What's the country music scene like in Texas - are there plenty of venues? Do
people tend to have house concerts?
The music scene in Texas is AMAZING! From the north, south, east, and west you can hear the sounds of Texas! (A line from a song of mine, haha.) I was just in Austin for the 3rd Annual Ameripolitan Awards put together by Dale Watson and hosted by Ray Benson - two outstanding artists who I would call pioneers of their and my generation. The awards recognize those who deserve just as much as any Country mainstream artist, and the performances that night were so surreal and inspiration hovered everywhere, as of all of Texas and it’s venues do. There are more than enough venues in Texas to support an artist for a life time. No matter where you play across Texas from the smaller venues to the big ones you are gaining fans from that area which means everything to a performer.
The music scene in Texas is AMAZING! From the north, south, east, and west you can hear the sounds of Texas! (A line from a song of mine, haha.) I was just in Austin for the 3rd Annual Ameripolitan Awards put together by Dale Watson and hosted by Ray Benson - two outstanding artists who I would call pioneers of their and my generation. The awards recognize those who deserve just as much as any Country mainstream artist, and the performances that night were so surreal and inspiration hovered everywhere, as of all of Texas and it’s venues do. There are more than enough venues in Texas to support an artist for a life time. No matter where you play across Texas from the smaller venues to the big ones you are gaining fans from that area which means everything to a performer.
You do a lot of volunteer work and have started your own event, Octave Higher
Christmas - what does that involve?
Octave Higher Christmas is sort of like a campaign I have during the holidays,
very small right now of course, but I know will grow and grow in the years to
come. I go to different hospitals and sing for the children, bring them
presents or make them something, and even have an event for an
organization where we put on a
show, have different activities. I eventually want to raise money by making the
event public and donate to that specific charity or organization. Christmas
time is of course a joyous time, but not for everyone and especially kids in
the hospital so we try and spread as much cheer, hopefully making life an
“octave higher” for them.
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