This American singer-songwriter
is an independent artist who has a new self-titled EP. Just as independent
Australian country music artists are producing music of the best quality,
Collins's EP is a highly professional affair of catchy country pop songs. Collins
has opened for performers including Kelsea Ballerini, Maren Morris, Jana
Kramer, Ashley Monroe, David Nail and Mo Pitney. The experience shows in this
EP, which has the sound of a young performer who has the wisdom to choose the
best work to present (an impulse sometimes not found early in a career) and do
it well. I interviewed her via email.
You're relatively young but your music sounds like the work of someone who has found her place - so when did you start performing and writing songs?
I started writing songs
when I was 14. I knew four chords on guitar and taught myself how to play by
writing songs. I started playing out when I was 15. My first gig was at an art
fair in Dousman, WI. Then, I was hired to be a musician at Potbelly Sandwich
Works. I’d play every Friday and Saturday night at the two locations in my
hometown. It was a great way for me to gain experience and was how I got a lot
of other performance opportunities.
Do you remember the first
song you ever wrote
I do! The first song I
wrote was called 'Everytime'. I wrote it the summer I was going into high
school. I remember being so bored one summer day that I decided to pick up the
guitar that was collecting dust in the corner of my room. I took guitar lessons
for a summer when I was in elementary school but I only remembered how to play
four chords. I just kept playing that progression over and over again and the
words to my first song just poured out!
You've already released
several albums on your own - what has been the best thing about being an
independent artist and what has been the hardest?
The best thing about being
an independent artist is having the ability to release new music whenever I
want to! The hardest part is finding outlets for the new music to be heard on a
larger scale.
Have your musical
inspirations changed with time? Who are you inspired by at the moment?
Yes, my inspirations have
definitely changed over time. When I was younger I was really influenced by
Shania Twain. In high school, I had a guitar teacher who encouraged me to
listen to Patsy Cline, Alison Krauss and Dolly Parton. These all big
inspirations to me and influenced my writing. At the moment, I’m inspired by
Miranda Lambert. She recently released a double album with songs that share her
very personal experiences. Her honesty inspires me.
Has country music always
been the genre you love?
I grew up listening to all
genres but country music has always had a special place in my heart. One of my
first concerts was Shania Twain. I think the reason why I connect to country
music so much and why I love it so much is because every song tells a story.
Being a songwriter, I love a good, emotional and honest story. That’s why I’m
drawn to country music.
You've supported a lot of
artists already - is there a venue you haven't played that you'd love to, or a
particular bill you'd really love to be on?
Being from Milwaukee, WI a
dream venue for me would be to open for a headlining act during Summerfest (the
world’s largest music festival) in the Marcus Amphitheater and also at the BMO
Harris Bradley Center. That would just be so cool for me because I grew up
going to see all of my favorite artists play those venues. Also, a goal and
dream of mine is to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. That’s definitely on the
bucket list!
What are you working on
right now?
Right now I am writing a
lot for my next project! I’m very excited about the new songs I am writing. I
feel like I’m growing a lot as a songwriter so I’m looking forward to sharing
these songs with people! I’ve also got some fun shows coming up this summer! On
May 20th I’ll be
opening for Easton Corbin at the Gobbler Theater in Johnson Creek, WI. For a
full list of my summer shows, check out my website: NoraCollins.com
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