Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Genre: Pop/Country
Influences: Patty Griffin, Justin Timberlake
At what age did you realize you wanted to be a Country artist?
“I was probably 4 years old. I grew up around music so I always knew it was what I wanted to do.”
Who do you look up to musically?
“So many people – Justin Timberlake, Lori McKenna, Adele. They all do something so original and stick to who they are. I really love Taylor Swift because she forges her own path and seems to navigate her artistic evolution so gracefully/fearlessly.”
When did you decide to take the leap of faith and move to Nashville?
“Right after college, I was trying to figure out where to live to do music. I really like all genres of music so I wasn’t totally sure where to go. I tried NYC and LA, but the songwriting in Nashville is unlike any other. It was sort of a challenge and I knew being in the city, around amazing writers, it would make me better. I also got a call from a label to come audition for them, so it felt like a good sign, that this might be the right town for me.”
What have you learned from your past EPs that helped you write your new music?
“My past EPs helped me see stylistically that you can combine a lot of different genres into one. I also learned to trust the process. A lot of times you’re in the middle of making something and you freak out because you don’t know where it’s going. In doing multiple projects, you learn to trust that it’s going to work out. So in those moments of panic you remember you’ve felt that before and you just have to see it through.”
What is the story behind your single “Overthink It”?
“I was thinking about a person I was dating. Mainly texting back and forth and consistently in the dark about where we stood. I was ‘sick and tired of playing this guessing game’ (as the song says) and wanted to be more direct. Rather than wait for someone else to make a move if they’re wishy washy, you can kinda cut to the chase and figure out if they’re worth the time and energy. And maybe they were just scared to be honest too.”
“Amazing! Having Spotify and my friends at IndieMono (a spotify user playlist) back a couple of my songs was such a blessing because it exposes you to an audience that you wouldn’t reach otherwise, unless somehow they found you on their own.”
What made you want to release an acoustic version of “Overthink It”?
“It’s one of my favorite songs on the EP and a good intro into what I do as an artist I think. I also love stripped down versions of tunes because it gets to the core of the song without any distractions from production or genre labels.”
“The biggest thing with my own artistry is learning to accept myself and not try to be like another artist. It’s best to ‘do you’ as they say. Sometimes that’s hard to do. Doing something new or different almost always seems to have some kind of opposition riding against it. So you have to be able to ‘weather’ those storms where you face rejection for doing something original, if that makes sense.”
In a house of songwriters, do you all co-write?
“Yes ha. My mom and I were just texting ideas back and forth this morning. we send each other voice memos of song ideas. if I have an idea I like, I usually ask what my mom and dad (and sometimes sister) think.. It’s nice to have feedback during the process because it lets you know if the idea connects or not, or if you’re reaching. They also don’t hold anything back and will be completely honest. If I’m home or staying with my parents during breaks, my mom usually is in one room of the house and I’m at the piano and we just start writing together without even knowing it. I’ll start playing and she starts singing.”
What were you feeling when you were asked to sing the National Anthem for the LA Lakers?
“So excited and So terrified! ha It was an amazing experience.”
Do you have any plans to tour in the near future?
“I’m trying to plan a tour right now actually. Hopefully opening for other country acts. At the moment, I just take it show by show, but hoping to have a string of shows lined up for the spring!”
