Where are you from?
Salyersville, Kentucky
What is your earliest memory of music?
My earliest memory of music is definitely singing in church when I was a little girl.
When did you start being an artist?
I’ve always known I wanted to be an artist, but I actively started my artist career when I was 16 years old.
How would you describe your style?
My musical style is a blend of everything I’ve ever loved, listening to. I grew up listening to bluegrass, Gospel, country, pop, and rock. So I feel like my music has a little bit of all that sprinkled throughout.
Are there any particular themes or messages that you often explore in your music?
I usually write about what I’m feeling at the moment, so it varies.
What is the meaning behind your stage name?
It’s my birth name… And I feel like it’s a perfect name for a country music artist! I used to hate my name when I was a little girl but now I love it.
What is the story behind your most famous song?
The story behind Forgive is that it came out of watching a friend of mine go through a divorce. I definitely drew from someone else’s experience at that point in my life. You can get song ideas from anywhere… Personal experience, observation… And sometimes we just make stuff up.
What is the hardest thing about being an artist?
I think the hardest thing about being an artist is that what we love to do most, we only get to do a small percentage of the time… the rest is business, which I don’t prefer at all.
What’s the best thing about being an artist?
The best part about being an artist is having an outlet to express yourself no matter what you’re going through in life. I don’t know what I would do without music.
What are your goals for your music career?
My goals have always really been the same ever since I started this business. To continue being able to make a living in the music business until I retire. It’s been such a blessing to have that dream still being a reality.
What do you like to do in your free time (outside of music)?
One of my favorite things to do besides music is to cook. I love being in the kitchen and being creative with different recipes. I also am in love with my dog. I’m actually in love with all dogs. I think my dream would be to live on a massive farm with about 1000 dogs… I just love them so much!
Do you get involved with charities or causes that are important to you?
I do actively work with an organization here in Nashville called Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. I’ve done a lot of benefit shows for them and I’m a huge advocate of their organization.
What is something that people would be surprised to know about you?
I am an introvert. Most people don’t know that because obviously, when people see me as an artist, I’m usually around a lot of other people. I cherish my time alone and off to myself. so I can gather my thoughts and recharge.
What does a typical day look like for you?
A typical day for me is waking up, sitting in my sauna, taking my supplements, drinking a big glass of lemon water, eating a healthy breakfast, and then the workday starts. It’s usually a writing session or recording session or maybe a travel day to go and perform somewhere. When I’m home my days are much more routine but when I’m on the road it’s kind of all over the place.
Do you have any upcoming projects we can be excited about?
My new album is almost finished. The album is called I’m Not Who You Think I Am, which is actually my current single. I’m super excited about this body of work because it includes a lot of songs I’ve been wanting to record for 20 years now.
What are some of the standout tracks on your latest project?
One of my favorite songs on this new project is a song called, “I Am My Mother.”It’s a song that I wrote to honor the love I have for my mother. I adore her so much and she’s always been there for me. She’s the best mom on the planet.
What are your favorite topics to write about?
I really don’t have a favorite topic to write about per se… I just love writing about things that resonate with me in the moment. I have walked through so many different seasons in my life, and my songwriting has reflected each one of those seasons, respectively. Love songs, heartbreak songs, songs about life… And songs with a little deeper meaning… It doesn’t really matter to me the topic, I just want to make sure it resonates with me.
How do you deal with creative block or artist block?
Luckily, I haven’t had writers block in many many years. I feel like early on when I would get writers block, it was because I had not experienced enough life. Now that I’m a little bit older, I have a lot more life under my belt, and a lot of experience to draw from. So I rarely ever feel blocked creatively.
What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?
When I was touring with Kenny Rogers, he told me that a good vocalist could work as long as their vocals held out, and their voice was strong. But, a great performer and entertainer can work forever.
What was the best show or tour you have ever been on?
That’s a tough one… But definitely one of the most memorable tours I’ve ever been part of was the Out On a Limb Tour, where I played bass and sang background vocals for Steven Tyler all over the world. I still can’t believe that actually happened.
What’s been your favorite moment of your career so far?Where can people find your music online?
One of my favorite moments of my career was getting to sing on Dolly Parton’s album Little Sparrow. She’s always been a hero of mine. It’s still hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that our voices are recorded together on the same song. I sang on the track Mountain Angel.
