 Courtesy of the Artist Fifteen-year-old singer-songwriter Olivia Ooms has the mature vocals and songwriting prowess of an old soul. The multi-talented entertainer’s passion for country music is evident in every performance from opening for Lady Antebellum and Old Dominion with her band Olivia Ooms and The Resistors at Coastal Country Jam, to entertaining crowds of fans during CMA Fest, and opening for country music icon Tanya Tucker. The Huntington Beach, Calif. native caught the attention of Radio Disney and CMT with her new single “Thoughts of You," from her 2018 EP of the same name. Here, Olivia answers her Essential 8 and speaks about Debbie Gibson, first concerts, what she's listening to now, and much more.
Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you? Yes, I did! Debbie Gibson was a huge mentor to me in the early stages of developing my career. She was a young artist just like me and she helped me with vocal development and understanding that it’s important to stay true to myself and enjoy my childhood. Why did you choose to anchor your album with the songs you did? As a young artist, I felt these songs set a basis for my sound and life as a teenage girl growing up and going to a public high school. Although these songs highlight my life as I'm going through crushes and my view on the world, people of all ages and genders can relate to the lyrics of these songs. Where do you draw inspiration from when writing? I always write about my personal experiences throughout my life and my feelings.
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 Credit: Justin Clough Los Angeles, California-based sister duo Savvy & Mandy have always had a shared love for music. At the ages of 9 and 11, they saw an audition notice for a new musical group being formed for girls ages 15 and up. Just wanting to have fun and gain audition experience, the girls’ decided to go for it. Little did they know that the directors would end up loving them together and decide to scrap the initial project to form a new project centered on them. The girls began songwriting and performing, going on tour and building a fan base across the country.
After gaining invaluable learning experiences about the music business, touring and songwriting music techniques, the sister’s felt a natural shift towards the country music genre. “We have always loved to write with that kind of truth and openness in every song we do, so pursuing country music was a no-brainer for us.” The sister’s decided to move to Nashville to immerse themselves in the culture and be surrounded by music 24/7. While in Nashville, the girls’ had the honor of writing and producing with some of the city’s finest, and have performed at many iconic clubs including The Bluebird Café, Douglas Corner, and The Listening Room. The girls new single, “Wildfire”, is a perfect example of the duo sticking to their mantra of promoting strong and confident women. “This song is all about being confident in yourself, and knowing who you are and what you want. It’s about saying to someone, ‘I know my faults and if you want to be apart of my life, this is who you're gonna get and you may get burned.’” Here, the sisters answer their Essential 8 and talk about the importance of staying true to yourself, songwriting, their go-to food on the road (Arby's!), favorite venues, and more! Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination? A combination of all of those things! Songwriting is so therapeutic to us. It's great for getting out anger, happiness, etc! That being said, if Mandy or I aren't going through anything at that moment, we like to draw from other people's experiences or come up with a whole new story to spark our brains! What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out? Keep going and stay true to who you are and your music. This industry is so cutthroat and challenging! Everyone has a opinion about you and your music...the way they think it should sound or how they think you should look! If you conform yourself to every single opinion out there, you're going to completely lose sight of yourself and something that was once fun and gratifying will feel miserable and you will feel like you're lost! What’s your favorite/”go-to” food on the road? If we are talking fast food...we always try to find an Arby's haha! Arby's at least has the "healthiest" options out of the other fast food joints...especially when you're in the middle of nowhere! Otherwise, we love trying the places that the locals recommend in every new city we go!  Courtesy of the Artist Originally from Killeen, Texas, Bryan James is a songwriter with a passion for the style of country music played by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Hank Williams Jr. His latest CD, Between The Devil and The Angel, debuted at #8 on the Itunes charts, in the same company as James Taylor, Tyler Childers and Colter Wall and can be heard on stations throughout the U.S. From the title track about two characters sitting on opposite shoulders of all people, to the acoustic track "Every Now and Then" that gives the feeling of a lost loved one being with you at times, this album is a welcome return to country roots. Here, James answers his Essential 8 and talks about songwriting and inspiration, Charlie Daniels, his must have albums for the road, and more.
Is there a story behind your album’s title? It's not so much a story I don't think, but it's definitely something that everyone deals with on a daily basis. There's that one voice that tells you to go on and do it and then there's the other voice that tells you that what you're thinking about may not be such a good idea. Which one wins is up to the individual person, which is why the song begins with the line “There's a battle that's been going on between a pair of jokers, a devil and an angel that each sit on my shoulder” Where do you draw inspiration from when writing? I write everything from personal experience. So it's either something I've gone through, something someone I know has gone through or even something I may have over heard just being somewhere. Writing for me is a release, almost like therapy. I'm not a very emotional person outwardly, so I tend to get out what ever it is that's on my mind by writing about it. It's hard to go a day or two and not find something that makes me want to write. What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out? I think what Waylon said sums it up the best and it's absolutely true. He said: “You've got to care about the music. You'd better not be doing it for the publicity, the fame or the money. And you sure better not be doing it because it's a way to make a living, cause that ain' always going to be easy. You've got believe it, believe in the music. You've got to mean it.” I don't think you can put it any better than that and it's the most solid advice I've read or heard yet.  Courtesy of the Artist
Speaker/author/entrepreneur and musician Corey Durkin released his latest single, the delightful "Rest My Bones" in March and is currently prepping the release of his new EP August 1st. Here, Corey answers his Essential 8 and talks musical mentors, shares his insightful touring tips, his love of Whole Foods, must have albums for the road, and more.
Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you? Every singer/songwriter from the 70’s. James Taylor, Billy Joel, Petty...all of them. There’s also a great documentary called Running Down A Dream about Tom Petty that I’ve watched approximately 13,145 times and that doc contains endless roads of theoretical and tactical gold for a musician to travel on. To travel upon...to walk on. The analogy and sentence structure of this answer has really gotten away from me. What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician? Years ago, my friend Stephen Kellogg told me that the barometer for whether or not you should go into music full-time is whether or not you would absolutely die if you had to do anything else...in other words, do you love writing/playing music enough to be so steadfastly committed that you’d sacrifice everything else in your life to make the music work? That advice allowed me to go easy on myself when I realized that I loved music but I had other interests as well...and I made the choice to go into the world of business and speaking and writing books. Being a musician is an especially tough business as you’re required to be open and honest and vulnerable, all of the time...while still trying to maintain a thick skin against rejection. It’s difficult. Stephen’s advice gave me the permission to take a different career path than the one I’d dropped out of high school to pursue and that has guided me very powerfully throughout my career as an entrepreneur.  Courtesy of the Artist Daughter of entertainment icons, Johnny Lee (Urban Cowboy’s “Lookin’ for Love”) and Charlene Tilton (Lucy Ewing on hit TV show “DALLAS”), Cherish has been around the limelight her entire life. Her father helped to open many doors in country music — taking her on the road, performing at the infamous Ryman Auditorium and The Grand Ole Opry. However upon moving to Nashville, this Los Angeles native has solidified her own name in Music City. It was here that she wrote and recorded her album Tequila Cowgirl, perform at renowned festivals such as CMA Music Festival and Tin Pan South Songwriter’s Festival as well as legendary songwriter spots like the Bluebird Café.
Now, Lee returns with the heartfelt and personal ballad, "Ones You Leave Behind," an emotional tune that delves into the long-lasting ramifications of drug use and the pain of losing a loved one while life continues around you. “Ones You Leave Behind is a glance into one of those breathtaking moments where everything continues while you're standing there holding the heaviness of loss. Every time I perform this song people come up to me and hug me saying they're going through the same thing or crying because they've lost someone…,” Cherish says, “This song is for everyone that have been affected by the devastating drug epidemic, and most of all it’s for my love, my light, my Brother Bear, Johnny Lee II. Hopefully ‘Ones You Leave Behind’ helps people to take a step forward in their new lives without that person they love so much.” Here, Lee answers her Essential 8 where she talks inspiration, authenticity, the road, and much more. What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten from another musician? The best advice I’ve ever received from another musician was actually from my father. He told me to always be authentically me and never try to sound like anybody else, because there’s only one ‘me,’ and the others have already been done. What’s the best advice you could give to a musician just starting out? Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and get a lawyer. What’s been your biggest success? I think my biggest success as far as music goes has actually been this album, Tequila Cowgirl. I had so many people trying to take me out and tell me “no,” and shut me and my music down. They told me that it was impossible what I had set out to do, and seeing how far this album has come, it’s pretty incredible. What’s your dream venue and why? I guess my dream venue would be, though I’ve performed there with my dad, the Grand Ole Opry. To have my own night there would be incredible.  Courtesy of the Artist New Orleans native, Karen Waldrup, is a musician, songwriter and recording artist known for her thrilling performances and bold musical style. In November of 2016, Waldrup, who recently won 3 Nashville Independent Music Awards for Best Live Country Performer, Best Video and Best Solo Female Country Artist, became a viral sensation when her cover of Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance” garnered more than 24 million views (and counting). On July 13th, Waldrup released her new album, Justified, and here she answered her Essential 8 where she shared the story behind the album's title, and spoke about Waldrup Worldwide, Shania Twain, and more!
Is there a story behind your album’s title? Yes. My ex boyfriend was music teacher and he was in love with the dance teacher next door while we were dating. I had no idea but once I found out, I called her out on it and she lied and said there was nothing. Fast forward a few months I found that there was actually something there and I needed to walk away. She brought me to the Cheesecake Factory in Green Hills and paid for my food just to chat. During the conversation, she said to me she thought it was "just texting" or "just friends" but it was Justified. And the moment I heard her say that word I forgave her for everything and named my album that and I'm thankful she's in my life. Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did? I really wanted to create a specific vision and tone and I wanted the album to be positive energy. I feel there is a lot of sadness and hardship in the world already and I wanted to make a joyful noise. I wanted the album to sound like country soul since I'm a country artist but am originally from New Orleans, LA. (Mandeville) so I knew exactly what tone we were trying to accomplish. Garth Fundis helped me channel that sound and we hand picked these eleven songs based on the fact they are positive, and make people feel good. I learned the power of positive music when I experienced the power of I Hope You Dance. It was only right that we put that song on the album because it is a musical angel. What has been your biggest success? Building a musical family called Waldrup Worldwide, which is almost 500,000 people across the globe that not only support me but support each other in life and music. It's truly a unique and valuable experience to have such a large music family rather than a passive fan base. Is there a professional “bucket list” item you would love to check off? Playing at the Grand Ole Opry!!!  Courtesy of the Artist
A Michigan native who grew up listening to country and R&B music, Josh Gracin catapulted to fame after auditioning for the hit television series American Idol in 2003. His current single, "Nothin' Like Us", has already been streamed 15 million+ times on Spotify and Gracin continues to be busy this summer playing to fans throughout the country. Here, Josh answers his Essential 8 and talks inspiration, how he spends his days off, who he'd love to collaborate with, and more!
Where do you draw inspiration from when writing? Country music songs have always been about the story and lyrics. Country music is the most genuine genre because the songs are almost always closely related to the songwriter’s own life. When I write, I draw from my own life experiences or the experiences of family, friends or observations of everyday life. What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician? Always know how to be yourself and remain humble. This business has a way of making you bitter if you start off surrounded by the wrong people/team. Looking in the mirror can solve a lot of problems. What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out? Take your time when choosing those who will make up your team. Making sure your team aligns with your goals and values is crucial.  Courtesy of the Artist Born and raised in the Hawaii Islands, JoLivi's love for country music started at a young age. While some may not correlate country music and the aloha state, the rural landscapes and laid-back lifestyle emulate everything we love about the genre. The 'endearing' and 'vibrant' vocalist (Taste of Country) caught the music bug as a child and quickly began singing wherever she had a chance. After graduating with a Theatre degree from Colorado State, JoLivi decided it was time to make the move to LA to pursue her music career full time. Now residing in Nashville and celebrating the release of her new single, "Vinyl”, JoLivi recently answered her Essential 8 and spoke about her musical mentors, inspiration, her "must have" albums for the road, Michael Jackson, and more!
Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you? My grandfather was a Hawaiian singer/musician. But as for a musical mentor, I would have to say my vocal coach, Yvonne Iverson. She taught me a lot about how to protect my voice and use it properly so I can sing forever! With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect? Sometimes as an artist you never really know when a song is at it's most complete. But you trust that you gave it everything you have, took every critique to heart and followed through. Where do you draw inspiration from when writing? Everything I've written thus far has been about a moment in my life. Whether it was about my past relationships, family members passing away or having a great time with my friends. What are your “must have” albums for the road? James Taylor - Best of Volume 2 Bonnie Raitt- Nick of Time Beyonce- Lemondade Alanis Morisette- Jagged Little Pill Brothers Osborne- Pawn Shop ...sooooo many more!  Known for his unique style of music that combines classic rock 'n' roll with an unmistakable southern flair, Nashville-based artist Stevie Monce is setting the music scene on fire with the release of his new EP, Stay On Fire (July 13th). The concept album encompasses the ups and downs of a relationship from the initial meeting, then falling in love, followed by a breaking up and the sorrowful reminiscing that follows. Monce rallied the help of Love and Theft’s Stephen Barker Liles to co-produce the album, which also features Rebekah Liles on the title track. Here, Monce answers his Essential 8 and talks inspiration, Chris Martin, his pup Brodie, and more.
Where do you draw inspiration when writing? - Inspiration is everywhere when it comes to songwriting. I've written songs about deep seeded family issues, songs about a hangover, and songs about falling in love. As a songwriter your brain is always looking and listening for that next hook or title. What’s the best advice you've ever gotten from another musician? - Never compare your career to another artist's career. A good, very successful friend of mine let me know early on that every artist has his/her own path and there really is only one commonality: hard work. It may take some artists months to get a break and some years but all of them are working hard from day one. What’s the best advice you'd give a new musician just starting out? - Spend time writing your songs. Take the time to figure out what you want to say, who you want to be, and what message you want to tell people. Knowing who you are and what you stand for makes playing shows so much better. What do you love most about being on the road? - I love exploring. I used to travel with a scooter in the trailer and when we would get to a city I would just spend an hour or two to myself and just see the town/city we were getting to play in. I recently joined forces with Indian Motorcycle so now you'll see me exploring in a much cooler style than my old 1994 scooter.  Courtesy of the Artist
California Country artist AMY WILCOX recently released her new single, “Bandwagon”, an upbeat tune with a carefree vibe about finding your spark and setting the world on fire...something that the singer-songwriter is set to do with her upcoming album, West.
Wilcox's journey West began as a pilgrimage to the land of her musical idols, the Laurel Canyon-bred country-rockers she listened to as a child. “Growing up listening to Jackson Browne, Poco, and the Eagles had a huge impact on my own musical style, and I decided to visit Los Angeles to reconnect with those early influences and revisit those happy feelings. I wasn’t sure what the future of my music would hold, but in my search for a new direction, this seemed like a good place to start.” Ahead of the album's release, Wilcox answered her Essential 8 where she spoke about the project, Cameo, the Ryman and Red Rocks, how she spends her days off and more. Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you? I worked in a studio in Atlanta for a guy named Charlie Singleton. He was a member of the band Cameo (“Word Up”) that was huge in the 80s. Our musical styles were so starkly different, but he inspired me to be bold and different and to always go for it even when it’s scary. I’ve never been the best dancer and he got me to loosen up and have a great time on stage. I owe him big time for that one :) With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect? Bandwagon. It’s the first song off the EP because it was the first song that really solidified my confidence in this new direction and sound. I had been experimenting a lot, and when Cass Dillon and I got together to write this, I was like “YES, this is it, FINALLY”. I was super stoked to put my new album together after that song came to life. Is there a story behind your album’s title? My title of my album is “WEST”. I was living in Nashville pursuing music and everything was moving full steam ahead. I had a gigantic volcano erupt in my personal life that really threw my creativity off track. It was a journey to find my way back to being myself and creating music I loved. A huge part of that was coming out West to California and getting inspired again. All of the songs on this album are a part of that journey and the title “WEST” pays homage to my new adventure in LA and the clarity it brought me along the way. |