e8: Candi Carpenter

Courtesy of the Artist

Candi Carpenter's musical roots are buried deep in memories of stained glass windows and dog eared hymnals, as she toured the Midwest with her family’s gospel band. At age 11, she crashed a Vince Gill concert and later that year, she signed her first production deal in Nashville. She traded high school for a room at The Shoney’s Inn and the classroom for the stages of Music City's honky-tonks honing her craft in real world experience as she grew. Recently, the singer-songwriter-performer took the time to answer her e8 where she spoke of Jack Greene, the Opry, Eminem, painting, and more.

Did you have a musical mentor?If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
Country music legend and Grand Ole Opry star, Jack Greene, took me under his wing as his duet partner when I was a teenager. I learned everything I know about performing from touring with my heroes, like Jack, Jeannie Seely, Loretta Lynn, Little Jimmy Dickens, and Porter Wagoner. In my early twenties, Phil Everly became my songwriting mentor. I cherish everything they taught me. My mentor now is my producer, Ron Fair.

When/where do you do your best writing?
Unfortunately, I get most of my song ideas as soon as I lay down in bed at night. This is probably the reason why I’m an insomniac.

What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out?
Never, ever, ever give up. You never know what might have happened the day after you do.Candi Carpenter's musical roots are buried deep in memories of stained glass windows and dog eared hymnals, as she toured the Midwest with her family’s gospel band. At age 11, she crashed a Vince Gill concert and later that year, she signed her first production deal in Nashville. She traded high school for a room at The Shoney’s Inn and the classroom for the stages of Music City's honky-tonks. Recently, the singer-songwriter-performer graciously took the time to chat about her roots, learning from her heroes, her latest tune, "Cry Baby", and more.

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​What’s your favorite/”go-to”food on the road? 
Burger King has a veggie burger, which makes me feel healthy. I like to think that it balances out the soda and large order of fries.

Favorite thing to do on a day off?
I love to paint. I’ll actually be working on the artwork for my EP over the holiday break.

Do you have a guilty pleasure song/artist?
Being from Michigan, I love Eminem so much that I thought about getting “Lose Yourself” tattooed on my forearm. My roommate talked me out of it. I shouldn’t have listened to him.

Is there a professional “bucket list” item you would love to check off?
Even though I grew up backstage at the Grand Ole Opry, I’ve never played the show. Performing in the Opry circle would be a dream come true.

If you weren’t a musician/songwriter where would we find you? 
I’m fascinated by astrophysics and paleontology. If I didn’t feel such a strong call to music, I’d be somewhere digging up dinosaur bones, or searching the cosmos for new discoveries. I’m really just a huge nerd.

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