 Courtesy of the Artist Hailing from North Carolina, but now calling Nashville home, Landon Wall is beginning make waves in country music - and he is only 14 years old! A member of the CMA, NSAI, and a songwriter with SESAC, Landon came to Nashville when he was 9 years old to host a radio show and quickly fell in love with the city. Every time he was town he would go out on the street with his guitar and sing songs for whoever would pass by. Those street performances led to invitations to perform at venues such as Tequila Cowboy, the Bluebird Cafe, and Tootsies, among others. When Landon was 11 he was invited by Hunter Hayes to perform with him on stage at the Carolina Country Music Fest in front of 22,000 people. And most recently, his song "Lost Boy" gained national attention when Kelsea Ballerini made a surprise visit to see him perform it at the Bluebird Cafe. Here, the country newcomer very kindly took the time to answer his Essential 8 where he speaks about Hunter Hayes, "Broadway", the Opry, and more! Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you? I have been blessed with many amazing mentors since I started and I thank God for each and every one of them. I carry a piece of them everywhere I go. "Birth of a Song" was written as a tribute to them all. Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination? I write mostly about personal experience. A lot of times it starts with me just having a conversation about something I've been going through and how I feel about it and it turns into a song. When I'm feeling blue and pick up my guitar...she cries. When I feel happy...she laughs. When I'm angry...she gives me an ear full..lol. She always knows what I'm feeling. Me and Broadway (my guitar) are like Siamese twins...connected at the spirit. What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician? Hunter Hayes told me that if I'm gonna do it, to do it. "For the love of music". I believe this is the key to happiness in the music business. I have walked away from opportunities when I could tell that they would require me to compromise my faith. What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out?
I would tell them the same thing that Hunter Hayes told me...Do it for the love of music. I would also tell them to surround themselves with people they can trust...People that believe in them and their dream...And never give up...A dream that's worth having is worth fighting for. What’s your favorite venue and why? The Bluebird Cafe is my favorite venue. I first performed there when I was 9yrs old and I feel like I've grown up on that stage. Performing there never gets old. Standing under that neon sign...the same neon sign on the same stage where Garth Brooks...Taylor Swift...and so many others have stood to sing their songs is magical...it's like the Holy Land for songwriters. What’s your dream venue and why? Grand Ole Opry...Performing on that stage would be a dream come true for me. I wrote a song called "Grand Ole Opry" after visiting the Ryman when I was a little kid about how it would feel to perform there.... The song talks about how so many of my hero's have performed there....Country music artist travel all over the world to play..But, when they come home..it's to the Grand Ole Opry. Have you met any of your heroes? If so, how did it go? Yes. When I was 11 years old I was a Hunter Hayes tribute artist working with the Mini Stars in Myrtle Beach SC. Hunter saw a video of me performing one of his songs and invited me to perform a duet with him on stage in front of 22,000 country music fans!! It was a great experience. I got to hang out on the bus with Hunter and the band and see them behind the scenes. He is an incredibly talented and humble guy. I wrote two songs about that experience, "Big Show" and "Country Music Fans". When I was 12 twelve old, me and my dad were driving down the road listening to Kelsea Ballerini's song, "Peter Pan." We were talking about how there are two sides to every story and we wondered what Peter Pan's side of the story would be. So, we wrote a song called "Lost Boy" telling his side. Kelsea saw it online and sent me a tweet saying, "Oh my heavens Landon, This is brilliant. Come to a show and let me hug you." I was in Nashville at the same time that Kelsea was, so I tweeted her saying "Hey Ms. Kelsea, I will be singing "Lost Boy" tonight at the Bluebird Cafe in case you don't have any plans." I had just strummed the last chord when she came out from the back of the Bluebird, where she had been hiding the whole time, and said "Okay Landon...If you are gonna sing the response...I get to sing my song too!!" She borrowed my guitar and sang "Peter Pan" to me from the stage!!! If you look at the video on YouTube, you can see that I was in shock! The selfie that she took kissing me on the cheek was my profile picture for nearly two years!! Is there a professional “bucket list” item you would love to check off? I would love to go on a world tour! I get messages from fans from around the world asking when I'm coming to their towns. I would love to go meet them all. Website/Facebook/Twitter/Insta
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