Interview: AMERICAN YOUNG, Nashville Meets London

I met up with Nashville based duo American Young to talk London and Nashville as sister cities, motorcycle crashes, and living with Eric Church and Chris Stapleton. Read on to find out more!

Ciara’s Country (CC): I’m here with Kristy and Jon from American Young after their set at the Nashville Meets London festival in Canary Wharf. First of all, thank you so much for joining me tonight!

Jon Stone (JS): Thank you for having us!

CC: How are things going for the two of you this year?

Kristy Osmunson (KO): Well this is definitely one of my favourite shows that I’ve ever played. Jon, can I speak for you on that too?

JS: Yeah, it’s been really great. You know, over here there’s a lot of great listeners and people like great songs so it’s great to be a part of it.

CC: So the name American Young – how did that come about?

KO: I’d written a song called Young in America and we were listening to it and Jon turned it off and said ‘man, American Young, that would be a great name for a band’, and it was this crazy moment because I was like ‘well there’s no way we could get that name’, and I googled the dot com and it was available. I was like ‘this might be divine intervention – we’ve got to take it, that’s a great name for a band!’ and I feel like it’s so representative of where country music is going, so we’re very lucky to be a part of this whole industry, it’s very humbling.

CC: Especially, having a name like that that’s so easy to remember I reckon people tonight are bound to go away and Google you now!

KO: I hope people buy at least five or six records!

CC: I’m sure they will! So this is the Nashville Meets London festival and you guys are based in Nashville - how do you think playing in London compared to playing over there?

KO: Well they drink just as much over here!

JS: We don’t really play all that much in Nashville, Nashville’s sort of an outsourcing town, that’s where the business of country really lives. We’re actually from the North West – she’s from Idaho and I’m from Oregon, but if you want to be in country music you’ve got to move to Nashville.

CC: And what do you think of London?

JS: London’s wonderful!

KO: I feel like London and Nashville are sister cities. I really feel like there’s so much similarity between the heritage music – like when we were at C2C and at this festival, there are all these UK bands that are absolutely as country that you could possibly get, and they’re telling the stories that are true to the people – they’re representing the plight of the working man, they’re telling stories of love and loss and all the greatness that makes up what we consider the heritage of country music. I really think that there’s an amazing combination and culmination of what is about to happen with the UK country music scene. I think it’s about to go global.

CC: In terms of your storytelling aspects of songs, how have you drawn on your background to help you with that?

KO: So the first gig that we ever played as the two of us was at The Bluebird Café, and Jon had just fallen off his motorcycle and so he was covered in bandages, and we walked in the room and we told that story, and we started telling stories of the songs that we’d written and it just became like a natural dialogue – it’s kind of what we do, you know? We just write true to life experiences, and try to capture them in three minutes on tape.

CC: As well as being songwriters, you’re also very accomplished musicians – we saw you playing the guitar and fiddle on stage for example. Which came first for you, the singing or the instruments?

KO: For me it was singing when I was little, but I started playing when I was about four.

JS: I was a guitar player first for years and years. Singing became a part of my writing because I needed somebody to sing my words.

CC: And you’ve written a lot for other artists too – how does that compare from writing for yourselves?

JS: There’s no difference at all. Great songs are great songs, no matter where they come from.

CC: So in terms of the country music genre as a whole, is there one artist out there who you think is really underrepresented and deserves more recognition?

KO: Yola Carter, I think she’s great.

JS: There’s a lot of great artists out there, and it’s just a matter of staying true to who you are as an artist and then your day will come. We’ve seen that with Maren Morris, and Kelsea Ballerini, and Cam and Chris Stapleton and artists like that.

KO: Jon and Chris were roommates for four years.

CC: Really?

KO: Yeah, and also Eric Church. Jon gave Eric Church his first job in Nashville, so they’ve been friends for a long time and they’re so supportive. We have a really incredible community of family, musicians and writers.

CC: I’ll bet there’s some amazing stories to tell there!

KO: When we were at C2C we went backstage and met Chris Stapleton, and he was like ‘yeah, when I met Jon Stone, he used to keep alligator in the freezer.’ (laughs)

CC: Wow, that’s certainly something different! And my final question for you tonight is what’s one question you wish you were asked in interviews but never are?

KO: Now that is a great question, and that I’ve never been asked! Wow, that’s going to make me think here for a second.

JS: How about ‘what can I buy you for dinner?’ ‘What do you drink?’

KO: You know, wow, that’s a really good question. I would say what is our purpose as a songwriter, and I’d say when you know the purpose of why an artist is doing what they’re doing, it’s really enlightening and it’s very important.

CC: And what’s that purpose for American Young?

KO: You know, I think it’s just to spread a little love and intellect. There’s lots of ways to look at things, there’s lots of ways to approach and interpret things.

JS: I’d say to be on the evolving side of evolution (laughs)

KO: There you go!

CC: Well thank you for taking the time to chat with me tonight, and thank you for a great show!

KO & JS: Thank you!   

Thanks to Kristy and Jon for your time – if you’d like to keep up with more things Ciara’s Country and American Young, check us out on Twitter at @CiarasCountry and @American_Young

Interview: LOGAN BRILL, Nashville Meets London

Before taking to the stage to perform a fantastic set filled with original songs and covers ranging from Dolly to Tom Petty and Oasis, Logan Brill took some time to chat with me. Keep reading to find out her thoughts on being a tourist in London, playing with Merle Haggard and more!

Ciara’s Country (CC): I’m here with Logan Brill ahead of her set at the Nashville Meets London festival in Canary Wharf. So to start off Logan, thank you so much for joining me here tonight!

Logan Brill (LB): Yeah, thank you for having me!

CC: So how are things going for you at the moment?

LB: So well! I’m loving London – it’s been a really fun experience. This is my very first time touring over here, so I’m really excited to play tonight.

CC: Have you had a chance to have a look around the city yet?

LB: I have a bit – we’ve only been here for three days so it’s been very short and I fly home tomorrow morning. But this is my third time visiting London so I’ve been able to do the touristy thing the past two times I’ve been.

CC: And how do you think playing here will compare to touring back home?

LB: It’s different for sure. It’s exciting being on tour, being able to see all sorts of different places – these past couple of months I’ve been on the road touring the States and seen a lot of the country in the US that I haven’t seen before. But the crowd here is definitely going to be fantastic – there’s a great mix between a listening crowd and a crowd that’s having a good time, so yeah, I’m excited about it!

CC: And it seems like you’ve had a couple of pretty good years recently with a few critically acclaimed albums – do you have a highlight?

LB: Oh man, there are so many highlights! I feel like there have been a lot of moments in the past couple of years where I’ve had to pinch myself – playing the Grand Ole Opry was a huge one, I got to do my Opry debut in Nashville this past year which was a big thing for me. Getting to play with Merle Haggard before he passed away was really exciting – that was an honour and I felt really lucky that I was able to play with him in his final years, so that was a huge one. And then honestly, just being able to be on tour as much as I am and being able to release records is what I’ve always wanted to do so being able to do it full time and being able to travel has been really exciting.

CC: What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t a musician?

LB: Oh gosh, I don’t even know, honestly I don’t know what I’d do! I’ve always wanted to do this. I got my degree in French so maybe I’d do something with that – teach or something, who knows? But like I said, I can’t imagine doing anything else.

CC: I think we’re all very glad that this is the path you chose anyway!

LB: Me too!

CC: In terms of your musical style, it’s quite unique in that you draw on different elements from a variety of musical styles and not just country – what are some of the biggest musical influences for you?

LB: You know, growing up I listened to my parents generation of music – I loved listening to Dolly Parton, and even The Rolling Stones, kind of a wide range of musical styles, but growing up in East Tennessee, country music is such a big part of the heritage there that that was always the direction that I wanted to go in. I started out singing blues when I was a kid – I was like eleven years old, singing in bars in Knoxville and I started out with the blues, so I think I had a dose of like the country blues, and then moved to Nashville and got an extra dose from being there.

CC: So your background has clearly influenced the style of music that you play – has it also influenced the content of your songs?

LB: It has, for sure. The content of my songs is also so much about the story of the journey that I’m on as an artist in my twenties, you know, it’s an interesting time to be trying to do this and going through different relationships, and the challenges of being on the road and the excitement of being on the road. Especially on this last record, the content of my songs is so much about the story that I want to tell about my life which is why it’s close to my heart.

CC: I suppose sharing so much of your life must be quite a nerve-wracking experience.

LB: You know, it can be at times for sure, but it’s also really gratifying to be able to put out music that is close to my heart and might be intimate, but that people can connect with, and there’s nothing more rewarding than hearing a fan say ‘that song of yours really helped me through something really difficult’ or ‘oh my gosh, I totally connect to this song, I’ve been through the same thing’ I think people totally connect with vulnerability very well, and I find the relationships that I can make with my fans are even more rewarding because of that.

CC: And when you play your songs live, do you have a favourite that you like to play?

LB: You know, I love all of them, but I’d say especially on this last record, the first song and the last song on this record being so vastly different – Shuteye is really loud, with electric guitars with a lot of distortion, and the last song is I Wish You Loved Me which is really stripped down and simple. Both of them are my two favourite ones even though they’re so vastly different. So those are probably my favourite ones but I also love to do random covers of other songs we like kind of on a whim – we’ll pick them on the day of and decide what we want to do. I have a lot of favourites!

CC: In terms of the music you like to listen to, are there any underrepresented artists that you think should be more widely recognised?

LB: I will say Yola Carter who I saw play recently was absolutely amazing – her voice blew me away and she was so inspiring so I’ll definitely go back and start listening to her for sure. There are a lot of American bands that I’ve been really into for quite a while – there’s a band called Dawes, I don’t know if they’ve ever toured over here – I’m a huge fan of theirs. They’re not even really country, they’re more in the kind of rock/Americana scene, but yeah, there are loads of unrecognised artists out there. But Yola Carter is definitely my new favourite, I absolutely loved her set. I watched like totally awestruck and went up afterwards and had to fangirl and talk to her after the show. She should come to the States and tour, for sure.

CC: I agree, Yola is absolutely a new favourite for me too. Likewise, you should definitely come and tour in the UK more often too! That’s the kind of thing we’re hoping to get out of events like today, and get more artists touring over here too.

LB: Yeah, it’s really cool to see a mesh of a lot of UK bands and also the Nashville crew here at Nashville Meets London. Back to back it’s been really interesting to see the interaction between the two and see a lot of UK bands that I hadn’t seen before.

CC: I’d say everyone’s very excited to see your set tonight.

LB: I’m very excited to play!

CC: My final question for this interview is what’s one question you wish you were asked in interviews but never are?

LB: Oh my gosh, I really don’t know! That’s a really great question! I guess maybe about goals in my future?

CC: And how would you answer that?

LB: I’d want to just reiterate that this is really what I want to do – I want to be like Merle Haggard still playing a like 82 – maybe needing help while walking out on the stage but still doing what I’m doing today, and hoping that all my fans know how much I love to do this as well.

CC: Great! We look forward to seeing you still touring when you’re 82!

LB: Yeah, come see me again when I’m 82!

CC: Thank you so much for your time and good luck for the show tonight.

LB: Appreciate it, thanks for talking to me! 

Thanks very much to Logan for taking the time to speak with me! You can keep up to date with any future interviews at @CiarasCountry, and check out what Logan’s up to @LoganBrillMusic

Interview: CIMORELLI, Brooklyn Bowl, London (Part 2)

Read on for Part 2 of my interview with Cimorelli (you can read Part 1 here, and a review of their London concert here) – we talk about Little Mix, underrepresented artists, life advice, and leaving a legacy.

CC: I’m back with Cimorelli! So ladies, I’m interested to know, in terms of music, what kind of artists are you listening to at the moment?

D: I really like Little Mix right now. I love them.

A: I love Sam Hunt, Florida Georgia Line, Luke Bryan. We all love them.

CC: It’s interesting you mention Little Mix, Dani, because they’re obviously one of the UK’s biggest girl groups, so maybe you two could do a joint tour at some point in the future.

D: I would cry.

C: That would probably be really good. Like our fanbases are probably really similar too. I think my favourite artist right now is Astrid S – she’s from Norway. She’s my favourite right now. It’s kind of like chill electronic pop. I’m obsessed with her.

CC: That’s cool that you’ve picked her because I’m really interested to know if there’s any underrepresented artists that you think are out there who deserve recognition.

C: Oh yeah, definitely Astrid. Like some of her songs are really big, but she personally isn’t a super well-known name and she should be. Everyone should love her.

La: I think this group called Wet are so good, but they’re not very well known. They have songs in like TV shows but they don’t have mainstream success yet.

CC: And obviously you guys did your whole music career quite uniquely by coming through YouTube even before that became a thing. Do you think that’s a good way to get your name out there?

C: Yeah, cause I mean anyone can do it, but it is rough.

D: It’s definitely harder now. I guess you could say it was a little easier for us – this was before I’d even joined the band – but when these guys started posting videos there was not as much competition, but now everyone is seeing that it’s a good idea, so everyone is doing it.

La: And it’s interesting because even record labels are telling their new artists to go out and build a following on social media, so it’s like the way to do it now.

CC: Well we’re all glad that you managed to get in there ahead of the curve then! And you mentioned at the start Katherine that you’ve also got a book coming out soon. Can you tell me a bit more about that?

K: Oh my gosh, I’m so excited for our book. Basically, our book was kind of born of our fans asking us for advice all the time. So literally on Twitter, people would DM us and be like “I need advice, can you please help me with this problem?,” thousands and thousands of them. And it was all different things, like family advice, life advice, boy advice, friendship advice. So we sat down one day about a year ago and were like we should write a book of advice. And we brainstormed what topics people asked us about and what would be helpful. We started writing it probably five or six months ago.

C: Kind of stuff that we wished we’d know, stuff that would be helpful for other people who are like “who do I ask, I don’t have an older sister, I don’t know what to say, I can’t ask my family.” What we realised was that a lot of the fans, they’re not very close with their families, a lot of them don’t have anyone to go to, so we were like we need to give them something that  they need that we wish we’d had when we had the same questions.

K: Yeah, so it’s called Lessons Learned, and it comes out in December through pledgemusic.com/cimorelli – you can preorder it, and I think it’s going to be so fun! We 100% wrote the entire thing, and I edited it, so it’s 100% our writing.

C: We were waiting for a while and then realised all you need to do is just write it!

K: It’s really cute! I’m so excited for it to come out.

CC: Do you feel a lot of pressure having to provide advice to your young fans?

C: I think so, but we don’t come at it from an angle that’s like “this is all the answers to life.” We more come at it saying, this is what has happened in our lives, this is what we know you’ve been asking about and this is what we wish we’d have known. So here is what we’ve been through, take it or leave it, but it’s helped us and hopefully it helps you! If not, then sorry, but if it does then great!

L: Yeah, there’s even like a disclaimer in there that we’re not mental health professionals, we can’t advise you on a mental illness, but here’s our experience, and if that helps you then great! There definitely is an amount of pressure but you have to get over that and just realise you can be helpful, even if you don’t have all the answers.

C: It takes a confidence to put myself out there and my ordinary experience out there. Most people are scared and think their ordinary experience can’t help anyone, it’s too average, but that’s a bad mindset to have. You might as well try, you know?

CC: That certainly sounds like it’s going to be useful for a lot of your fans. One thing which might not be mentioned in the book, but I’m sure a lot of people would love to know is aside from being very talented singers and songwriters, do you have any secret talents that your fans might not know?

D: Lauren is really good at drawing, but she never shows anyone her drawings because she doesn’t think they’re that good, but she’s so good! And Lisa’s really good at painting.

La: Amy’s really good at sewing, and no one knows that!

A: Dani’s really good at making clothes and costumes and things, it’s kind of crazy.

K: This is quite random, but I’m really good at fundraising for a cause. I’m happy to go up there and talk to people about the cause because I’m really passionate about it, so I’m good at that!

CC: So creative! And then my final question for this interview is what’s the one question you wish you were asked in questions but never have been?

C: Ooh, that’s a good question! I have no idea…

L: I just wish people would ask more about my political views and my religion…No, I’m totally kidding!

CC: Haha, I might leave that!  

D: When I was younger I always used to want people to ask about boys, and who our celebrity crushes were. Cause then I could talk about Luke Hemmings.

CC: Well, 5 Seconds of Summer did manage to make their way into the conversation today!

C: What about like what’s the legacy you wanted to leave? If you were on your deathbed… I would hope that people would want to be more courageous because of things that I’d taught them, and they’d want to be more out there with their feelings and their true selves. They’d be brave enough to put themselves out there.

D: Yeah, I think we’d all second that. Just wanting people to be proud of who they are and to know that they’re not alone. We all deal with this stuff, and we can learn from one another.

CC: I’d have to say that’s one of the most interesting answers to that question that I think I’ve ever heard – it’s no wonder your fans ask you for advice! Thank you all so much for taking the time to join me tonight, and I look forward to seeing all of the exciting things that come for you over the next few years!

All: Thank you so much!

Thank you to Cimorelli for being so accommodating and answering all of my questions – I hope you enjoyed learning more about Cimorelli as much as I did! Stay tuned on Twitter @CiarasCountry for more reviews and interviews, and make sure to check out @cimorelliband if you haven’t already!

Interview: CIMORELLI, Brooklyn Bowl, London (Part 1)

I was lucky enough to have the chance to sit down with the fantastic Cimorelli sisters before their gig at the Brooklyn Bowl in London (you can read my review of the concert here). Check out Part 1 of our interview, where we talk about 2016, the upcoming album, and moving to Nashville!

Ciara’s Country (CC): This is Ciara’s Country – I’m joined today by some very special guests!

Christina (C): Hey, I’m Christina.

Katherine (K): I’m Katherine.

Lisa (L): I’m Lisa.

Amy (A): I’m Amy.

Lauren (La): I’m Lauren.

Dani (D): I’m Dani.

All: And we’re Cimorelli!

CC: That’s right, I’m joined today by YouTube superstars Cimorelli before their gig at the Brooklyn Bowl in London. So first of all, thank you all so much for taking the time to join me today!

All: Thank you!

CC: My first question for you this evening is how has the year been treating you so far?

D: Oh my gosh. Let me just say something – career wise, band wise, it’s great. Going on this whole tour, it’s great. But other than that, 2016 was horrible! I hated it!

C: I have to say, same thing as Dani said, just mentally for me, 2016 has been the hardest year of my life but will probably end up being the biggest year of growth for my entire life.

L: That’s what I was going to say. I feel like this has been one of the best years of my life. Even though I’ve had some of the hardest times, I grew so much and I had some crazy highs and lows that I’m really grateful for so I feel really happy with it.

K: I think we’ve all had loads of big highs and big lows, but something really exciting for our careers is that we’re coming out with our second album in December, and we came out with our first album in May, and we’re also coming out with a book, our first book, in December, so it’s been like a really big year career-wise. And a lot of hard work. I think we’ve all learnt a lot about hard work this year.

CC: Wow! Well it’s clear that you’ve obviously had a really busy year this year with the first album and now another one coming out in December – what made you decide to release the two so close together?

C: We realised basically that this time that we’re in, like media wise, pop culture wise, is really different to how it was a few years ago. People aren’t wanting to have an album and then wait a couple of years to get the next one. They don’t mind having two in the same year. 5 Seconds of Summer for instance released like three different releases in a year once I think, and fans like it. Like Dani is a fan of theirs, and she was excited about that, so I thought “you know what, people aren’t going to be mad if you keep releasing stuff!” Let’s just put more out – we have so many songs, we wanted to release them. We have a lot, there’s nothing that we’re waiting on – normally you’re waiting on a label because they have to get a budget together, they have to do all this planning, they have all these people working on it, but it’s just us. We have nothing holding us back so might as well release more stuff. It’s great to put more stuff out there, so that was kind of the reason behind it.

CC: And what can we expect to hear differently on the new album?

L: I feel like, in general, the sound is different.

C: The content’s different!

L: Yeah, the content is more like life-stuff.

La: There’s a couple of Christian songs on there too.

C: It’s like a different perspective. The first one, Up At Night, was heavily relationship oriented. This ones like life oriented. And the sound is different – we have a different producer on it. Some people say it’s a much more mature sound, I don’t really know how you would describe it – it’s a little bit more on the alternative side but it’s pop still. It’s a cool additional aspect of us that we’re adding with this new album, so I’m really excited about it – it’s something new and different for us.

CC: And another thing that’s really cool that you’ve decided to do with your albums is with Pledge Music. What’s it like putting your career so much in the hands of your fans?

C: So we didn’t necessarily do it so it’s dependent on our fans to release the album like it would be with crowdfunding, but we do fund everything ourselves, and that’s ultimately through the fans and the way we’ve made money through our career, but it’s great because you get all the control with that, but it’s hard because you’re taking all the risk. You don’t have a label to back you and like hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars in, you have a smaller budget, so it’s challenging but we prefer it that way. It’s like, you can die at the hand of your own sword rather than someone else’s sword.

D: Yeah, and we have been really lucky to have such great fans who support us so much. Like the past Pledge campaigns that we’ve done, even the most recent one, were so successful so we’re really lucky.

CC: I suppose it also gives you a lot more freedom to produce the kind of stuff that you want to produce.

C: Definitely, we just do whatever we want honestly. Whatever we want to do, we do it. No one tells us not to do something.

K: Yeah, we have complete control, and I feel like it the past we almost tried to hold each other back like “oh, you shouldn’t wear that, it’s too weird” or something, but now we just wear whatever we want, and do whatever we want.

C: Yeah, like I’m repping a Papa John’s shirt today. This is a pizza company, I’m gonna be wearing it on stage and everything.

CC: I’m sure it’ll be the next style trend! So another exciting thing that’s happened to you in recent years is moving from California to Nashville. What’s it like living in Music City?

L: Oh my gosh, it’s amazing. I feel like we’re all so much happier there than we were in California.

La: Even though it’s a really big city, it really feels like a small town, like the energy of it is very laid back.

A: And the way the industry works is completely different to in California. Like they go to work, and then they actually go home and have family time and live an actual life.

C: Yeah, it’s very family oriented and friend oriented. It’s all about relationships, like everyone is so relationship oriented.

D: We’re honestly like Hannah Montana times six. Like on a smaller scale, we don’t wear wigs obviously, but I feel like right now I’m living my double life like right now we’re touring the world and then when we get back to Franklin we’re just having a Christmas party with all our friends and living this normal life.

C: That’s so true – like in LA it felt like our career and our life were never separate. We were being this artist things 24/7, and then suddenly we move to Nashville and we’re normal people there. And then we’re touring Europe or we’re touring South America doing this really not normal thing, and then we go back and we’re totally normal again! People just treat us like we have a normal job like everyone else. It’s not like that in LA where it’s all about like what is your job, how extraordinary are you, how special is everything you’re doing. It’s not like that where we live in Tennessee – it’s just normal people living a normal life.

CC: Do you think that kind of environment influences the way you write too?

K: I think it’s easier for us to write in that environment cause we’re actually out living our normal lives.

D: I mean we only write from our experiences, so if you don’t have experiences, you don’t have anything to write about.

K: I think in LA we felt a lot more isolated and not really having life experiences as much so it was harder to draw from that.

I hope you enjoyed Part 1 of my interview with Cimorelli! Make sure to drop me a follow on Twitter @CiarasCountry to be the first to hear when Part 2 is uploaded!

Interview: CALE TYSON, The Borderline, London

I sat down with one of UK audience’s favourite up-and-coming country artists, Cale Tyson on a recent trip to London (you can read my review of his concert here). We chatted about why he keeps coming back to the UK, staying traditional, law school, and life outside of music. Read on to find out more!  

Ciara’s Country (CC): It’s Ciara here and I’m joined today by Cale Tyson – first of all Cale, thank you so much for joining me today. So I wanted to know, how’s 2016 been treating you so far?

Cale Tyson (CT): It’s been good, good and bad, I feel like. The record's been doing really well over here and I’ve been able to come over twice already this year – this is actually my third time over and second tour, but I really want to release the record in the United States which is where I’m from but things have been taking a while. But things are starting to take off there too.

CC: What’s holding back the record being released in the US?

CT: Finding the right record label to put it out. It’s been a little bit of a challenge but I think we’re on the right path now.

CC: Well I suppose it’s a good thing for us in the UK that your album has been released over here because as you said it’s your third time in the UK. What is it that keeps bringing you back to the UK?

CT: I think it’s just playing show over here – they go so well. It’s just every single show I feel like is a success over here and it’s not always like that in the States. I think that’s a combination of the record label over here doing a really good job and also the booking agency but it just feels like every time I come over, there’s more people at each show, and they’re so attentive and they really listen and get into it and it feels good.

CC: Do you find that the crowd over here responds differently to your music?

CT: Yes absolutely, like I was saying at shows definitely. Especially when we play listening rooms – I almost never play those shows in the States where people are silent throughout the entire song and then clap at the end, cause in the States a lot of the times we’ll be playing at a bar and people will just be talking the entire time. Not everyone, but you know it gets rowdy. So playing over here, it’s kind of fun to play like soft, intimate songs just because you can really interact with the crowd.

CC: I suppose it’s also your style of music as well – in this era when we’re moving more towards crossover with pop and rock you seem to have gone in almost the opposite direction by heading down a more traditional route. How did that style come about?

CT: Well, I grew up on it, and then I kind of went away from it as a teenage, and then I came back to it. I started playing music and taking myself seriously when I left high school, but I was writing folk music and everything started kind of steering towards the country genre, and I had like a lap-steel player playing with me, and I met this pedal-steel player who came to town, and he was like “these songs, they’re pretty much borderline country” and I thought “what are you talking about? I’m not trying to write country music” and then he reintroduced me to all the stuff I used to listen to as a kid, and I kind of fell back in love with it. That’s where the musical direction took me at the time.

CC: Can you tell me a bit about the creative process for you when it comes to writing songs?

CT: It differs. Sometimes I’ll sit down and try to write a song, play guitar and figure out a melody; and then other times it’ll just come to me and I’ll write something down and come back to it later and turn it into a melody. So it’s whenever it strikes you, you’ve got to get it anyway you can.

CC: And is there one of your songs that you’d say was particularly interesting to write in terms of the melody or the content?

CT: I think there’s a couple of songs that came really easily, like surprisingly easily. One from my first record that I put out a few years ago called Not Missing You and I’d literally wrote that song while I was taking a shower one day. I don’t know, I’ve been writing a lot recently and I just bought this little electric piano and I’ve been learning to write with that and trying different chords I wouldn’t be able to get to on the guitar, and different vocal harmonies. I’m just trying to open it up because I feel like there’s a lot of different ways to write a song, and each of those ways kind of gives you different inspiration, or opens you up to different creative processes you wouldn’t normally use.

CC: Well it’s clear that music has been a huge part of what you’ve done since high school – do you have any idea what you might be doing now had you not chosen to pursue this path?

CT: I would probably be a lawyer and I would hate my life. When I was a kid, my Dad told me that I could either be a doctor or a lawyer, and I actually had the intention of going to law school when I was in college. I actually signed up too late to take the exam to get into law school and count that as fate, so I didn’t do it. I’d probably be making a lot more money though!

CC: That would have been very, very different! So how did you go from music just being a hobby to making it your full time career?

CT: I think, you know, I was brought up with my parents always telling me that it’s a great hobby but you need to study and do other things, and then my last girlfriend, she was one of the few people I’ve ever met who truly believed in herself and in her musical career. She didn’t think of it as a hobby but as what she was going to do, and I’d never really had that mindset before, but I think just being around her, and seeing how hard she was working for it kind of changed me and changed my mind like maybe I can do this if I really work for it. And then things started happening that led to me believing that I can make a career from this.

CC: Would you say that you listen to the same kind of music that you write or is it quite different?

CT: It depends. I honestly haven’t really listened to much country music lately. I spent like two to three years, especially when I was writing this record, only listening to pre-80s country music, and then recently, within the past year, I decided to go back and listen to what’s being made in the indie world right now, and I’ve been on a kick with that recently, so I have no idea what my next record’s going to sound like. It’s really important to not pigeonhole yourself into one listening pattern, cause there’s so much other creativity to be taken in.

CC: That’s pretty exciting though that you let your musical style change depending on what you’re listening to at the time.

CT: Yeah, I think so. I also don’t want to make the same record over and over, I want to evolve and try out different things. The first record I put out here was just straight up traditional country, and the last record had kind of a soul element that the first one didn’t have. So I don’t know what the next one’s going to sound like but I’m excited to start working on it.

CC: And I’d say your UK fans will be looking forward to that too! So in terms of the kind of music that you listen to, is there anyone out there who you think is underrepresented and deserves so much more recognition?

CT: The two people I’ve been listening to over the last year religiously, and I think they both have plenty of recognition, is this guy named Cass McHolmes, and also Bill Callaghan. But to answer your question I guess I’d say one of my friends, Pete Linberg who usually tours with me but isn’t this time. He’s an incredible songwriter, he just hasn’t gotten into the studio yet, but he needs to because he’s really good.

CC: I know we’re coming to the end of the year, but do you think you’ll be making it back to the UK at some point soon?

CT: Probably not this year, but maybe next year. I know that I’m coming back to Europe in May so I’m sure we’ll work in the UK somehow.

CC: Cool! And then finally, what’s one question you wish you were asked in an interview but never have been?

CT: Oh man, that’s a tough one…I’m thinking of all the questions that always get asked. I don’t know. What do I like to do other than music would be a good one.

CC: Can you answer that for me then?

CT: Ah, now I have to answer it I’m really confused! I don’t know. I like to watch movies, I’m actually really into movies. My girlfriend works for an independent arthouse cinema in Nashville so she drags me to movies all the time. And I think that’s another thing – I’ve done a lot of interviews lately where they’re like “where do you get your inspiration from, where do you get the creativity from songwriting” and I think that inspiration comes from everywhere. Like I think seeing a good movie can inspire you to write a good song. Even going to a museum and seeing some art can really trigger something inside of you. It’s not just hearing something and being inspired by that.

CC: So we can ask you not only for musical recommendations but also movie recommendations.

CT: Yeah I think so!

CC: Maybe next time! Well, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me tonight, and good luck with the rest of the tour!

Cheers to Cale for taking the time to catch up with me – you can keep up to date with all the interviews and reviews I’m doing by following me on Twitter @CiarasCountry, and be sure to check out @caletyson while you’re there!

Concert Review: CIMORELLI, Brooklyn Bowl, London

In spite of being around for about seven years now, I’m still shocked when people tell me they haven’t heard of Cimorelli. The band of six sisters, whose ages range from 16 to 26, have uploaded hundreds of cover on YouTube, highlighting their flawless harmonies and ability to produce professional sounding tracks from the comfort of their own living room.

I arrived at the venue for their London show, the O2’s Brooklyn Bowl, four hours before showtime to interview the band (you can read the interview coming soon here) and was surprised to already see about 40 fans waiting outside, a number which had doubled by the time I left the venue half an hour later. Now, if that’s not a dedicated fanbase, I don’t know what is – and this was a fact cemented for me later when I looked through Twitter later that evening to see what people were saying about the concert, and saw hundreds of accounts purely dedicated to promoting Cimorelli. It’s clear that the band survives thanks to their solid fan base, and as a way of showing their appreciation, I was sure that we were in for a good show.

I particularly liked the way the show started, with a voiceover from all the girls very reminiscent of what one might expect from stadium tours to hype up the crowd before the artist comes on stage. It certainly works in this circumstance, with the audience screaming as the opening bars of Hearts On Fire played through the speaker system. The girls entered the stage one by one as their respective melodies started, and not even one song in and it was clear that the crowd was already hooked. As they moved onto I’m A Mess, I couldn’t help but think that Cimorelli could easily have done a concert where just the crowd did the singing as everyone seemed to know all of the words.

One of the things that I particularly liked about the show was that it was evident that there was no one frontrunner in the band, but each girl was given her own chance to shine. As they sang I Know You Know It, each member stepped forwards to sing her respective part, and it was never a case that one was clearly the ‘lead’ as is often the case in many bands.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Cimorelli concert without a cover song, and they treated us to a mash-up of Justin Bieber’s Cold Water / Let Me Love You. To me, this was testament of why they deserved to be successful – not only was it sung beautifully, but the way in which the songs melded seamlessly into one another showed that the girls clearly had an ear for music and producing tracks. The girls seemed very much at home on stage, and I was pleased to see that they didn’t have any pre-determined choreography, instead just doing whatever they felt like doing, and I think the crowd was pleased to see that the band was having just as much fun as we were.

Indeed, it seems that everything Cimorelli does is for their fans, and this is evident when listening to their original music, with songs like Up At Night and Fall Back based on themes and experiences that were clearly relatable to their audience of teens and young adults. As the girls write all their own music, they seem more transparent than many other artists, and have as a result become something of role models and advice givers to their fans, taking time to add in little motivational comments in between songs – “it’s okay to be imperfect” and “you’re not alone.”

They slowed down the set for a minute to do a mash-up of a number of songs on Up At Night including Make It Stronger, Headlights, Sunsets and Heartbreaks and Brave Heart, and with just Amy on the guitar and no backing track, I was reminded of some of their earlier covers. It was this simplicity that was the reason that many of us had become followers in the first place, and although this was only a short interlude in the concert, it was nice to see the girls returning to the style that had made them famous in the first place.

Nevertheless, the energy picked up with crowd-favourite Before October’s Gone on which Lisa particularly shone, hitting and holding some ridiculously high notes. Each of the band members has a very unique voice and each song on their album seemed to be written to highlight each of the girls in equal measure. Acid Rain was a particular highlight from me as it moved from soft singing to full belt. Likewise, the powerful Good Enough was full of raw emotion, and an excellent example of dealing with feelings many of their fans may struggle with, as the girls sing ‘Whatever I did, I would take it all back; I'd circle the world to get back what we had; Tell me what must I do to deserve your love; Is there any way I'll ever be good enough?’ Speaking to one of their fans after the concert, she mentioned that she liked Cimorelli because of the message their music told, and how it had helped her get through hard times, and for that reason, I was glad these girls had decided to pen songs about real issues rather than a lot of the mindless (albeit catchy) nonsense one might hear on the radio.

As well as songs from Up At Night, we were also treated to sneak peeks of Cimorelli’s upcoming album Alive, including One More Night with its equally uplifting lyrics ‘Say a prayer, close your eyes; Please just give it one more night’. Alive also draws on the girls faith as a point of content, as highlighted in the Lauren-penned Never Let Me Fall in which she discusses “turning to God, as he is the strength in all of us.” Both of these songs received a great response from the crowd, so no doubt Cimorelli will be returning to our shores next year to support their upcoming album.

The concert ended the best way it could have done, with what I think are probably their two most motivational songs – You’re Worth It and Worth The Fight which, as the titles suggest, say things we all need to hear now and then. As they sang, they walked to the front of the stage to hold hands with the crowd, looking their fans right in the eyes and singing directly to them. It is clear that their music speaks to a lot of people, and with that in mind, it’s no surprise these girls mean so much to their young fans. Even if listening to You’re Worth It convinces one girl to see herself in a better light, then it’s evident that these girls are doing more with their music than a lot of today’s artists.  

Agree with my review? Let me know and stay tuned for my interview with Cimorelli coming soon to the blog by following me on Twitter @CiarasCountry!