Interview: HALEY MAE CAMPBELL (Part 2)

I loved chatting with rising country star Haley Mae Campbell. Check out Part 1 of our interview here, and read on as we chat Miley Cyrus, life in Nashville, artists to watch out for, and how a country song comes to life - enjoy!

Ciara's Country (CC): You mentioned Adele when talking about putting out music at different stages of your life, and you’ve also taken inspiration from another superstar. You recently released a country cover of Miley Cyrus’ Flowers, and a truly stunning cover at that. What inspired you to take on Flowers?

Haley Mae Campbell (HMC): Thank you so much for your kind words! There's definitely something to be said about the way we consume and popularise music right now, so it’s cool to see a song like that from an artist that we all grew up with. Hannah Montana was such a big part of my growing up! I think it's really cool to see her in her adulthood now and still thriving and putting out this really raw, honest music that connected with billions of people. I kept hearing and loving the song, and I was listening to the lyrics really closely one day when I thought ‘this is a country song’. I know it's a pop song but it has a country lyric, it’s a story from start to finish.

It was literally a week before Valentine's Day, and I came into the studio and was like ‘we should record this tonight and put it out for Valentine's Day!’ So we sat down that night, made the entire track, recorded all the vocals and I sat there on my laptop and made the cover art. It was genuinely so much fun! It was unexpected to see the response, so I'm so glad to hear that you loved it, because I'm really proud of it and it was a very fun, authentic project to make.

CC: Definitely, there are some songs out there that you listen to and think ‘this could really work in a different style’. Do you have any other songs that you think ‘I really wish there was a country version of that’?

HMC: I'll have to think on that! But I am doing a project with my friends over at the 615 House, a series of videos called ‘Can It Country’. Flowers was my contribution to that, but you'll have to check out the other videos they roll out on the 615 House page. If anybody wants to hear their favourite pop songs or rock songs as country songs, that’s the place to be! Folks in that group are so creative, so I know they're going to have some major hitters.

CC: My kind of country! I know that along with your music, you keep yourself very busy – what’s an average day like for you?

HMC: I think my favourite thing about what I do is that no two days look the same! But to try and give a general overview, normally during the week, I'm in town (Nashville) either having songwriting sessions, which are always so much fun; or interviews, meetings, going to friends shows in town and showing support for the community. All very high priority during the week!  And then on the weekends, I'm usually out playing shows either in town, or travelling on the road with my band.

That's a general idea of what my weeks look like, but sometimes I get the rare weekend off and I try to make the most of it by being a couch potato! I feel like I'm so all over the place sometimes so it's really nice that I can focus my energy on whatever I'm feeling that day. If I'm feeling really creative, I can work on photoshoot ideas and album artwork, or style and pick out outfits for shows and things like that. If I'm feeling like I need to get some shit done, then I can just hone down on my computer, respond to emails, try to reach out and set up writing sessions, send out emails to book shows. I actually still book all my own shows! So I just love that every day there’s a new and different task from the day before.

CC: That’s incredible to hear. It’s so easy to see an artist like yourself up on stage and think ‘Oh wow, I would love that life’, but we never really think about how much goes on behind the scenes. I had no idea that it’s you yourself who’s organising so much of it.

HMC: Yeah, so much goes into it. Even for me, it's easy to get distracted by my own highlight reel and see everyone on Instagram and think about what they’re doing. I feel like especially in this community in Nashville, we make a point to rally together, and all the artists here are absolutely busting it behind the scenes. We’re all just are working towards the same goal. But there’s so much that goes into it especially if you're more on the independent side like myself. It’s everyone's dream to get to the point where you have a team you can pass off some of these responsibilities to, but you have to start somewhere. I'm really grateful to be independent though, I'm really enjoying it.

CC: Judging from that answer I think you’re going to be the perfect person to ask this next question. One of the things I love about festivals like C2C is that we get to see the big names but also those who are coming up in country music. Being so involved in the growing Nashville community, are there some underrated artists out there that you think everyone should be listening to?

HMC: Yes, 100%! I can even tell you some of my friends that are going to be on the C2C lineup that you have to see. My friend Alexandra Kay will be there - I got to open up a show for her on her tour, and she is absolutely amazing. One of the best people I know. I don't know how underrated he still is because he’s going like a rocket ship to the moon, but our buddy Breland is also going to be at C2C – hosting, performing and doing one of the after parties. Don’t miss out on him too. He's so talented and he co-wrote my song Ms Fire with me, so we love him so much!

CC: This is Breland’s second year at C2C back-to-back, so clearly he makes quite an impression. Let's just hope we get to see you year after year as well!

HMC: That’s the plan! I'm bringing the full band back next year.

CC: I’m excited! Alright Haley, I have one last question for you – what’s one question that you've never been asked in an interview before but would love to be?

HMC: Oh, wow, that’s a great question! I guess I don't get asked all that much about my creative process. I’m always curious to know about other people’s, like do they start with lyrics or with a melody? How long do they have to sit with a song before going to the studio? I’m nosy and I love those intricacies about people. For me, it's normally a gut feeling - once I'm finished writing a song, I’ll know immediately if it’s a ‘me song’. I'm always curious about how that works with other people.

CC: How does it work for you?

HMC: I have to start with an idea. If I'm not starting with a hook or an idea I get lost along the way. It's true what they say about ‘shower ideas’, you know? I'll get an idea for a hook or a lyric in a song and I'll start to mess around with some melodies, voice memo that into my phone and then take it into a writing session.

CC: I can’t wait to hear even more of those stories when you come over for C2C.

HMC: I can't believe it, it's coming up so quick. I’m so excited to just be there.

CC: Thank you so much for your time today Haley!

HMC: Thanks Ciara! I really appreciate your time and look forward to seeing you and giving you a big hug at C2C.

What a joy to talk with Haley! I have plenty more C2C related content coming soon, so make sure to stay tuned to @CiarasCountry to be the first to know when it drops! 

Interview: HALEY MAE CAMPBELL (Part 1)

It's occasions like this that make me really love my job! I got to sit down with rising country star Haley Mae Campbell and discuss all things music, life and more. Read on for Part 1 of our chat, including her upcoming trip to the UK for C2C Country 2 Country, going TikTok viral, soon-to-be-released music and more - enjoy!

Ciara’s Country (CC): Hi Haley, thank you so much for joining me!

Haley Mae Campbell (HMC): Thank you for having me, I'm so happy to be here!

CC: We’re speaking just ahead of your trip to the UK for the 10th annual C2C Country 2 Country music festival. How are you feeling about it?

HMC: I'm feeling fantastic. It's going to be my very first time in the UK, so I know it's going to be amazing. The 10th anniversary is so huge - I've been growing up in the country music industry and seeing my fellow peers and inspirations going over to C2C every single year, so it's really a dream come true to be joining the lineup myself this year.

CC: Country music continues to grow in the UK and we're always so excited to get artists like yourself coming over! Is there something in particular that you’re most excited about?

HMC: I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited about all the sightseeing, but I've definitely heard tales of UK country fans - I hear they're like nothing else! I'm really excited to get to meet some of my UK fans that I've never gotten a chance to play for before. I think it's going to be really magical.

CC: Of course this will be the first time a lot of UK fans will be seeing you live -what does a Hayley Mae Campbell live set look like?

HMC: For this round at C2C, I'll be coming over with my guitarist so we're going to have a really nice stripped-down, acoustic, heartfelt and intimate show as opposed to my full band thing where it's very fast and furious. I'm going to take advantage of performing some of the more storyteller songs that I don't always get to play in my full band show. I'm really looking forward to that.

CC: Will you be sharing inside scoops on how some of your songs came about?

HMC: Absolutely. I'm also going to be playing songs that no one else has ever heard before too...

CC: Keeping us in suspense, I like it! It's been a massive few years for you with songs like Never Been In Love, Growing Up and Ms Fire really helping to put you on the radar in the States and internationally. What have been some of your highlights over the past few years?

HMC: Well I recently got to put out one of my favourite songs this year already with my friends Presley and Taylor - a duet called Never Not A Good Time. It's a perfect party anthem and a real throwback to 2000s country, honky-tonking and having a good time! I love that song.

The past couple of years have been really crazy too. I managed to get my 15 minutes of TikTok fame with Never Been In Love and that song really seems to be the gift that keeps on giving. Every time I share it on a different platform it seems to connect well with people.  I learned that a lot of countries don't have TikTok but they have Instagram Reels, so when I posted the video on Instagram it went really wild with something like 40 million views! That's been such a highlight, continually seeing people connect with that song. It's so special.

CC: It’s great to see your songs do well commercially or go viral - is there one song of yours that you yourself really love?

HMC: I think that my favourite song to play live is Champagne Problem. It’s such a fun lighthearted song and it has such a joyful, genuine attitude. That one creeps up on me and it always makes its way onto the setlist, no matter even if we're playing just a couple originals with a few covers. It always sneaks its way in there. I think that one is my underdog favourite.

CC: With this being the 10^th anniversary of C2C I think we’re definitely looking forward to those joyful, upbeat songs! Along with your already released songs, you teased that we might also be hearing some unreleased, new music too.

HMC: I'm actually going to be releasing a good bit of music this year, so I’ll be previewing some of that that a lot of other people haven't heard or won't hear until it comes out. You’ll be getting the exclusive sneak previews of those songs!

CC: I can’t wait! I’m also excited about the launch of your new EP 20 Something which comes out next month. What theme or message can we expect across that EP?

HMC: This is another project that I'm just so proud of. It's going to include a lot of the singles that I put out over the past two years including Never Been In Love. I consider it to be the next era after the Growing Up EP. We had Growing Up and now we have 20 Something, so we're just keeping along with this theme of life and growing up in this industry, figuring things out. That's the theme of the EP - there's love, there's heartbreak, a lot of upbeat tempo music, a lot of that good stuff! It’s great that it happened to align so perfectly with C2C, so it's going to be my last weekend performing before the project comes out. I'm really excited to play the songs that people won't have heard yet from me that are going to be on that EP.

CC: Each of these EPS is so representative of a distinct period of your life - is that something you can see yourself doing in the long run? Forty years down the line, the 60 Something EP?

HMC: Haha, everybody knows that Adele did it first! I started out with the Growing Up EP, and that just felt like the right name for that project. I wrote the title track with one of my all-time favourite songwriters, Liz Longley, and I really wanted to immortalise that song so I used that for the project title.

20 Something is the title track of this next EP, and that’s one of the songs on there. I actually wrote that song a couple of years ago and I've been saving it and saving it until the perfect time, and I think that’s now. I think I’m going to keep on going and see what fits. I'd be lying if I said I didn't already have an idea for what the next one is going to be, and I think that next project will probably round out this trilogy of Growing Up, 20 Something and what’s next.

CC: I hope we won’t have to wait too long for that next one!

HMC: Don't worry, it's not going to be too long, I'm not going to keep you waiting forever! It’s a project we’re working on this year so it’ll probably see the light of day next year.

We had so much more to say - stay tuned for Part 2 where we discuss country/pop covers, a Nashville day in the life, country stars to look out for, and her intense writing process. Follow @CiarasCountry to find out more! 

C2C Country 2 Country: Celebrating 10 Years of Country Music!

Country music fans, it's time to gear up for one of the biggest events of the decade, let alone the year - the 10-year anniversary of C2C Country 2 Country. This three-day festival is a celebration of the best in country music, and this year is set to be the biggest and best yet with returning headliners Thomas Rhett, Lady A and Zac Brown Band, along with a string of other new acts that have just been announced. 

Over the past decade, C2C has established itself as a must-attend event for country music fans in the UK. The festival has hosted some of the biggest names in the genre, including Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan, and Keith Urban; and introduced us to those who became the rising stars of tomorrow – I still remember meeting Maren Morris at C2C in 2016 after her Grammy win for My Church, not knowing that she’d soon become one of my favourite artists of all time. 

This year, I've got high hopes for those taking to the Main Stage – it is the 10 year anniversary after all! Thomas Rhett is sure to be a winner – having seen him perform live many times before, I’m certain his energetic live performances and catchy tunes make him the perfect headliner for this year's festival. It’ll be my first time seeing the likes of Jordan Davis, Morgan Evans and Mitchell Tenpenny, all of whom have become top listened-to artists on my Spotify. With chart-topping hits and big personalities, they’re sure to light up the Main Stage. 

The headliners are just the tip of the iceberg here. I'm also looking forward to seeing some of the smaller stage artists, like Adam Doleac, Kameron Marlowe, and Jillian Jacqueline. All three are incredibly solid singer-songwriters making waves in the country music world with a mix of fun songs, emotional lyrics, and most importantly, killer voices. If you’ve not already checked them out, make sure to do so before March so you can join me in singing along! 

When it comes to highlights from previous years, there are too many to count. Some of my personal favourites have included Brooke Eden's high-energy performance in 2016, Runaway June’s stunning show in 2019, and Avery Anna's emotional set in 2022. These performances are just a few examples of the incredible talent that has graced the C2C stage over the past decade, and I can’t wait to see who else we discover at C2C 2023.

 

Of course, it's not just about the music at C2C. The festival offers a wide range of activities and experiences for attendees, from shopping at the country music merchandise stalls to participating in line dancing classes. Having picked up some fantastic merch over the years, including guitar-string bracelets and t-shirts galore, I’m excited to see what’s on offer this year. There's also a delicious selection of food on offer, from southern-style BBQ to street food and more – let’s hope mac & cheese is on the menu this year!

With a lineup that includes some of the biggest names in country music, as well as up-and-coming artists, C2C 2023 is shaping up to be an exciting event indeed. So what are you waiting for? Get your tickets now and join me in celebrating 10 years of country music at C2C!

Everything to do at C2C: Country 2 Country London

 

C2C: Country 2 Country Music Festival is the place to be for UK country music fans of all ages. From the main stage concerts to shopping and dining experiences, there's so much to do. Here's a breakdown of all the things you can do at the festival.

Music: Of course, the main attraction at C2C is the music! This year's lineup features some of the biggest names in country music, including Thomas Rhett, Lady A, Zac Brown Band, Jordan Davis, Midland, and Old Crow Medicine Show. The festival also features smaller stage artists I can’t wait to see, like Adam Doleac, Kameron Marlowe, and Jillian Jacqueline; along with great homegrown talent including Jess & The Bandits, Kezia Gill and Jade Helliwell. With multiple stages and non-stop music, there's always something to see and hear.

Shopping: The festival features a large shopping area filled with vendors selling everything from clothing and accessories to instruments and memorabilia. This is the perfect place to pick up souvenirs and show your support for your favourite artists.

Eating: Whether you're looking for a quick bite or a sit-down meal, C2C has something to offer. The festival features a variety of food vendors selling everything from traditional festival fare like hot dogs and burgers, to more elaborate dishes like barbecue and tacos. There are also plenty of beverage options available, including soft drinks, beer, and wine.

Venue: Being one of the largest venues in the country, The O2 is the perfect location for C2C. Conveniently located near public transport links, it has plenty of room for multiple stages, dining options, and shopping areas. What’s more, with state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, the arena provides a top-notch experience for festival-goers each and every year.

With so much to do, this festival is not to be missed. Grab your tickets, pack your bags, and get ready for a weekend of non-stop country music and fun in London! Are you hyped yet? Let me know what you're most excited to do in the comments down below!