Interview: DAVID JAMES (Part 2)

Rising country star David James sat down to chat with me, and we had such a great conversation, it needed two parts! Check out Part 1 here, and read on to find out how David ended up recording songs from some of the biggest names in country, his latest single and what's next, and which Shania Twain song he would be - enjoy! 

 

Ciara’s Country (CC): Then There’s You was definitely my introduction into your music, and from there I found your 2020 EP If I Were You. Looking at the writing credits on there – wow! There's a couple of big names, Hardy and Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard co-wrote one of the songs, the Restless Road guys did another one. How do you even end up getting a song from those kind of people?

 

David James (DJ): I have no idea! There are so many amazingly talented people and songwriters in country music right now. I find that I write my best songs when I'm not trying to force the idea into ‘the David James box’. I want to write a song and stay true to it and wherever it takes me. The funny thing about being an artist is you have to decipher which songs are not just a good fit, but which you think you have the right voice to tell, and which stories are the ones that you should be telling. I've passed on a lot of great songs that I've written just because I thought they'd be better suited for somebody else, and so when you get writers like the ones you mentioned coming to you with their songs saying ‘there's something really cool here and we want to see what you would do with it as an artist’, that’s always really cool for me. That's something I'm trying to do more and more.

 

I think so often, artists default to just wanting to record songs that they've written, which I think is great, but you have to be cognizant of the ability to separate yourself and say either ‘I'm the right person to tell the story’ or ‘maybe this story needs a different narrator’. I always think of it like a book and a narrator. Sometimes Morgan Freeman, or somebody like that with an incredible voice, might not be a heck of a writer, but he's the one to deliver the story. I have no idea how I get to work with so many amazing songwriters, I truly am so lucky, and so blessed. I do feel very fortunate, and just try and do my small part to add my voice to it, and hopefully add a little of my texture to it.

 

CC: I love that analogy of how it's like the author and the audiobook - they're completely different things and they each tell their own story as well.

 

DJ: Yeah, music really is a harmony of those things. It’s a harmony of the melodies, lyrics and the songwriting. It's a harmony of the voice and the artist, it's all of these things coming together. It's great when you can do that all on your own for a song, but sometimes it keeps things fresh and interesting to have these outside elements coming in. When I get to work with phenomenal writers who write songs I dreamed that I had written, it's always pretty cool. You want to utilise those tools, and you want to utilise those people when you can.

 

CC: Absolutely. Speaking of songs we wish we’d written, I’m loving your newest single Don’t Mind If I Do. It's super fun, and I can tell from this interview that that is you, but what was it about that song that you thought ‘I'm the right person to tell this story’?

 

DJ: It is such a fun song. When we were going into the studio, we recorded so many songs, I wrote hundreds of songs. My producer and I decided we wanted to make a next batch of songs that were fun. I feel like the past year and a half has been so tough - I saw a study that worldwide depression has never been higher, and it's just been a tough year. We wanted to create music that when we get to play live, it was fun, energetic and enthusiastic.

 

What drew me in about this song is when I heard it, and it had this vibe of Hall & Oates - if you've heard their song You Make My Dreams, it's got this bouncy, fun melody to it, and so did this one. I thought this is just such a fun, sweet song about being yourself, and sometimes you might get a little wild and crazy, but it's about having that special person who will take you even at those points. It's such a fun special song and I can't wait to play live because the energy is so up there and when playing live shows, especially festivals, those songs really help set the tone for the set.

 

CC: I’m going to need an official David James cover of You Make My Dreams! You said ‘next batch of songs’ there, which leads me to believe that Don’t Mind If I Do isn’t all we’re getting. Tell me more - what's next?

 

DJ: We’ve obviously had a lot of time to write and record lately, not much touring, so we've got some new music we're really, really excited to share with all of you. Fingers crossed that happens sooner than later! It's always a little nerve-wracking because it's like your song baby and you don't want to disappoint your fans. You want to be continuously evolving as an artist and getting better, and setting the bar higher and higher, but also staying true to yourself, while at the same time musically keeping things interesting. It’s nerve wracking, but mostly exciting! We’ve got some really fun stuff coming up that I'm really excited to share with people and then hopefully the songs can help people create new memories and become part of the soundtrack to their lives or their week, or at least their drive to work or when they're listening to your station!

 

CC: I am certainly excited for that, and I'm sure I’ll find another song to add to my monthly roundups very soon. One thing that I really love to do on my show is highlight up-and-coming artists, and one of the ways that I like to find them is actually by asking artists I already love who they recommend. David, are there any underrated artists out there who you think everyone should be listening to?

 

DJ: Oh, that's a great question. I love that. There are so many! I’m a bit biased because I'm from Canada and I love you promoting local people. You touched on it earlier, but Genevieve Fisher has got a great voice, and I know she's got some new music coming up that I’ve heard and I'm very excited for. I think she's really going to set her bar so much higher on this next batch. I think you should keep an eye out for her, she's really fabulous, and I think you're really going to like her new stuff.

 

CC: Perhaps I might just make it my new thing that I only interview Canadian artists! My last question for you is: what's one question that you've never been asked in an interview but would love to be?

 

DJ: Oh, that question. Can I answer ‘that question’? No. Ah, what's the thing I've never been asked, but would love to be asked… I would say if I were a Shania Twain song, what one would I be? I mean, her most fun song is Man, I Feel Like A Woman, but I don't really feel like a woman. But it's really fun, so I'm just going to go with that!

 

CC: I love that. I also love that that is the second interview in as many interviews that Shania Twain has come up. Obviously, she's just on everyone's mind!

 

DJ: It's hard not to have Shania come up! She’s also Canadian and she is incredible. Nobody in the history of liking country music has ever heard a Shania Twain song and not gotten the urge to dance or sing along. It just doesn't happen. Her songs are infectious!

 

CC: The opening bars are all I need.

 

DJ: Let’s go girls! You just get so into it.

 

CC: That was probably one of my favourite answers to that question, so thank you for that answer and indeed for all of your answers. It's been an absolute pleasure interviewing you today, and I really can't thank you enough for your time!

 

DJ: Oh my gosh, this was an absolute delight. I am so excited to hopefully be coming across the pond soon and playing some shows and coming to meet all of you. I really appreciate you taking the time.

 

CC: See you there!

 

Big thanks to David for being such a great interviewee! David's new single Don't Mind If I Do is available wherever you get your music, and you can tune in every Friday from 5-8pm UK on www.ukcountryradio.com to hear it on my show. More interviews coming your way soon - stay tuned on Twitter @CiarasCountry to be the first to know. Thanks so much for reading! 

Interview: DAVID JAMES (Part 1)

 

 

 

 

 

The second in my series of interviews with phenomenal Canadian country artists (check out my last interview with Jess Moskaluke here) - David James, fresh off of his hit single Don't Mind If I Do, joined me via Zoom for a great chat about the cultural capital of Canada, what an average day is like for a country star, the moment he knew he'd made it, and why he decided to make my favourite song of his a duet.  

 

Ciara’s Country (CC): I am delighted to be joined by Canadian singer-songwriter David James. David, one of your songs made my list of my favourite songs of the year earlier this year, so I am so thrilled to finally meet you! 

 

David James (DJ): Oh, thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here with you today. 

 

CC: Can you tell me where in the world are you today?

 

DJ: I’m in Winnipeg. I was born and raised in Winnipeg, right in the middle of Canada, so if you throw a dart right in the centre of Canada, that's where I'm at! I’m actually in the process of moving right now, so things have been a little chaotic the last couple of days, but it's always exciting to move. Moving the boxes and all the heavy lifting and stuff sucks, but setting up the new place feels really nice - you decide where the furniture goes and stuff like that.

 

CC: I don't think I've ever had somebody so enthusiastic about moving! Was this move a career move, or just because you wanted a change of scenery?

 

DJ: Just a little bit of a change. I really do love being in Winnipeg, close to family and all my friends. I definitely value all my close relationships. Usually for career stuff - for songwriting or recording - I'm often down in Nashville or over in Vancouver, where my producer lives, so I'm always bouncing around. At the end of the day, you're only a two or three hour flight away from everywhere on this side of the pond, so it's always nice to stay close to family as often as you can.

 

CC: A little bit further for us in Europe to get to any of those exciting places! How does life in Winnipeg differ from life in Nashville?

 

DJ: Canada and the United States are a little bit similar, but we've definitely got some differences. There are certain cultural things and politically, Canadians are a little bit different from Americans, but what draws me to both, and what really drew me to Nashville after having grown up in Winnipeg, was the sense of a community. Once you're involved and you're meeting people, it just feels very welcoming and engaging. 

 

I really love the arts and the culture in Nashville too, which is also really prevalent in Winnipeg. It's a foodie’s dream, all these amazing restaurants and amazing places to go see live music. They both really value the arts a lot, and so for me being an artist, it's always really nice to be around people like that. That's the coolest thing about Nashville or Winnipeg - any night of the week, you can walk into a bar, and you can be listening to this band full of some of the world's top musicians, just playing music. That's always pretty special too.

 

CC: You certainly sold Winnipeg to me, I think I might add that to my bucket list destinations! 

 

DJ: I will warn you, you can't go in the wintertime! It gets down to minus 50 Celsius, it’s very cold. Winnipeg is the coldest major city in the world - we have a lot going for us, but you can't come in the wintertime, you have to go in the summertime.

 

CC: That is definitely important to know – minus 50 degrees and I don’t mix well! I guess it's a pretty different week for you this week in terms of moving and all, but maybe you can give me an idea of what an average day, if such a thing exists, is for a country music artist like yourself?

 

DJ: I think COVID has changed a lot of that. In 2019, for example, I was on the road touring or recording for about 280 days out of the year so it was quite a lot. To go from that to being at home every single day, day in day out, was a bit of a change for me. During the past year and a half, it's been a lot of songwriting with other writers but on Zoom or FaceTime as opposed to in Nashville and doing it in the studio or in the same room. That's been a little different for me, but I like it. I've just been working on songwriting and trying to write for other artists too. I will say it's been really nice that most artists and songwriters are able to have a little bit of a studio at home, so you can still be working on things, so for me that was really good, just being able to like work on some ideas. 

 

On a given day, I'm usually just writing, recording or working on somebody else's record. I just can't wait to get back to touring because there's nothing like being on stage. You get addicted to it, it's almost like a rush! You're filled with adrenaline and you have such a connection with the audience. When you're on stage and you're playing your music, you're pouring your heart out on stage, dripping with sweat, and having a great time. Everybody is sharing this experience together. I think it’s just such a cool, incredible experience that you can't find really anywhere other than a live concert. You don't realise how addicted you are to that until you can't do it for a couple years! Now everybody's getting vaccinated and things are starting to open up, so it'll be really nice to be able to get back to that.

 

CC: That's something that I absolutely can't wait for either! Going to festivals and concerts runs through my veins, so I can only imagine what it's like to be the person actually performing at those. 

 

DJ: Yeah, as an artist it's amazing to get to play for new fans and people who maybe haven't heard some of your songs before, but especially when you get the chance to connect with people who your songs have resonated with, and your songs have made up part of the soundtrack to their lives in some way or another. I have these moments that I go back to - my very first crush, my first kiss, my first car, maybe a summer trip with my friends, and there are these songs that will take you back to those times – they were part of the soundtrack of my life at that point. 

 

If you can create those songs that tie people with those points in their life, those memories, and are creating a lasting impact; the song can provide a vehicle to transport them back in their mind to those kind of memories. I just think that's really cool and really powerful. For me, that's really cool - being on stage and performing and seeing people sing my songs - and they're really excited to hear them and they want to sing it back. 

 

CC: Incredible! I'm sure this next question is probably like asking you to choose your favourite child, but is there a song that you perform or have written that really resonates with you?

 

DJ: That's a great question. I obviously love all my songs for one reason or another - I try to create music that people can bring into their lives for whatever's going on, so I think there's room for happy songs, sad songs, breakup songs, makeup songs and everything in between. There's songs for parties, songs for dancing to, and so I love to write and record a variety of songs. I will say the coolest song moment for me was when I released my very first song to Canadian country radio in 2014. I had just signed a record deal, but I hadn't toured and I hadn't been to radio stations. 

 

However, a lady reached out to me on Twitter - she was from the other side of the country, and she said, ‘I have no idea who you are, but I heard this song on the radio - I play it all day, and my fiancé and I are going to use it as our wedding song, it just fits us and where we're at.’ As a brand new artist, having just released a song, I still hadn't really fathomed that people were listening to my music. That was the coolest - going back to what we were talking about, your songs being part of the soundtrack to somebody's life or creating memories, these people wanted my song to tie them to the happiest day of their lives. It clearly identified what kind of artist I wanted to be, and the songs I wanted to sing, write and record. 

 

CC: What song was it that the woman loved?

 

DJ: It’s called What We Weren't Looking For. It's a much older song, a bit of a slower song. Maybe it's not the most fun to play live at a festival or something, but for me, it will always hold a special place in my heart for that.

 

CC: I love that story! It’s so true that there are songs that really resonate with people, and I think that happened for me with one of your songs too. I mentioned at the beginning of this show that I played one of your songs on my show as one of my favourites for the month. Out of the hundreds and hundreds of songs I listen to every month, I pick maybe fifteen that I think everyone needs to hear, and one of them was your duet with Genevieve Fisher Then There’s You. It really struck a chord with me when I first heard it, so I can understand how that woman felt when she thought ‘I need this song to be my wedding song’. 

 

DJ: That's so kind of you to say, thank you!

 

CC: I know Then There’s You was originally recorded as a solo track - what was it that made you say ‘this song needs to be a duet’?

 

DJ:  That's a great question. It was totally unexpected - we had gone into the studio, recorded the entire EP. The song was written as a solo, it never even entered our minds doing a duet, but in the studio we kept working on the song and tweaking things. I don't want to say we weren't satisfied with it, but we always felt it could reach this other level, this next gear, and it wasn't really happening. As an artist and a producer working together on it, you learn that sometimes you can ‘over-second guess’ yourself, and so in our heads we thought ‘maybe it is really good and we're just overthinking it’. But that feeling stuck with me, so after we released the song with the EP, out to the world, I was really proud of it, but I still thought it was missing something. I went to my manager who said, ‘why not try and record it as a duet that we can release to radio?’ I said ‘I've never really done a duet before, but I'm open to try it’. 

 

I'll never forget, I was driving in my truck and my producer calls me and he said ‘pull over, I just emailed you Genevieve’s very first pass on the song’. This was not even professionally done, this was in her home just to see if her voice would be a good fit, to see how it sounded. I pulled over, he sent me it, and in my head, I was like, ‘oh, this is exactly what we're missing’. Genevieve has such a powerful, unique voice, she's got this incredible range and texture that I just love and now when I hear the solo song without her in it, I'm floored by how different she made it - enhanced it and made it so much better. That's the fun with the creative process and with recording - you want to stay true to the song and trust your instinct, and for me it was thinking ‘I really think there's something more we can do here’, and then when we finally got it, it was pretty cool.

 

CC: It's so amazing to hear the stories behind songs like that, thank you for sharing! 

 

But wait, that's not it! David and I had even more to talk about, so stay tuned to my Twitter @CiarasCountry to be the first to know when Part 2 is posted, where we chat about recording songs written by Hardy, Tyler Hubbard, and Restless Road; why there's more to songwriting than you might think; which Shania Twain song he most relates to; and so much more! Hope you can join me then (or every Friday 5-8pm UK on www.ukcountryradio.com) - thanks so much for reading! 

Interview: JESS MOSKALUKE (Part 2)

 

 

Canadian country singer Jess Moskaluke was kind enough to take the time to chat with me in an interview that ended up being so interesting, I had to split it in two! Check out Part 1 here, and read on to find out more about Jess's thoughts on releasing an album during covid, what makes for a good song title, and her suggestions for the best in emerging country artists - enjoy!

Ciara's Country (CC): You mentioned that your album The Demos was released during this weird time of the covid pandemic - how was the creation, production, everything that normally comes with an album, different from anything you've released in the past?

Jess Moskaluke (JM): It was very different, but I kind of chose to embrace that. To be totally honest, we weren't going to do an album - the way the music industry has been going in the last few years, it seems as though releasing singles a few at a time has been the norm and the way that people best digest music, so I wanted to try that and see how it went. Then the pandemic hit, and I thought, my goodness, it's going to be very challenging to get into the studio frequently.

As such, we decided to release an album and called it The Demos, because they are essentially the demos that I had, the way that I had written them that day and jotted them down when we were in the studio really quickly. Then we added layers to them, prettied things up and polished them a little bit, so we decided to include the ‘before and after’ versions of the songs, so to speak. That album probably wouldn't have happened, at least not in that way, if it wasn't for the pandemic, and I love that it kind of gave fans a little bit of a peek behind the curtain into how I write songs.

CC: I'd say maybe one of the few positive things to have come out of the pandemic!

JM: That's how I'm choosing to look at it too.

CC: I totally agree with you that many artists are moving more towards just releasing single after single, and with The Demos, we've been blessed with four singles. If there was to be a fifth single, maybe a personal favorite of yours, what song would you choose to release next?

JM: Usually that's a really difficult thing, and it's funny, because when I asked other people this, nobody had the same answer. I think that’s a good problem to have, because it means they like a lot of the songs! Personally, I think that mine would be Nothing I Don’t Love About You. It just feels like it's such a personal song without being sappy or something like that. It's kind of a different sound for me that I really enjoyed exploring, so I think it would be something kind of fresh and cool.

CC: I do like that one! Nowadays when I'm scrolling through Spotify, I see the name ‘Jess Moskaluke’ and it’s an immediate ‘add to playlist’, but I think something that also really attracts me to songs is actually the song titles themselves. What in your opinion makes for a good song title?

JM: That's a really great question. For me, it's something that could potentially be unexpected. For something like Mapdot, I feel like that grabs people's attention because not everybody knows what it means. I think they're like ‘what the heck is this?’ and then it's the songs job to explain what that title means, or what that song is trying to say. To me, a good song title is something that just grabs the person's ear, and makes you think ‘what is that about?’ Or maybe it's something that you think you know, and then the song kind of twists it and makes it something else. Those are two things that I think make a good song title.

CC: Like when a title is not necessarily obvious at first glance, but when you listen to it, you're like ‘oh, yeah, I get it now’! I imagine music has been keeping you extremely busy with press and obviously releasing the whole album, but what do you like to get up to in your free time?

JM: I am so bad at answering this question! I don't have a lot of free time, and I'm one of those weird people that fills my free time with more work. The pandemic has given me not a lot of, but a little bit more, free time. In the summer, my husband and I love to go camping, or quadding in ATVs. We live really near a beautiful valley out here, and there's all kinds of beautiful trails. So I love spending time outside, or reading. I'm very boring! But I really do love my job, and I wouldn't be spending so much of my free time working if I didn't.

CC: That definitely doesn’t sound boring to me! In fact, I’m so glad you mentioned spending time outside because I think Canada is just one of the most beautiful places in the world so I would have been disappointed if you said you weren't enjoying the beautiful outdoors!

JM: Definitely!

CC: As well as Canada, we also mentioned your trip to Australia for C2C Australia – I find festivals like that such amazing places to find up and coming artists, but I also like to talk to artists about who they like too. Are there any underrated or emerging artists out there who you think deserve so much more recognition?

JM: Hmm, that's a good question. There's an artist here in Canada named Sacha who's starting to make waves - her big song over here is called Standards, and I think she’s releasing new music soon. That's a big one for me. Unfortunately, I haven't been introduced to many UK artists yet, but that will happen as soon as I get over there, which will happen really soon!

I've been introduced to quite a few different Australian artists though - Melanie Dyer is a really great Australian artist that I met in Nashville a while ago, I love Sinead Burgess too. The girls have been killing it lately which is really nice to see.

CC: Speaking of the girls killing it, that's where you made your first appearance on my show! You were one of my featured female artists, it’s great to hear what female artists you love to. I have one final question for you in today's interview - what is one question you've never been asked in an interview, but would love to be?

JM: Whoa, oh my gosh, I wish I knew that! I might have to think on that and get back to you so you can ask it next time.

CC: I look forward to meeting you in person someday soon so I can ask it! Jess, it’s been such a pleasure speaking with you today, thank you so much!

JM: Me too! Thank you so much Ciara. Thanks for the chat!

I'm sincerely looking forward to catching up with Jess again, and hope you enjoyed my interview with her! You can check out Jess's new album The Demos wherever you get your music, or tune in to Ciara's Country 5-8pm every Friday on www.ukcountryradio.com to hear it on air. Stay tuned on Twitter @CiarasCountry for more interviews coming soon - thanks for reading! 

Interview: JESS MOSKALUKE (Part 1)

 

 

 

 

 

Jess Moskaluke is a name you need to get familiar with - this Canadian singer has everything it takes to become a superstar, and is already making waves with new album 'The Demos'. Jess was kind enough to join me for a Zoom interview where we spoke about why moving to Nashville wasn't an option for her, getting advice from none other than Shania Twain, and a chance meeting that led to her hit duet with Travis Collins - enjoy!

 

Ciara’s Country (CC): I am so excited to be joined today by Canadian artist Jess Moskaluke! Jess, thank you so much for joining me - your songs have been such a staple of my playlist this year, so it is an absolute honour to be speaking with you today.

 

Jess Moskaluke (JM): Oh my gosh, the pleasure is all mine! I’m so happy that you’ve been adding the songs to your playlists – thank you so much! 

 

CC: Where exactly in the world are you right now? 

 

JM: I’m in Rocanville, Saskatchewan in Canada, so a small town in North East Saskatchewan, just above the American border. 

 

CC: I’m so glad you said that, I can never figure out how to pronounce Saskatchewan! 

 

JM: Most people can’t, it took me like 31 years! 

 

CC: Good to know I’m not the only one! I know home is something that’s really important to you – your song Mapdot has been hailed as an ode to small town pride. Can you speak a bit more about why home is so important to you? 

 

JM: I think that everybody’s home is important to them in some way, but for me, it’s always been solidified by the fact that people have been pressuring me, encouraging me and challenging me to move away from this place, and I have a really hard time doing that. As I'm on the road so frequently, anytime I'm not on the road, I want to be by my family and my friends, so the thought of traveling even more on my off days to do that just didn't make sense. 

The pandemic has really proved you don’t need to – I mean, in this interview, we're speaking from across the world to each other right now, so it’s clear that you can work from home, do things remotely, and be in a place that you love and that ultimately makes you happy. I get so much more inspiration from living life in a true real way than immersing myself in Nashville, Toronto, Vancouver, or wherever the city might be, so I'm really happy here. 

 

CC: Can you give some more specific examples of how your home has inspired you?

 

JM: I should mention that my town is tiny - you probably know that by listening to Mapdot, and when I say tiny, I mean, I think there's about 800 people in Rocanville where my husband and I live, so actually tiny!

I definitely think that there is such a thing as being famous in a small town - everybody is famous in a small town, it doesn't matter who you are or what you do. I think that really prepared me for the music industry - it encouraged me to constantly put my best foot forward, to treat people with kindness and respect, no matter how they treat you. That's been really crucial to me and really prepared me for this business as well.

 

CC: Was there a lot of support from people in your town when you started out?

 

JM: Yeah, absolutely. I grew up in a different town to the one I currently live in, but it's in the same area and people in both my hometown and the town that I live in now have been nothing but incredibly supportive. You know, always cheering me on from the sidelines.

 

CC: How lovely! As well as Mapdot, another of your songs which I completely fell in love with was Halfway Home - I think it really blends pop and country so well, which is right up my street. If it's not too ambiguous a question, how did you find that kind of sound?

 

JM: I feel like finding that sound has been my aim for my whole career. Shania Twain has always been my number one girl - she's my favorite artist of all time, and I always loved that she didn't just stick to one genre, she did what made her happy. She challenged those genre borders and was constantly reinventing her own sound.

I always wanted to do country, and I’ve always had some pop influences, but I didn't realize just how much pop influenced my sound. I think that's always just been what I've naturally wanted and tried to do, and also been sonically attracted to myself, so I think that's just naturally what comes out of me!

 

CC: I, for one, love it! You mentioned Shania there – would she be a dream duet for you? 

 

JM: Sure. I mean, why not? Actually a couple of years back, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Shania at the Canadian Country Music Association Awards. Myself and two of my really good friends who are also female country artists here in Canada had an opportunity when Shania was hosting the awards to pay homage to her, and she joined us on stage. 

 

CC: Incredible! 

 

JM: I know, I’m dying now and I was there! She came the day before and we did a bunch of rehearsals, and she was really complimentary. The thing that I remember the most was she was encouraging each of us to play to our strengths. We were singing her songs in front of her with her coaching us – you’d think that someone like that would just want us to stick to what she did because she did it so flawlessly, but she really encouraged each of us to own our individual talents and make her song our own. 

 

CC: Oh my gosh, I love that. Getting the inside scoop into what it's like to meet Shania Twain, who doesn't want to do that?

 

JM: I know, they say you should never meet your idols, but if your idol is Shania, you should definitely do it.

 

CC: Okay, adding that to my bucket list! Of course, I can't mention your music without talking about your latest single Leave Each Other Alone with Travis Collins. Before covid, I lived in Australia and attended C2C Australia, so I was so thrilled to read that your partnership with Travis actually started there. 

 

JM: That's so crazy. Oh my gosh, I love that full circle moment! Travis and I met in Australia during festival season there - it was my first trip to Australia ever, and we got connected via email prior to my trip there. I wasn't able to bring my own band to Australia so I needed to find a readymade band in Australia that could do the pop country sound that we were talking about earlier and would be happy to learn my songs.

A friend of mine from Nashville, who originally grew up in Australia, said ‘My friend Travis has a really killer band that would just crush your songs and probably would love to play with you’. That was Travis Collins’s band, so I was playing with his band the whole time that we were in Australia, and then later we got to mishmash our voices together on a song too! He and I just got on really quickly. 

 

CC: Honestly, that sounds like fate - everything worked out so perfectly and you ended up with this brilliant song, which we're playing all over the radio now.

 

JM: You know, it's funny that you mentioned fate, because I had written that song maybe a year, if not longer, prior to meeting Travis. I was writing the song with some songwriters, and we knew that it could be a duet, but we wanted to be really cognisant of the fact that it might not be a duet. We wanted to write it lyrically so that it could be sang from the perspective of one person or two without having to change lyrics or anything around too much.

Usually, when I write a song, if I'm writing a duet, I typically have a specific person in mind, and I'll write it in their key, I'll write it towards a topic that I think they would sing about, and I didn't get to do any of that this time. I just kind of thought, well, maybe this will be a duet, maybe it'll never see the light of day.

I met Travis and thought, gosh, I love this voice, and I would love to work with him in some capacity. Then when we were recording my album The Demos, I thought that song needed to be a part of it, and what if Travis would do this song? Obviously he did and so many stars aligned over the last year that I can't imagine that happening any other way.

 

Jess and I had so much to talk about that I had to split our interview into two parts! Stay tuned to my Twitter @CiarasCountry to be the first to know when Part 2 is posted, where we talk more about her new album, how she spends her free time, and what artists she thinks you ought to listen to. Thanks so much for reading!