We were lucky enough to speak with musician Samantha Rae after her must-hear album ‘The High Road’ was released. Enjoy the full interview below!
Hi Samantha, tell us about yourself.
I’m a cowgirl by day and a rockstar by night. I grew up on a farm, and I professionally train horses, but I have always loved singing and performing in front of people. I started singing professionally about eight years ago and love doing both. I’m an avid dog lover, a proud momma of a six-year-old boy, and I love adventure.
What is your songwriting process?
Ideas come at any given moment from life experiences, and that’s where they start. I write songs with my songwriting partner Jay, and either he or I will bring an initial idea, maybe it’s a catchy hook, melody or some lyrics that start the process.
We feed off each other’s creativity, and because we come from different musical influences and life experiences, we end up with a unique blend that works very well for us. We’ll do early acoustic recordings that become rough demos, and then we’ll focus our energy on production elements. The entire process is very creative and a lot of fun but also a lot of work. We are sort of perfectionists, I guess.
Tell us about your stunning latest album release, ‘The High Road’.
The High Road was a thrill to create; it represents a culmination of a lot of hard work. It’s full of real emotions and stories from personal experiences, which is why this album means so much.
I’m super excited about how much recognition it has received early on because I really feel it’s deserving. The track sequence takes you on a journey the way LPs used to, and that’s super cool. It took two years to write, produce and record the twelve tracks.
I’m going to name drop here because we’re so excited we got to work with so many amazing musicians: Sandy Gennaro, Dan Hochhalter, Sasha Ostrovsky, Jonathan Trebing, Chris Loocke, Dennis Edwards, Reed Pittman, Steve Caraway and Anthony Simon. Jay and I wrote, arranged and produced every song, and we also sang all the harmony and backing vocal layers.
We were fortunate to work with Chad Carlson, who mixed the entire album in Nashville, and we sent the album to Adam Ayan for mastering. Look at these guys. They’re impressive 😊
You worked with your creative partner Jay DellIsola to co-write the album, what was that process like?
Jay and I have worked together for a long time. He’s my friend and creative partner, and musically, he’s sort of a jack of many trades. He’s my drummer in the full band, and he plays acoustic guitar. He harmonizes with me when we perform as a duo. He’s my co-producer, too, and we’ve written a few dozen songs together, and we’re still coming up with new ideas.
Partnerships either work and produce the desired results, or it’s a struggle. We feel like when we put our creative minds together on something, we both end up contributing to something we can really appreciate. So it works!
Why did you choose to release an album over singles?
Starting out, it felt like the right thing to do was release a full album as a debut. It gives us a solid foundation from which to launch. It’s like an artist’s portfolio in a way, but don’t worry, there are a lot of singles coming down the pipeline!
What message do you think your music conveys to your fans?
I’m not the first person to say this, but country music fans often say they want to hear “real”. They want the stories, and they want to feel your passion. The heartbreak, the love and everything in between. I really feel that our songs can connect with a lot of different audiences, and it comes from a real place.
Who are your musical influences?
I mean, you can’t leave out Dolly… iconic. Growing up listening to 90’s country Shania, Trisha, Miranda, Faith, Reba and include the guys Garth, Alan Jackson, Kenny and George Strait There are way too many to pick, though. I also listen to a lot of Stevie and Fleetwood Mac, and Jay would kill me if I didn’t include the Beatles, the Band and Neil Young!
Who are your non-musical influences?
My family, friends and pets for sure! They’re my life! My mom is my biggest supporter, as well as my husband Graham and my son Gunner, who lets us know if the songs are good or not! Jay’s wife, Kim, and his three kids, Alex, Olivia, and Jack, are huge supporters of everything we do. We couldn’t do this without them.
What scares you most when releasing music?
No matter how much planning and strategic time management we create for a release, it always seems to come down to the wire. It isn’t due to bad management. It has much more to do with our desire to create something special and push whatever we’re doing to its greatest potential. It can definitely give me anxiety!
What do you think are the biggest obstacles for bands/artists today?
Social media plays such a pivotal role in the business; there’s so much expectation to do promotional work, have a certain number of followers, or feel the pressure to post every minute of the day just to be a blip on the radar.
What advice would you give to other bands/artists starting out?
Do what you love, write what you feel inside and do it because you love it. Be your authentic, true self, and success will find you.
What are your hopes for the next two years?
Continue writing and creating new songs to release and hopefully take the music on the road to reach even more fans. See you out there!
FVMusicBlog September 2024
https://www.samantharae.com
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