Elyse Saunders on Nashville, Country Music & Making It in the Industry Ep110

This week on Happy Hour with Deb, we’re joined by country artist Elyse Saunders, alongside special co-host Adysen Malek! 

Originally from Canada and now making waves in Nashville, Elyse shares her journey, what it really takes to build a career in country music, and how she’s approaching it all with intention and strategy.

If you’re an artist, entrepreneur, or dreamer chasing something bigger, this episode is packed with insight!

#countrymusic #countrymusicartist #nashville #podcast #happyhourwithdeb

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

We hear free bird? Right. Amen. Freebird's not free. It's not. It actually should be taken, it should be renamed. There's no such damn thing as free bird.

SPEAKER_01 0:09

It's an expensive bird.

SPEAKER_03 0:10

It's really a costly bird. You don't even know. That bird is solid gold. Some parents sacrificed their savings for their kids to sing free bird. Remember that at some point. Hey, it's Deb. It's Happy Hour Deb, and I got some cuties here with me today. My co-host Addison sitting next to me. Good to have you back, my friend. Thank you for having me. Elise Sunders. Hello, everybody. It is so welcome to Happy Hour.

SPEAKER_01 0:46

Thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_03 0:47

Oh my gosh, it's an honor to have you. First of all, any girl that rolls up in sparkle boots is my friend. Oh yes. We're gonna be friends forever. I'm like a little bling in there. How are you doing? I'm doing good. We're going into CRS weeks.

SPEAKER_01 1:00

Are you at interviewing at the CRS? I have been on behind the scenes. I've interviewed other artists actually. Really? Somebody, which was a lot of fun. But this year I'm just taking it all in, going to all the events and seeing everybody that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:12

Cause yeah, I love the CRS too, but when you're on the interview end of it, it's like the biggest ass kicking you're gonna get.

SPEAKER_00 1:20

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 1:21

And then it's like more than if you really can do it or not. Well, last year we sat two days in studio and then the CRS, and we shot 67 interviews.

SPEAKER_01 1:30

Good for you.

SPEAKER_03 1:31

I mean, it was nuts. We were just reminiscing about fun times at the CRS last year.

SPEAKER_01 1:37

So, what did you do backstage? Uh, just helping to interview on uh someone else's podcast. I had the the opportunity to be a co-host. So I was like, why not? Yeah, I get to be on the the other side of it and not having to come up with answers, but come up with the questions for other artists.

SPEAKER_03 1:52

So it's like what's your thought on being on the co-host chair?

SPEAKER_00 1:54

Oh, I'm having a great time, right? I I love all sides of the business. Yeah, and so this is like something I've never really done before, and yeah, it's fun. I love it. I think I'm a pageant girl too, so I'm always like being the one interviewed, like you said, and now I'm like that's great.

SPEAKER_03 2:09

I love shooting with the co-host. I think it's I don't know. I I love because then they make friends and they collab and they do things together. And I just think it's really a cool energy to have another artist in the room because I can't carry a musical note to save my life. So you don't want me to sing. So you're just gonna you will just be enjoying the festivities.

SPEAKER_01 2:29

Yeah, taking it all in.

SPEAKER_03 2:30

That's amazing. It's a big lineup this year.

SPEAKER_01 2:33

It's huge, and that's the thing is the goal is to to be on that lineup at some point. So you'll totally go and talk with everybody and and visualize myself on that.

SPEAKER_03 2:42

Yeah, and it's really such a cool, like, like visualize that. We talk about that. I don't know if you notice, I am a life coach and a licensed person.

SPEAKER_02 2:48

Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:49

Yeah, I work in in mostly trauma and addiction, but um, I tell people, I'm like, get an image of what your life, what you want it to look like, and start moving in that direction. Right. Like it's a m it's a great week though, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 3:01

It is, it is. I'm excited. Tell me how you got started in music. So I've been doing music since I can remember. I um I've always just been attracted to all arts. I'm I was a little kid that loved to dance and sing and act all of the things. So I always knew I'd be in something like that, but I never really knew I could actually make a career out of it. I just knew that I loved it.

SPEAKER_03 3:21

And uh God bless America, you can make a career out of something that you just think is the greatest thing ever.

SPEAKER_01 3:27

Right, yeah, that's the amazing thing about it. And um, my mom was an at-home singer-songwriter, never did anything with it, but I remember just having that impact at a really early age. I was probably around five years old, and I was going through her.

SPEAKER_03 3:39

Yeah, the creativity gene from her.

SPEAKER_01 3:41

I yeah, it runs in the family, and um saw her playing g guitar and and singing that way, and I was like, this is an amazing way to be able to express yourself. So I started writing my own songs, and they started as poems, and then I looked up to the greats, and I was like, How are they structuring songs? and trying to get a few. And that was my chance to to say, I'm Elise Saunders World, and here's my music, and let's get on some stages and try this thing out. And I was still in high school, but at that point on, I was like, Okay, this is an actual possibility of the business to do what I love. Definitely, and uh I haven't stopped, I've been an addicted ever since. That is so where are you from? I'm from Canada originally. From Canada. Wow, and how long have you been here in Nashville? So I've been going back and forth since forever, since I was a baby. Since you were a kid. And uh, but now been living here for the past couple years. That's been the dream and something I've been working super hard towards. And I always felt like I was supposed to live here ever since the beginning.

SPEAKER_03 5:00

I'm like, I can't even sing, and I feel like I'm supposed to live here. Yeah, you just I can't even carry. I'm telling you, the energy here is so amazing. I love it. It's my very favorite city. I just think it's great.

SPEAKER_01 5:11

There's an energy about it, and just being surrounded by like-minded people, there's no other place on earth like it.

SPEAKER_03 5:17

There is no place on earth like we've talked a lot about that today, too, and how like there's no paparazzi here, and you guys help each other up and you respect each other's privacy, and I think that's so important, you know, because you don't find that in a lot of cities. Where are you performing?

SPEAKER_01 5:32

I perform at different places in town for singer, songwriter rounds kind of thing, and um, I do have something coming up. I'm gonna announce it soon. It's not announced yet, so I can't uh announce it, but it's gonna be in the area, so people have to check out the website. Um, and yeah, lots more to come. But that's my whole thing now is I want to start getting into the festival season this this way as well.

SPEAKER_03 5:54

God bless March. It brings back country music on the road. It's so good. Like when I tell people about the show when I'm talking about it, I'm like, well, it's touring season. They're like, what does that mean? Because it's you know, that's it, it's touring. Right, that's it. It's I know, and we just came off the worst. Like the winter was so damn long here. It was ridiculous. It was the craziest winter. It was don't even get me started.

SPEAKER_00 6:16

I think it was in the air. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:19

I don't even know. It was crazy. I am from Philadelphia, and it was the first winter I had spent in Philadelphia in a long time. And I realize that winter sucks. Snow sucks, ice sucks, it really is. Darkness sucks. It sucks. I mean seasonal depression is it's totally real. If I don't see another snowflake the rest of my life, I'm totally cool.

SPEAKER_01 6:41

Do with it. Same. But you know, I guess the positive in that is we can, as artists, we just become little hermits and write more music. So if it's snowing, I'm like, okay, I'll just stay inside and more music.

SPEAKER_03 6:53

Yeah, that's and it is. If you're writing, I guess it really is. Like if you have like good coffee, I guess. Then where else do you have good coffee and good beer? I think that's all you really need to write a country music song. And exactly. Who are you inspired by? Who's it performing that you're inspired by?

SPEAKER_01 7:08

Um, so starting out was definitely Shania Twain, um, one of those icon heroes.

SPEAKER_03 7:13

Absolutely. She's a country music legend.

SPEAKER_01 7:15

She's a cool legend. She changed the scene at that time and just um we were talking about business, not only an incredible female artist, but also someone that really did the business and did it right. So that always really inspired me really early on, and just seeing that she she comes from um a hard story and was able to make something of herself and really, I guess, impact so many others and inspire others. So she definitely, right?

SPEAKER_03 7:39

I mean, she really is. It's amazing the career. You're right, she didn't dream big.

SPEAKER_01 7:44

Yeah, and so so many people like her, like Taylor Swift, she was teardrops on my guitar. That was like the first song I ever played on guitar. So she's another one. Same thing, icon, smart business woman. Um, but the girls today, like uh Lainey Wilson, L Langley, like they're incredible performers.

SPEAKER_03 8:02

We've been talking all day that this is the season that women are kicking ass in country. I love it. Let's got it. I think it's amazing for y'all. I think it's incredible because it's just showing that that it's the opening the doors, you know, for more women and there's plenty of room. That's right. We've been saying that all day that there's plenty of room at the top for everybody.

SPEAKER_01 8:24

Yeah, yeah, that's so true. And I love that the females are coming up and they're supporting one another. Love it. Right.

SPEAKER_03 8:30

And uh I think I think that's what makes country music country music. I mean, you know, I I can't imagine that you know, Beyonce would be like helping the next one along. Like, that's what's beautiful about country music. Shut up, not Beyonce. I have no disrespect, sister. I know you're fine. Better be careful. No, no, you're abused it. I get it, sister.

SPEAKER_01 8:47

But I really it's a whole different vibe. It is, it's a community, and that's again we we're full of circle moment, but Nashville is a community, and it's like you when you find your place in Nashville, it feels like home, and and you really do find your community really quick. And that was something my mentor early on had said, you know, I was just a teen being exposed to the scene, and he was like, you know, you treat everybody the same. If you meet somebody at the front desk or some head of a label, you treat everybody the same. You don't know who is going to be a good thing. That's a life lesson.

SPEAKER_03 9:17

Yeah, that's a truly we should be teaching kindergartners that, yeah, you know, we we give back, we get back what we give. So treat everybody the same.

SPEAKER_01 9:26

And right if you want to be treated that way, then put it out there. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 9:31

I think that's amazing. Yeah, and it is definitely, it's not a cutthroat town. I think it's a great, and you feel it. Um, you know, before I started working here, I would come and visit here, and you can feel just the good vibes here, you know. And it's the only place you can see live music 24-7, and they don't charge you a cover charge. Yeah, which is crazy, you know, that you people say they're like, Oh yeah, it's expensive. I'm like, you don't have to pay a cover charge. Tip your band. That's all you gotta do is tip your band. That's all you gotta do. Remember to do it.

SPEAKER_00 9:59

You want to hear free bird?

SPEAKER_03 10:00

Better pay out. Right. Amen. Free bird's not free. It's not, it actually should be taken, it should be renamed. There's no such damn thing as free bird. It's an expensive bird, it's really a costly bird. You don't even know that bird is solid gold. Some parents sacrificed their savings for their kids to sing free bird. Remember that at some point. What's the big dream? What's the five-year plan? Where do you want to be? What are you gonna be doing?

SPEAKER_01 10:24

So I am really working hard right now to find that right team. I have been an independent artist, really building my business, and my dad taught me that really awful.

SPEAKER_03 10:33

You have an incredible business sense.

SPEAKER_01 10:34

I definitely have a lot of equity in this. Yeah, that's great.

SPEAKER_03 10:37

I mean, that's not it. Yeah, totally. She's yeah, I am very smart. I kind of feel like we should get our shit together now. I'm just gonna lock in. Exactly. Maybe we should have her back tomorrow.

SPEAKER_01 10:48

Yeah, it can be a lot juggling, I would say, both worlds of being an artist, which is a totally different type of brain than a business person, but you do find a middle ground, and I've really found a passion for both sides, and you really start to understand the industry in a whole other way. And for the other people that you do add to your team, their love for it in a different angle. So I I've built it to this certain level that I've been able to do all these incredible things, and my radio singles have been able to touch people all over the world and and to be on these amazing stages with incredible artists. So that's uh it's unreal, right? It's like a pinch me mode. It is, but it's becoming that point now where it is too much for the artist, too much for one person. That I'm like, I'm ready to to hand over the reins to the right people that we have to share the same vision and and be in this for the right reasons. I I have tried working with a um a couple of different teams before, and sometimes it's just not the right fit. It's just finding your people, your tribe. Yeah, absolutely. That's the stage I'm in now. So I think I love that.

SPEAKER_03 11:45

It's it's like trial and error with anything else, right? I mean, it's gonna feel uncomfortable in the beginning. It's kind of like putting on a wool sweat, sweatshirt or sweater in August, but it's really important to find somebody that shares your vision. You know, I know we say this too to mostly the younger ones, where there is fish, there are sharks. Definitely. Yeah. You know, and you have to really be careful because this is your show. It's your talent, it's your life that's on the line. And um, everywhere I go, I preach uh about independent artists. I'm like every single, every pizza merch, every buying a ticket is is supporting them. They don't have a big name behind them, right? Yeah, and it's really important to you know to pick. Do you feel like you have a good tribe here in Nashville?

SPEAKER_01 12:32

I do, I do. It's still building, but I do have a lot of friends here that it's it's keeps growing and growing. That's awesome. And uh so I can I can see it all aligning now, which is great. That's great. Um if you can dream it, you can do it. It's so true. And yeah, and dream big dream big. And if you love what you do and you believe in what you do, other people feel that, and you do the right, the right people will come along at the right time. It's all about timing.

SPEAKER_03 12:56

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 12:57

And um, but yeah, and another, I guess, few things in the five years is to find that team to be able to um, you know, be able to keep releasing music and be on these amazing stages. I would love to do an international tour, but also the dream. I always say this all the time my version of winning the lottery is to have some land in Tennessee with some farm animals, some like that. That's part of the dream for sure.

SPEAKER_03 13:19

Yeah, that well, what an amazing place to do it too, because it is such a beautiful countryside here. Definitely and Tennessee is really, I mean, this is the city of country music, but it is such a great the entire state, has a like, uh when you're from Philadelphia, it's like go, go, go, go, go, go. Right, exactly. That's that's exactly what I that's exactly the sound I make every single day. I'm like, it's like living in a rat race. And here it's just so laid back, and it's such a nice, and a lot of I mean, now the bigger stars all have ranches outside of Nashville, you know, and I think that keeps you connected to the central of music, but I mean, also, we're humans. We're meant to be outside, we're meant to be thriving, we're not meant to be behind a desk all day long.

SPEAKER_01 14:04

And I know I think that's a good thing as an artist to be able to. I'm I'm all consumed by music, like I'm addicted for sure. Right, yeah, and that's crazy. You can be workaholic, yeah, but I do think that's where it is good to have a balance. If I had a farm with some farm animals, like that's my version of being able to like relax a little bit.

SPEAKER_03 14:22

I think that sparks a lot of creativity in people too, you know. People that are under well, these lights are good, but you know, you ever go into an office, you know, the lighting that's covered with the plastic screen, and you're like, oh, like it's so bad for humans to be subjected to living like that. We're like lab rats. It's ridiculous. I work for my house, so not or or with you guys. So but it's really it's we're meant to be. And I love when people come here, you know, came from Texas and and you came from Canada and say that this is now their home. I was watching um something with Nicole Kidman and Keith who breaks up with Keith Urban? I don't even want I'm like, damn, is he free? Right, and she said Nashville will always be home to her. Yeah, this is where she raised her kids, and Nashville will always be home to her. And it you feel that when you come here, I think. You know, I do. I think it's great.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

And speaking of uh Nicole Kidman is that's something I'm gonna I would love to get into is movies or yeah, TV series. Did you guys see Scarpetto?

SPEAKER_03 15:28

No, um, it's on Amazon Prime.

SPEAKER_01 15:30

I've heard good things.

SPEAKER_03 15:31

Okay, it's really good before around the colour. It's real, I do not recommend having a glass of wine because you'll be like, Am I that dumb? Like, really, like my husband and I are watching it, and we're like, I'll I have to pause it. I'm like, you just tell me what happened. Like, it's so funny. He's an engineer, and I expect him to do what he goes, I have as many glasses of wine as you did, sister. To figure it out for your own self. Yeah, it's really good. I think she's an incredible actress. I think she's an incredible human. She's really done a lot with you know what she's gone through and everything. She is great, yeah. And I love Keith Urban.

SPEAKER_00 16:00

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:00

I just so talented. He's so incredibly talented too. So, five-year plan, you got a ranch. You got what kind of animals?

SPEAKER_01 16:09

I want uh a pot billy pig for sure. Amen. Sweet. Um, and I would love a horse. I I grew up riding horses, so I would love to have my own horse, be able to do some horse riding, and uh some chickens for some fresh eggs. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 16:23

Yep. And uh because there's nothing better than people don't read you not your eggs don't need to be in the refrigerator if they're fresh.

SPEAKER_01 16:29

Right, they don't there's a difference in the refrigerator.

SPEAKER_03 16:31

There's a taste, there's a difference in the taste and everything and the quality. I would have to have a Highland cow. Oh yeah, they're so cute. Okay, I thought I wanted a mini goat. First of all, I have this dog. She's a King Charles Cavalier. Her name's Lola. She's a king.

SPEAKER_00 16:47

Her name is Ollie. 60 pounds. Uh he's 60 pounds. 60 pounds. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 16:53

They're supposed to be like 1520. Oh my god. Okay, Lola's 30 pounds. Okay. And then she's a little chunk. She's a chunk, a month. Oh, there's a big chunk. I gotta see a picture of this dog. I mean, that is on way. Lola, you be skinny girl. Mamas say you be skinny now. Like, holy shit, 60 pounds. That's crazy. Yeah. They're the best dogs. They're so sweet. There is no sweeter animal. I literally tell people, I'm like, she's like an accent pillow. Yep. With an attitude. Really? She's like, and I love dog, but I then I saw like the little goats. First of all, my husband says I can't have another dog after this dog goes, but we don't ever listen to what husbands say. We go right around that. Exactly. So I have never been without a dog, without an animal in my whole life. Like, I just I think every dog needs a good home, and every home needs a good dog. And I just think people are generally their quality of life is better, their mental health is better, raising children around them. It has so many incredible medical properties to have an animal. And then I saw that the goats ram heads. I had too many goats.

SPEAKER_00 17:53

They're crazy. Are they? One got electrocuted. Oh no. Rest in peace, Phineas. The other one.

SPEAKER_03 17:59

Some Phineas got eaten.

SPEAKER_00 18:01

Moment of silence for you, Phineas. Then Milo got eaten.

SPEAKER_03 18:03

Eaten by what? A pit bull. Oh no.

SPEAKER_00 18:06

We're not getting it. You're not allowed to have any more goats. Nope. No, you're out of more goats. Oh no. But they were little Hellions. Yeah, I hear that they will eat anything. Yes. And they had to get their stomachs pumped because they ate all the chicken feed. Oh, and they broke in.

SPEAKER_03 18:20

All right. I have a little ranch life. Grosser than gross story. Lola, my dog, she wouldn't get anything. I know. She's ten and a half now, but in her in her youth, she ate four pounds of hair, scrunchies, and thong on the road. No way. Fifteen thousand dollars later, it was in a bucket at the animal hospital. I don't know what her deal is. She's got, I know. She was the kind that if you put any anything on the floor, it would be a little bit more. They're beggars. They're so beggars.

SPEAKER_00 18:49

Some brownies.

SPEAKER_03 18:51

Yeah, I know. If I'm eating it for three days. Oh, geez.

SPEAKER_00 18:55

For him.

SPEAKER_03 18:56

I feel like I could use a three-day tonight of her.

SPEAKER_01 18:59

It's great. We would all wake up so referred to. It's right.

SPEAKER_03 19:02

God, I'll take it Saturday when I land in as soon as they're like, welcome to Philadelphia. I'm like, in wake up Monday in time for work. That would be, God, that would be amazing. I'm joking, honey. I'm not gonna take brownies and pass out for a little bit. But yeah, I think it's so therapeutic. And I think like country music, like they really need to be in nature.

SPEAKER_01 19:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:21

You know? And that's just like, where is like if you could sell it, if you could collab with somebody, who would it be?

SPEAKER_01 19:27

Ooh, if I could collab.

SPEAKER_03 19:28

Don't say Cameron last time I got drunk with Cameron, we got tattooed.

SPEAKER_01 19:31

Yeah. I would love to collab with Laney Wilson. I just I think that um we would get along really well and just our stories are kind of in in line that um, you know, she didn't she wasn't handed the dream overnight, she had to work for it. And I feel like we would write something interesting along those lines.

SPEAKER_03 19:49

I want you to collab with her.

SPEAKER_01 19:50

Yeah, I think that'd be amazing.

SPEAKER_03 19:52

That's my granddaughter's name.

SPEAKER_01 19:54

Laney.

SPEAKER_03 19:55

And spelled like that. They heard the song when they were getting the ultrasound, and her name is Lainey. That's very cool. I know. I'm like, we need to tell her that we name this beautiful baby 20-year-old next month after. But yeah, I think it's so like, do you guys think of that as artists? Like, who would I be a good fit with to collab?

SPEAKER_00 20:13

I I have such a wide range of music tastes. Yeah, so I'm not collab with anyone. Yeah, Casey Musgrave, she's iconic. Yeah, I would love to just write with her and hang out with her. Yeah, that is awesome. She seems so chill, too. She is Texas girl. She's we're not really that chill.

SPEAKER_03 20:30

All good things come out of Texas. We're off. We were at one point we had a whole room full of Texas people, which is a little nuts, right? Because that's like an ego boost. Like when you're from Texas, you're people from Texas are proud. They are, yeah, they are proud to say that they are from the great state of Texas. So it's kind of one of those things we we had a lot of sex people. We repped Texas today. Yes, we did. We totally did.

SPEAKER_01 20:52

So, where are you performing? So I have uh a couple of shows I'll be heading back to Canada for. Okay. Um, do you have a good fan base in Canada? I'm sure. I am sure. So that's that's the whole thing is being there. I can return and and my fan base is there, and I'd be able to play these bigger, you know, festival concert shows, and um, and here I'm still building that side of things, so it's more the showcasing the singer-songwriter round of things. But um, but I do have my name in the hat for a couple of festivals over this way. That's great. So um, but yeah, if if anybody anybody makes their way over to Canada, I have a couple of shows that way. Yeah, that's great. And I'm on uh tour with James Otto this spring. So that's gonna be a lot of fun. I know he's making a comeback with his original stuff coming up. Yeah, that's amazing.

SPEAKER_03 21:38

Is this your first time being on tour? Uh, with him, yes. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 21:41

Yeah, it's it's a mini tour, but um, it's there's a couple of singer-songwriter type rounds, and then there's also uh an arena style show, too. So that will be fun with the band. Wow, that will be fun to perform. May two four weekend, I think.

SPEAKER_03 21:55

Well, this is what you guys do. You wait all year to do this, to get on the road. And and let people hear your music. I think that's so amazing. Like I can't imagine like somebody buying a ticket to see me.

SPEAKER_00 22:07

That would be it's it's a weird feeling.

SPEAKER_03 22:08

It's I can't imagine every time I'm just like I know.

SPEAKER_01 22:12

Do you get nervous? Uh to some degree. When I was when I was just starting out, it was I remember the nerves were the worst feeling in the world. It was like everything, like being sick and cold and sweating, and and I was like, but I gotta get up there and do this because this is what I love. And then now it's like my my favorite thing in the world. I don't really get nervous anymore, it's more that anticipation. Right, right. And then you hit the stage, you're like, let's go. It's the it's the best feeling in the world. And to be able to know your music connects to people that way is is you get to actually get to witness how it connects with them rather than just putting your stuff out there digitally. You have no idea.

SPEAKER_03 22:48

Do you handle your own social media?

SPEAKER_01 22:50

Yes, I do.

SPEAKER_03 22:50

Damn, that's I don't know how you I don't handle my own social media. I'm gonna be honest, I don't. Um, I have an assistant that works with me, like I'll shoot content or whatever, but I mean most of it comes from here too. But I feel like that would be like a full-time job.

SPEAKER_01 23:05

Definitely. It is, and between all of them, it they're all a little different. Like TikTok has its stuff and Instagram is its own thing. So yeah, it is it's uh but it's a big part of the world now.

SPEAKER_03 23:16

It is the it is how people know who you are. Yeah, you know, this isn't the days where there was records and promoting, and um, it's it's how people know. Does it get a little hard?

SPEAKER_01 23:28

Yeah, I find it sometimes it's like I want I just want to be an artist, I just want to create, I just want to play my music, performing, and then it's like, oh yeah, but I gotta stop and do a TikTok really quick. So it's it's different, but it's um but it's an amazing thing too because I think now more than ever, people can have that ability to share their music with the world, whereas when we didn't have social media, it was only a select number of people, and you had to be on a label and and have that support, whereas now we're just seeing it.

SPEAKER_03 23:56

Well, for independent artists, it opened a whole nother world.

SPEAKER_01 23:59

Yeah, and to be able to like be seen and and let the s the fans speak for themselves too.

SPEAKER_03 24:03

Right. What's the best compliment you've ever received on your music?

SPEAKER_01 24:07

I would say the best compliment is when it connects to someone's story. And if someone sends me a message or they say something I get off stage, it's just how it impacted them. I'm like, that's my my job. Is if I know that it's actually made an impact or it's held their story, and they're like, what you said is what exactly I needed to hear. Right. That's the biggest compliment.

SPEAKER_03 24:26

Life changing, yeah. Right. To think the power that your songs could change somebody's life for in a different direction. That's a huge responsibility.

SPEAKER_00 24:37

Definitely. Do you think? Oh yeah. I I mean, I've said on a couple of your other podcasts, I said, like, it's not about me, it's about the fans. Right. It's about my sharing my music with the world. Yeah, right. It's surreal feeling. Every time.

SPEAKER_03 24:50

Yeah, and that's I think that you guys have to be a little selfless, you know, because uh country music isn't the same, you know, paparazzi based as as other forms of music. And and you have to, you know, you have to share your you can get on that stage whether it's your good day, whether it's a bad day, whether you're right, your dog just ran away. Like it's that's just what it is. You have to completely you have to be selfless to do this job.

SPEAKER_00 25:16

It's almost like you're playing a character. Yeah. I mean, you want to be yourself, but at the same time, you have to be able to turn on that side of you for your fans. And shut off the any message. Shut off any message. Yeah, exactly. Right. Or also sometimes being vulnerable with your fans is also beautiful in itself, too.

SPEAKER_03 25:33

Yeah, I agreed. I think that, you know, when you're authentic with people to who you really are, and whatever degree it is, you know, when you're when you're on the spotlight with people, I think, you know. I mean, it does I had the crappiest day flying yesterday, and I'm like, Deb, you gotta shake this off because like you cannot shoot 12 interviews with this with this tune problem. You know, like you really you have to learn to just like water off a table. It's gotta go. Yeah, it's gotta go. That's yeah, that's amazing. I can't imagine receiving a compliment like that. You changed my life.

SPEAKER_01 26:05

Well, and and and also on like the topic that you were saying, too, is I think as much as um I know that my music is giving to them, it's also how much they're giving to me too. It's kind of reciprocal because um for me when I started and why I guess I felt so drawn to music is it was also naturally healing to me. Yes. And it gave me purpose. Always, yeah. And it gave me this drive in life. Music is so therapeutic. So it's like when I get on that stage, it's like I let it be. So as much as like I'm I'm like letting out like all these pieces of me, and it's like this therapeutic thing, it's also therapeutic for them. So it is it's this it's a full circle moment, uh, full circle moment. And I I always say I think music is kind of like its own version of church where it brings people from all walks of life.

SPEAKER_03 26:52

One thing we can agree on, yeah. Music is amazing, it is, it really is saves lives, yeah. It totally does. And you know, I think uh for fans, people like me who buy the merch and buy the tickets, and it's it's not a cheap venture anymore, you know, like to take families to concerts or whatever. So I mean, that's a big responsibility knowing that somebody saved money to see you, somebody put did without something else to be able to watch you perform. That's very humbling. Yes, yeah, I can imagine that that's great. I mean, I always say that this show, when people are like, Oh, it's your show, I'm like, this isn't my show, it's just my name. Like, this is your show, you know. This is for the audience and this is for you guys. Um, it's not my show. It's just I'm just the chick and with the mic. And I think when you start to look at it that way, chick with the mic.

SPEAKER_01 27:44

This is chick with a mic, right? That's a podcast name right there.

SPEAKER_03 27:47

Right, it's chick with the mic, right? We're never changing happy hour with Deb because I honestly think happy hour with Deb, and this whole started, we were I was interviewing media teams, not before I had hope and Mitch, who, by the way, are the best in the business. And somebody's like, God, Deb's fun. I don't know. What do you call it? Happy hour with Deb. And it really is very much. If you knew me better, it's very much an extension of my personality.

SPEAKER_01 28:08

I love that.

SPEAKER_03 28:09

It's a thing. It's a happy hour. It is, and I'm gonna be honest, I don't think there is any better damn time of the day than happy hour. Like, I think the reason we get through the day is to get to happy hours. Like, that's the motivating factor. Like, three more hours, two more hours. Like, I really do. Can I tell you about our sponsor? I would love to. All right, so this is Freedom Brew. Um, this gentleman named Alan quit his big boy job. That's what I call them, corporate jobs or big boy jobs. Um, and he's followed his dream. Start brewing this beer. He gives money back to veterans, and that thank you, Alan. Please, everybody, take care of the veterans in this world. Yes, they are country music lovers. They are the reason we are free, they are the reason we are sitting here, and he's helping with suicide for vets, and the beer's delicious. Did you taste the beer? I have let's let's taste it. Crack it's crack one.

SPEAKER_01 28:59

Let's do it.

SPEAKER_03 29:00

This is why I've been waiting.

SPEAKER_01 29:01

I've been looking at it. Like, I have to do it.

SPEAKER_03 29:03

You'll never see me with a corporate sponsor for like a protein bar. It will never happen because I have to have something fun.

SPEAKER_01 29:12

That's tasty. It's delish, right?

SPEAKER_03 29:15

Yeah, it's totally delicious. And he's it is beer, and people helping people. And Alan says that to me. And um, they're gonna come to Tennessee, so please support them when they're here. And uh thank you to all our veterans for what you've done to give these two beautiful ladies freedom to do whatever they want to do. So, what's the biggest stage you want to play on in those boots? I want to see you play right now.

SPEAKER_01 29:40

Yeah, I know, right? I I would love to play granular opera.

SPEAKER_03 29:44

Oh, absolutely. I think that I've heard people be like, I don't care if I ever sell a stadium, I just want to play in the grand. You're totally gonna play there. Definitely. You're 100% going to be there. I feel it. You're a hundred percent. And will you are you please let me know because I want to be in the audience. I'll get the audience. I'll be next to Cam. I would love that.

SPEAKER_01 30:00

Get happy hour with Dev.

SPEAKER_03 30:02

Get happy hour with Dev. I know it is. It's the dumbest little thing. I remember when it started. And the logo, somebody wanted to change the logo. I'm like, dude, that logo rocks. We're not changing that logo.

SPEAKER_00 30:11

It's memorable.

SPEAKER_03 30:12

Do you know what my dream is? A tour bus for this show. A black, slick tour bus with that logo on the side. I want to take this show to every major city. I want to take it to wherever my favorite artists are performing. You know, I really want to take the show on the road. I think it deserves it. Let's go. I know. Oh, dude, you'll show me on it, right? And I told Lolo I know it's my dog. My husband's like, I want to retire. I'm like, we'll get you a lounge chair. We'll get you what are those, what are those recliners? You know what? Women by the way. Get the recliner out. Get the recliner out. And then when you're not there, get the recliner out because those suckers may be comfortable with their ugliest shit. So I don't want it in my house, right? Like, he's like, I'm sacrificing my comfort. I'm like, for fashion, yes, that's what we have to do. Like we get it as women, right? Yes. We totally get it. So will you come back?

unknown 31:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:00

You have to come back. Everybody comes back. I don't know if Cameron told you that, but like nobody ever disappears once on the show.

SPEAKER_01 31:08

It's it's a family once you it is the happy hour family.

SPEAKER_03 31:11

That's what we're doing. For any corporate sponsor out there, listen, I need$150,000, maybe$200,000 that I can throw one big party for all the guests. That would be a blast. That would be on Happy Hour. We're gonna open the bar. That'd be nice. We're gonna get I don't know who I'm gonna get to play because you're all gonna be hanging at the party. I don't have to hire a band or something. Right, you're gonna take all the musicians out of Nashville. Get a good DJ. I was watching um, this is a little selfish binge thing here. I was watching Summer House the other day. Do you guys ever watch Summer House?

SPEAKER_01 31:36

I've watched a few years.

SPEAKER_03 31:38

Okay. I don't think you need to. Really? I mean, I'm not wild as shit. If I thought I could take, I would never take you down that road. I love you too much, take you down that rabbit hole, girl. Did you see Wathering Heights? I I did not see Wathering Heights. Don't don't I don't need to see it. It's a little traumatizing.

SPEAKER_01 31:53

It is traumatizing. I hate it. It's a little traumatizing. The ending was uh I felt like they could have done that differently.

SPEAKER_00 31:58

Is that a series? It's a move, it's a new movie. Oh with um Margaret Robbie and Jacob Alordi.

SPEAKER_03 32:04

Okay, here's the thing. I am like squirrel, squirrel, squirrel. Yeah. Like for me to sit down and watch a home movie means somebody has to literally cement my ass into the chair. Because I am always like on the go all the time. I really need to work on a therapist. I think I should probably hang out. Slow down. I know. I don't um when I do take, like I'm I'm because we're shooting the CRS this week, I'm not flying home till Saturday. I didn't want to fly home early because of course I'm gonna go to the parties afterwards. And um, I I already took Monday off. I already told my assistant, I'm like, I need like a I called a deb day where I can hang out with Lola and I can like I'm just gonna lay on the couch and blow bubbles, like just watch them pop in the air. Just because it's so strenuous to talk to people for all that time. But we would love to have you back. Yeah, you are gonna play at the Grand Old Opry. It's gonna happen. You're gonna when you get Highland Cows, can we come over and play with them? Yes, yes, we we'll bring some good coffee. Yes. Actually, I'm an amazing cook. I know people are probably like, get the hell out of here. I really am an amazing cook. But I'm so excited for your career. It has been a pleasure to meet you. We cannot wait to have you back. And if something big is happening, you reach out and call me. We want to be part of it.

SPEAKER_01 33:19

Sounds good. Thanks so much. I will let you know I do have a uh a new song coming out, April 3rd. Yay! Congrats! It's called Cowboy Up. Um pretty much Cowboy Up. And uh I wrote it with Bonnie Baker, Raquel Cole, and it's um kind of inspired by the show 1883. Elsa, the main character. She inspired me to write this song. So I've never written a song based off a character before.

SPEAKER_03 33:44

I haven't watched that yet. It's great. All right, I'm really big into the land man in all those shows. Yeah, I think I would be too. The problem is I I'm so I deep dive into football season when it's over. I kind of have to put it. Yeah, it's not good. Okay, so I have an assistant. Um, his name is Jake, and you know, we were sometimes I don't I don't know how it works with me, and like it's like crazy. So I'm sitting, I go take myself out to lunch to the Capitol Grill one day after I got my hair done because I'm like, it's a full deb day, we're going to a steakhouse for lunch. And sitting next to me is a gentleman who makes all the boxes for Dunkin' Donuts all over the world that holds the munchkins. This is no shit in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. That's crazy. I'm like, how much money? I literally I go, Right? How much I gotta know how much money you make. Like every house, freaking munchkin comes in a box that his company made. And he was saying something um about in corporate, you're not allowed to say man up. You it's appropriate to say cowboy up.

SPEAKER_01 34:40

Oh, I like that. Right.

SPEAKER_03 34:41

Nice little backstory. He's like, so we don't tell our employees to man up, we tell them to cowboy up.

SPEAKER_01 34:46

I'm like that. It's a mindset. It is, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:49

It totally is. But I mean, I was so fat, I'm like, how many boxes is that exactly? Our tender's like, get this woman out of here. That's the last martini. Bang, she's gotta go. Because I'm like, how do you? So I go home and I tell my husband, and he goes, You went to the Capitol Girl for lunch and we're talking to somebody about Dunkin' Donuts. I'm like, you know why? Because I work for me. I don't work for anybody else. Um, your independent artist is an entrepreneur. Yeah. I can take myself out to lunch during the day. Love it. But so that's it. That's what it reminds me of. So if you ever need to tell someone to man up, I want you to say cowboy up. Cowboy up. What? I love that.

SPEAKER_00 35:25

I'm excited for your song. Right.

SPEAKER_03 35:26

How'd he's waiting for a man if you well, if I told you to cat well, if I told you to man up, would you think that was offensive?

unknown 35:33

Depends on what I'm doing.

SPEAKER_03 35:34

Okay. I think you're cool right now. You don't need to man up. You're doing a good job. If I needed it, I appreciate it. Right, right. See, I like that. I like a man that can take a hit when he knows when he knows. I have another one too. I'm like, you're a grown ass man, stop it. It's another thing I say. It's like I'm like, you're a grown ass man, I'm not listening to this thing. You're fine. You're fine.

SPEAKER_00 35:52

When they need to be whipped in the shade. Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 35:55

I have the greatest husband put on the face this earth. I, this man, how he has emerged himself into this craziness. Like he gets the crazy. He does. Like, I don't like, he's like, that's just her. That's just what she does. She's nuts. It's what it is.

SPEAKER_01 36:09

Find someone that loves your crazy. Oh, he loves it.

SPEAKER_03 36:11

He thinks it's just like sometimes I'll just catch him like walking by laughing, like, oh my God. Like, she's crazy. Thank you for coming on, my new dear friend. Big hugs to Cameron, tell her. And thanks, ladies. This was a blast. Thanks for having me. Of course. Just think we get to do it in a couple days, like two days from now, we're gonna do this again.