A Year Later! Catching Up with Carrie Brockwell at CRS 2026 Ep126

 She's back! 

This week on Happy Hour with Deb, we're catching up with Carrie Brockwell during CRS 2026, one year after our very first conversation at CRS 2025. It was so much fun reconnecting and seeing how far her journey has come over the past year.

We talk about everything that's been happening since we first met, what she's learned along the way, her experiences in Nashville, and what's next for her career. It's always inspiring to sit down with artists more than once because you get to see the growth, the hard work, and the determination behind the music.

If you enjoyed our first interview, you're going to love this follow-up conversation filled with laughs, honest moments, and a look at where Carrie is headed next.

Be sure to like, subscribe, and let us know your favorite moment from the episode in the comments!

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

It's a house concert. I'm the funnest human being at a party. Oh, look, and I bet. Hey, it's Deb. It's Happy Hour with Deb. We are on day one of the Country Radio Seminar. I'm sitting next to my dear friend. How's it going? It's going amazing. I love it. It's so good to see you. It's so good to see you. I was so happy when I saw your name. Oh, sorry. I was literally like, when am I seeing Deb? I'm so excited. Thank you so much. I hope everybody that sits in that chair has the same attitude as you. Like, we want to go back to Deb show. Yes, absolutely. So you're I'm following you, as you know, everywhere you go. You're killing it. Thank you. I am so incredibly proud and because you look like you're just enjoying this ride.

SPEAKER_01 0:53

I'm having so much fun. Like it's actually crazy. And you know, I feel like a lot of the time I kind of focus on the goal, but I'm like learning to focus on the joys in like every single day. Because literally I'm like, I'm living my dream, and you know, I'm going to school and I'm like learning about like frequencies and sounds, and I'm like, this is my life. Like, what the heck? I'm learning about it. I feel so grateful. So it's just it's so amazing.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

How much longer do you have in school?

SPEAKER_01 1:19

I have two more years. Two more years. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:21

Oh god, you're killing it. Thank you. Thank you. And how's it going? Like, I know doing your own social media is rough. It's a job in itself. And you're a student, and you're performing and you're writing. Like, that's crazy.

SPEAKER_01 1:33

It is kind of a lot. Like, it's a lot. And you kind of learn to like give yourself grace because it's like, okay, I'm gonna. I think we talked about this last time. Like, sometimes I'm not gonna get a good grade on this test because I'm gonna be here. Or like sometimes, you know, I am not gonna be able to post three times a day or post, you know, three times a week, or because I have to focus on school. So it's kind of like a give and a take. Absolutely. But you know, like it's all worth it. Two years will go by like snap. Yes. It'll be a good one. So I'm very excited. But where are you performing? Oh my goodness. So this summer I am so excited. I'm gonna be in Wisconsin at Mile Music Fest. I'm gonna be at Down the Hatch in the Outer Banks and Rock by the Sea. I'm like going all over. I'll be in Philadelphia and Colorado. Philadelphia? Yes.

SPEAKER_00 2:16

You're gonna have to call me so I can see you.

SPEAKER_01 2:18

It's a house concert. So literally, like, come on. Like it'll be so It's a house concert. Yes, I'm so excited. Look, and I bet.

SPEAKER_00 2:27

I love it. My husband says that I should be running out as a party favor. Like Deb is the funnest part favor. I will. Do you have my personal number? I'll give it to you when we get it. Yeah, absolutely. I'm so proud of it. Thank you, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 2:38

So I'm so excited. It's gonna be it's gonna be crazy. And I'm going back home in Richmond to play some shows, and then we're gonna be doing a crazy thing uh with the Richmond Symphony in October with Hall of Fame songwriters Gary Burr and Victoria Shaw. And I'm like so excited to do that, and just to hear their songs and you know also tell my story.

SPEAKER_00 2:56

It's you know, it's it's I am I think it's so beautiful. You are totally killing it. Like just in that sure time since I interviewed you before. So much has changed. Thank you. Yes, it's it's wild, and I'm I'm so very grateful. I'm so happy that you said that like we always have the goal, right? But the journey is because please enjoy it. Like you're young, and I want you to experience like there's somebody you're gonna be telling your kids about this and your grandkids or whatever else. Yes, like you really want this to be an amazing journey. Absolutely. Because you're so happy all the time, but like I think it's such a good thing to remember that the grind, I mean it's a grind. You know, everybody in here is on the grind to try and do this, but like remember these little things that are happening. Yeah. I think it's such a great, inspiring story.

SPEAKER_01 3:42

It's easy to get caught up in it and like you know, kind of like get dragged by the speed of the music industry.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

And then there's days where I'm like No, I feel that.

SPEAKER_01 3:55

I'm like, whoa, like this girl needs some WD 40, that's for real.

unknown 3:58

Absolutely, right.

SPEAKER_01 3:59

I mean it's not easy. It is crazy. So it's it's easy to get lost in it, but you know, it's there are so many good things that make it so exciting every day. Oh, I know.

SPEAKER_00 4:07

I know it is. What's the five-year plan look like for you? Tell me the five years. We're gonna be having coffee together for sure. I can't wait. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 4:16

Um, I, you know, my like tangible goal is, you know, I hope to be someday at the Opry. Like, I would love to stand on the stage.

SPEAKER_00 4:25

Thank you. There's no doubt in my mind be at the Opry.

SPEAKER_01 4:28

That is like my like lifetime goal, but also like I really just want to keep growing my fan base and connecting with audiences and hopefully like take it even further than I am. Like, this is my first year. I get to kind of go nationwide. And so I'm so excited. It's crazy, and so I'm so excited to hopefully expand that and really just continue to be here, girl. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 4:49

Tell me how important your fans are to you.

SPEAKER_01 4:50

Oh my gosh. I mean, that's the reason why I do what I do because I you know, music is my therapy, and it is, you know, how I express emotions and get out what I'm thinking, but it's so awesome to then see that play out with people also connecting to my stories and like feeling seen in my music is so important.

SPEAKER_00 5:09

Oh and so music moves people to like on creat what's the greatest compliment you've ever received?

SPEAKER_01 5:17

Oh my goodness, I mean music. Recently we just put out this last song called I'd Love Not To, and it's the second single off my upcoming full-length record. And I it's the record's called That's Real, and it's all about you know being genuine and and talking about the experiences that I've had, but also how that relates to just the human experience and what we all experience. And I had somebody be like, Oh my gosh, like I listened to that song, and like immediately I saw myself in it. Like, no matter what you listen to it, like no matter what you're going through that day, like if you purposefully put it on, or if you just have it in your head, if you're singing it in your head, like it is there for you. That's I was like true. Like they've told me that that song is their anthem now, and it's only come out like a couple weeks ago. And I'm like, Yeah, I heard it means so much.

SPEAKER_00 6:00

Thank you. I tell my clients, I'm like, get a fight song. Like when you're at your lowest, and then when you're at your highest, because it moves us in such directions, it can move you out of the worst things, absolutely, you know, and enhance the other things.

SPEAKER_01 6:14

So, like, it's so important to have a fight song, and it's a you know, it's a control, like it's like a variable that you know always brings you back to where you need to be. And you know, I to be able to do that for people is is insanely special.

SPEAKER_00 6:28

Oh my gosh, it's like it's insane. Like when I see you guys, and it's so nice to like watch you guys grow into these incredible performances. Thank you. Like, it's really an honor for me to have seen people in the beginning of their career and as you're moving up the chain, like it's so cool. Thank you. Just to sit back and watch, you know.

SPEAKER_01 6:46

So enjoy like every second. Absolutely, that's it. And I mean, really, like events like these, like CRS, kind of are the mile markers of like bringing it's like a family reunion. This is my favorite week of the year, and you get to check in with everybody and like just like cheer everybody on and like see how everybody's done.

SPEAKER_00 7:04

That's what I love about city leader and country music. It is the one industry, and I talked about this on a podcast a little while ago. I'm like, Beyonce's not prepping other people. I mean, no, no disrespect, Queen. Absolutely. But you know, like this is you guys really love to help each other along. It's amazing. And it's not a competition because you all understand there's room at the top for all of you. Absolutely. Like women are killing it right now.

SPEAKER_01 7:27

It's so exciting. I love it. It's so I mean, literally, Ella Langley, Megan, like Miranda is like, I feel like she's like breaking through again. You know, she's always been there, like holding it down for us. But she's like, it's so exciting. And Ashley McBride, like, literally, when I heard that she's here today, I was like, she is up there with Carol King in my life.

SPEAKER_00 7:45

Like there's a lot of really famous people here this week. It is actually crazy. I'm like, nobody sits at this table that isn't somebody. Oh, I love you. You know, like it's the truth. If you are here, you're you're climbing the ladder. Yes. Think you're gonna be a household name someday? Oh, I sure hope so.

SPEAKER_01 8:04

I totally if you had a bar in Broadway, what would you call it? Oh my gosh. It would be probably be called like my nickname is Care Bear. So it would probably be called like Care Bears or like Bears or something like that. Like if my family calls me bears.

SPEAKER_00 8:17

Absolutely. All right, cool. I'll make sure we fly somebody in Phil Philly. That would be amazing. And when you're in town, when you're in Philly, let me know. Oh my gosh. I will learn. I would love to see you come perform. Yes, I would love it. Alright. Five years from now, you're gonna be where? Hopefully at the Opry. Totally at the Opry. We're like hope.

SPEAKER_01 8:35

We just speak things into what they are. That is like, I feel like it's important to have like a tangible goal. But really, it's I mean, just continuing to connect with audiences and really like have my numbers grow to, you know, yeah, um, keep doing what I'm doing. Like, I just want to be able to support myself with, you know, connecting our needs.

SPEAKER_00 8:55

Me too. Like, I just love doing it so much to do. It's my goal too, to support myself someday. Yes, totally. Absolutely. But I'm a grown-up. I tell I'm like, I don't want to be a grown-up. My husband has like a regular job. I call it a big boy job. Yes. Because I don't have a regular job, and I don't know what it's like to have to live. I don't either.

SPEAKER_01 9:11

And I hope you're gonna be able to do it. It's a little afraid. I'm a little afraid of that.

SPEAKER_00 9:14

Same girl, I would never, don't worry, you and I'd open an ice cream stand and we'd be. Yes, we would, and we'd be good. We would be. You're so fabulous. So if you're like, we're going to go get some ice cream from those two delusional women. Right. We've got it all going on. We'll bring puppies. Absolutely. What advice would you give to somebody who was, when you first started, what would you give to a 17-year-old girl who wants to come here with a guitar and a dream? Oh my goodness, do it.

SPEAKER_01 9:40

That is the I mean, and don't let comparison or the fact that this is such a saturated market scare you away. I think, you know, there is, like you were saying, there is room at the table for everybody. Everybody. And honestly, like if you get like, I've I even I've had it like getting caught up in like, oh, like this girl literally in the dorm next to me is further than I am, or you know, honestly, I I treat it like swim team, where it's like the girl swimming in the lane beside me, swimming so fast, makes me want to swim faster. Right. And so using everything as motivation and knowing that you have what it takes to bring to the table. Like, you know, just with hard work, you'll make your own dreams like happen.

SPEAKER_00 10:17

Yeah, because I think you know, it now everybody's like, oh, the market's saturated. I'm like, no, it's not. Talent is talent. Right. And if you have the determination to make it work, you're gonna make it work. We talk about the power of consistency, you know, like if you are heading in the right direction of where you want to be every single day, yes, you're consistent with it, you can get anywhere you want to be. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 10:40

And there's no right or wrong way to do it. Like literally nobody knows. So it you're right, you just have to be you and and figure it out, but also, like we're saying, be happy with where you are in the moment. Yes, like it's so exciting to be just even doing it at all. Did you ever think this would be your life? I, you know, performing has always been it for me, but I never thought, like, you know, I've always had a lot of like like confidence about it because I knew that I like it was just in me. Right. But like saying that like I'm at school in Nashville and learning all of music business and the audio engineering, and now I'm here skipping class to come talk to you. And like you are so exciting about my music. Oh, I love your music. It's just a it's it's a dream. And it, you know, it's it's it's happening.

SPEAKER_00 11:28

So I, you know, it's hard to change your sparkle. You have such incredible energy. The first time I met you, I'm like, I love her. Oh, I love her. You have such great energy. Like you never lose that. Because that's what keep the the fans like, you know. They really do. That's they come, you know, from sometimes broken places, sometimes great places, and they get they feed their energy off of you. I think that's so amazing. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 11:52

Thank you. I really do. How's your family? Oh, they're doing so well. Just we're just hanging out, and you know, my like my brother's doing his own thing. He's like a full grown adult now. Stuff and like, you know, I'm like, it's it's just so exciting. We just I love coming back home too. Like, it's my favorite thing ever. So yeah, absolutely. And you know, do you play at home?

SPEAKER_00 12:11

Do you think?

SPEAKER_01 12:12

I do. I'm gonna be there on May 9th at the Pocahontas State Park Amphitheater with my full band, and my dad's cover band is opening up for me. They're having their reunion one show. And I am like, they literally, their female vocalist probably is the reason why I sound like I do today. Stop. And so they I they're gonna have to stop me from crying.

SPEAKER_00 12:32

That's okay.

SPEAKER_01 12:32

Because it's gonna be so nostalgic. I'm like, I'm so so excited. So it's like it's my favorite thing ever. I think that's so awesome.

SPEAKER_00 12:39

Yeah, to be able to go home and perform from the people that have that supported your career. Like, I hear that from every artist. The people like they're like, when you go home, it's such a big deal. Because those people watch you grow up.

SPEAKER_01 12:51

That they made me who I am. And they are the reason I mean, like, they are the people that came to my first ever gig. So it's like they were the beginning of it all and make it like they are the reason why I'm able to do what I am doing today. Yeah, absolutely. So, like if they didn't listen, then like, you know, right, you know, that's your fan base.

SPEAKER_00 13:08

It starts there. It's such a good feeling to like go home, right? And get that done. You're excited for summer. Oh, I'm still now school, you get that break, right? Thank goodness. I know. I love school, don't get me wrong, but like sometimes I don't want to do accounting right now. I don't know how you do it. I'm like, oh my god. I couldn't even fit into like it's a lot. It's a lot, but it's okay. Because I know that like a lot. I know exactly. I say that too, because people are like, oh my god, you're so busy. You're they call me Waldo. My friends call me, where's Waldo? They're like, Where's Waldo? Where is she going? You know what I'm like? It this is the best kind of busy to ever be. I mean, imagine being me and sitting in this sitting next to people like you all day long. Like it's I mean, that's so fun. That's a job. It's the best job. All right, let me tell you about the beer. This is our new sponsor. Um, this is Freedom Brew. So uh Alan is the owner of this, and he gave up his his big boy job, his regular job, so he could start brewing beer and chase his dreams. So a percentage goes back to veterans. Wow, that's amazing. Isn't that incredible? And shout out to you, Alan. We take care of our vets in this country. We're proud Americans and and helping with suicide events. Wow. Did you know that I'm a coach and a therapist? Yes. Yeah, so I work with veterans for free. Wow. Um, because thank you, Alan, for your service. Thank you for this incredible product. Absolutely. Yeah, and like we were talking earlier, like the reason that we get to sit here is because somebody else is sacrificed. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 14:33

I mean, it's so it's so important and literally, like we've got to be. And guess what?

SPEAKER_00 14:38

The arms service, they everybody in any branch of meal today love them some country music. Oh, look, and I'm so ready to give it to them. I know you're not.

SPEAKER_01 14:46

Because, like, look, thank you guys so much for all that you're doing, everything you tackle.

SPEAKER_00 14:50

Especially, it's like it's like the crazy time right now. We're in a whole different scary. It is scary, but you know what? I truly believe that this is the strongest and best country in the world. Yes. And it is our job to help protect others. Yeah, absolutely. So I think it's a really good time for you know, sitting out to them, reach out to reach out to this rock star, she'll take care of you. Girl, you'll come back and give me an hour interview. Absolutely, yes, I would love to. I love I'm so happy I got to see a picture. Thank you so much for me. Thank you.