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10 Questions with ... Kelleigh Bannen
October 6, 2019
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Singer-songwriter Kelleigh Bannen made her Country radio debut in 2012 when she released the single "Sorry On The Rocks" via her then label, EMI Records Nashville. Two more EMI singles, "Famous" and "You Are What You Love," peaked in 2014. Since then, Bannen has been independently releasing her own music, and also created the podcast, "This Nashville Life," where she welcomes industry execs and fellow artists to talk in depth about the music industry.
Her new album, "Favorite Colors," will be released on October 11th. Bannen co-wrote every song on the 14-track collection, and chose The Cadillac Three front man Jaren Johnston to produce the project. Three songs from the new album were previously released on Bannen's 2018 EP, "The Joneses," and featured as part of SiriusXM's "Highway Finds" program. This month, Nashville Lifestyles magazine included Bannen on its 2019 list of the city's "Most Beautiful People."
1. Did you feel a creative freedom, as an independent artist, while recording this album, "Favorite Colors?"
Yes and no. [No because] I think I am the person that puts myself in chains. But yes, because [I knew] it's probably not a project that will be [released by] a major label. [Therefore,] I was not trying to fit someone else's expectations, and only trying to exceed my own. That's why there are so many [tracks]. There shouldn't be 14 songs on it, but I [thought,] "How do I even know if I'm going to ever do this again?" I just wanted to put everything on [the album]. For me, it was also important that the album felt like a beginning and not an end.
2. You talk openly on social media and in your podcast about the challenges of being a female Country artist, which inevitably comes with struggles for radio airplay. Is it easier to talk about that more freely now, as an independent artist?
I think it is easier ... because I understand [the industry] more now. [Previously,] I didn't understand all the forces that were even at work [at Country radio]. Maybe I was naïve. Maybe I just didn't know. There's not one evil person that is the reason we have this odd situation. Most of the people I knew at radio, they love music and they're just trying to keep their jobs. It's an expensive field to decide to commit your life to. I also hope my friends and peers at radio don't ever hear an attack in my words.
When I was younger, I thought I would be the exception. [But] being the exception isn't good enough. Maren [Morris] and Kelsea [Ballerini] might be the exceptions now, but that's not good enough. I think [the industry as a whole] has contributed to it for so long. I don't think we can hope it will gradually self-correct. [Resolving some of this problem] would be giving someone like me, an independent artist, a platform to talk about my music.
3. What was it like working with Jaren Johnston of The Cadillac Three, and what did he bring to the table as a producer? Did he get something out of you in the studio that maybe you didn't know you had?
I think he chilled me out. Jaren has been wildly successful as a writer. Obviously, TC3 is really blazing their own trail, and largely outside of radio. I think he was just like, "Girl, you know you're going to be fine. Let's go make some damn great music." Also, it was fun because Jaren and I were in high school at the same time here in Nashville. He pulled a lot of people into the project, even in the band, [who attended] high school at the same time as us. It did feel like the O.G. crew. He just gave me the chance to relax a little bit and have fun.
4. Why did you decide to launch your podcast, "The Nashville Life," and give us a little background about it?
I love podcasts. I am just a fan of the genre of entertainment, and it came out of that. I think it's such an intimate way to story-tell, and it's one of those places that people go to learn things. [When I began the podcast], I was newly independent for the first time in six years. [The podcast] is about learning this confusing [music] industry. It's hard to even know that these [industry] jobs exist [if you aren't in Nashville. The podcast helps to] connect with listeners and fans in a new way, because being an independent [artist,] I need to think about how to form those relationships.
5. What things have you learned along the way about hosting a successful podcast?
I used to let the interviews go way too long, and I am long-winded. [Sometimes I] would [conduct] a two-hour interview, which would be [edited] into a 28-minute episode. Now, there is never a conversation longer than an hour.
6. Has there been an interview on your podcast that has been particularly memorable for you?
The first episode for this new season is with [songwriter] Matraca Berg, who wrote "Strawberry Wine" (Deana Carter). [Berg] is an incredible artist in her own right. She is a powerful picture of a woman who has navigated the tricky waters of being a female writer. She tells some incredible stories -- you won't believe some of the stories she tells! I also interviewed [CMT SVP/Music Strategy & Talent] Leslie Fram, who is a mentor of mine. I just admire her so much, and she tells some incredible stories from her radio days and does some vision casting of what she wants to see happen here in [Nashville].
7. Talk about the story behind the new song "Deluxe," and writing it with Danielle Blakey? And will "Deluxe" be promoted at Country radio, or are other songs being considered?
I knew I wanted the song to be kind of swagger-y, and there's a story in the song, but it's more about the mood. I was telling [Danielle] about the idea, and she was able to pull up these funky, dark-like sounds for the track. We then were just talking through [some] ideas for the lyrics. It was almost like a stream of consciousness. Jaren loved it, and he was like, "I know what to do."
What's really exciting about where we are right now is the way people are discovering music. It's not that we don't want to put our attention behind one song, but there are so many different places to [release] music that make it fun to work on partnering with people, like [choosing different songs] for different playlists. [It is about] being okay with letting those songs build their own stories.
I would love nothing more than [for] one of these songs to demand the attention of radio. I don't know anyone in this town, male or female, that doesn't still dream of their songs being on the radio. [But] for me, right now, it's less about trying to do that head-on and more about letting fans decide what they want to champion.
8. You had the three songs from your EP, "The Joneses," featured as part of SiriusXM's "Highway Finds" program. Talk about what that support meant for you and how that happened.
We had started making the record, and we had a handful of songs finished. [SiriusXM Sr. Dir./Country Programming] J.R. [Schumann] came to a showcase I did for my management company, Triple 8. The [management team] had wanted to see me live [before signing me]. So, we put a little showcase together at a rehearsal space, and J.R. popped in. As I'm trying to get this company to sign me, J.R. shows up and he's immediately going up to them and saying how much he really likes these songs. He then asked if SiriusXM could do something around my [new] songs. He was [probably] instrumental in me [being signed to Triple 8], because they [saw] this major tastemaker on board.
We had to go ahead and almost accelerate [recording the project] quicker than we had planned. It was an incredible experience. Those SiriusXM spins are how I was able to afford finishing the record.
9. In your music video for "Faith In You," you cast a female boxer, Heather "The Heat" Hardy, in the leads role. How was she chosen for the video, and how did the concept come about?
Since I am an independent [artist] and I don't have unlimited resources, we were trying to come up with economical ways [to create] awesome video content for the songs. We shot these [videos] essentially in 36 hours in New York. [Before we began], we were trying to dream up concepts that were still powerful, but were achievable for somebody who is a songwriter and doesn't have a ton of cash flow.
The [video's director, Carlos Ruiz] is good friends with Heather. He told me, "I know that one of your soapboxes is empowering yourself." He thought that even though [the song] is a love story, what if [the video] was about Heather and her daughter, and more about who is [going to be] there at the end of the day for you. I think [Heather] is so incredible, and I'm going to see her next fight at Madison Square Garden. I'm going to cheer her on.
10. Do you draw much inspiration from your personal experiences for your songwriting?
Not to be clinical, but I am always searching through conversations for phrases that could be an opportunity to tell the truth in a new way, because all the song [ideas] have already been written. We're just reinventing how to [express things] that are going to touch people in a fresh way. I try to tell the truth, but I don't feel that I always [must] be autobiographical.
Bonus Questions
1. Has anyone in the music industry given you particularly good advice?
Luke Bryan gave me one of my favorite pieces of advice ever. He said, "I try to take my work seriously, but not take myself too seriously." I take myself seriously, and I think there's a real lesson in letting go of the desire for people to perceive you as perfect or have the answers.
2. What is one of your favorite female Country songs from your childhood?
The first one that popped into my head was "Independence Day" by Martina McBride. I could not sing half [of those notes], and still can't ... because she has so many more notes on the top end of her range. I do feel, though, that Martina is one of the [singers who] taught me how to sing.
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