Days before the release of her new single “Summer Time” and a hometown show in New York, we had the chance to catch up with rising country star, Carolyn Miller. Get to know the powerhouse vocalist, NASH Next Finalist, and future superstar in our exclusive interview.
NG: Since you’re from NY, we would love to know – how did you get into country music?
CM: Where I grew up, country music was never on the radio. My first real introduction to it came from Carrie Underwood on American Idol! I remember watching her season and loving every song she sang. Every artist she covered. Every group she collaborated with (i.e. Rascal Flatts!). That show ended up being really educational for me and helped me discover a genre I had never been exposed to before. The storytelling aspects, the weight of the lyrics and melodies, the honesty and vulnerability the artists display – I’ve always loved and appreciated those qualities. Country music offers something special that’s like no other genre.
NG: What artists inspired you to become an artist?
CM: Carrie Underwood (of course), Kelly Clarkson, Adele, Faith Hill, Celine Dion. Strong females with powerhouse voices – I’ve looked up to all of them since I was a kid!
NG: Your new single, “Summer Time” comes out this Friday. Congrats! What went into recording this song, and what does the song mean to you?
CM: Thanks so much! I’m so excited about this one. This song is your ultimate summer jam that reflects back on that one summer romance you’ll never forget. We all have one – it doesn’t matter if it happened when you were 14, 22, 35, etc…no matter how much time goes by, you’ll always remember those days like it was yesterday! As for the recording process, it was QUICK. We created the whole song down in Nashville at Forty-One Fifteen Studios in a matter of 24 hours. My friends Frank Legeay and Mike Mechling produced the single. Frank played nearly every instrument you hear live and Mike mixed/engineered the song. It’s so fun to work with people you trust and love.
NG: You released a single, “What You Can’t Have” earlier this year. What made you release this song as a single?
CM: I think “What You Can’t Have” has a great message of confidence and self empowerment. I’m a big believer in knowing your self worth 🙂 This song in particular says you can’t have your cake and eat it too – if you didn’t know what you had when you had it, then you don’t deserve it now!
NG: What is your process for writing songs? Is it always the same or more of an impromptu thing?
CM: It changes day to day. Sometimes you have a scheduled write session and you go in with random ideas. Sometimes I’m walking down the street and a hook or melody will suddenly pop into my head and I end up humming/writing an entire song into my voice memos on my iPhone on my walk home. It all depends! All my songs have different back stories 🙂
NG: You’ve opened for artists like Chase Rice, Ashley McBryde, Walker Hayes, and more. What do you takeaway from opening for artists like this?
CM: They all treat their fans with such kindness and respect, and you can see they really appreciate each and every single person that comes to their shows. Never take anything for granted. Be kind to everyone!
NG: If you could put together your dream tour with two other artists, who would you choose?
CM: Oh man, this is tough. Just two?! Haha! I’d have to go with Dan + Shay and Sam Hunt. Two of my favs 🙂
NG: What’s what song by another artist you wish you had written or recorded?
CM: “Bless The Broken Road” by the Rascal Flatts. Favorite song of all time, hands down.
NG: You’re playing a show this weekend on Long Island. What are you most looking forward to about this hometown show?
CM: Getting to have all my friends and family there! I’m on the road playing so much (my shows are often hours away) so this will be fun to do it on the hometown turf with everyone there! I can’t wait to celebrate my single release at a music venue I grew up going to as a kid. Coming full circle!
NG: What’s next for you?
CM: My first music video! Keep an eye out for that in the coming weeks — and hopefully another single in the near future 🙂
For more info on Carolyn Miller, visit her official website here, or follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
