I was lucky to be in a household where whatever I wanted to do was supported and my music was always such a natural part of me, and I was never told that I couldn't do it. So I've always been able to follow my heart and my instincts and what I love, that being my art. And I know that not everybody really has that chance or that environment, the same one that I did, so I kind of want to help in any way that I can.
I want men and women to both feel a part in the flourishment of female power. So I want to celebrate that power that women have, that they acquired and are still acquiring all over the world. And it's kind of my way of joining the movement and bringing positive attention to an overgrowing awareness of females everywhere who are breaking the mold.
I've always played music because it just feels right and have been grateful for everything I have and the shows that I play. Even when I was playing coffee shops; it's how its always been.
It's important to keep your creative muscle strong and working. My most inspiring method though is just sitting down with an acoustic guitar and coming up with melodies. It's what I've been doing nice I was nine years old.
The more that I travel, the more people that I meet, the more experiences that are really a testament to the kind of person that I am, and you hear about my experiences and my growth through my music. I think that that is really relatable.
It feels good, it feels like a badge of honor, honestly. Amongst the artists here, in California, that festival is such a big deal. People live and die for Coachella. So to be a part of it on such a big scale is really flattering, and I feel really lucky to be part of the community.
Much of my inspiration definitely comes from the human experience. I'm really inspired by love like a lot of people are. My art, my childhood, and changes and transitions in life and how they impact me and cause me to write music.
It's been fun for me to figure out what I am in the world of fashion. I pull more now from my hometown, the aesthetic of the mountains and Arizona and the old western, vintage kind of vibe mixed with a sort of California bohemia.
I don't know about being an icon yet but I definitely do love fashion; it's really important for me to resemble my music. I definitely look like I sound. Creating an image is an art form in itself, it's a really fun part of being a musician.
I've always been a singer-songwriter - it started off with me and the guitar, just writing songs, they were very simple. When I got in the studio it took me probably three years to get where I am now - being open to experimenting with new songs, being comfortable with where the songs were headed. I'm happy with where they are because they feel very genuine and authentically who I am.
I definitely get my artistry and my vocal talent from my mother and mother's side. She sang in a jazz trio band so growing up my dad would always take me to see her play and she has a beautiful voice. When I was little and started to sing, she supported me and let that fire burn. She always knew what it took as a support system.
The love is so powerful that both people have to surrender. I think that's the funny thing about dating somebody for the first time, it's kind of a question of who wears the pants, or who's gonna text you first, how much am I supposed to put myself out there, and it makes you feel a little bit crazy. But at the end of the day, it's not about that. And if it's the right person you don't have to worry about that.
The more transparent you are about, you know, the not so happy times, or the happy times, or the things that you're embarrassed or ashamed of or proud of, it's all in Kicker, and all in my music. I'm just inspired by life in general and what it's bringing to me.
I think festivals are way more easygoing than back-to-back tours are. 'Cause for me, when you get to go to a festival, you get to hang out all day, and you're really taken care of, and there's usually a little artist village where all the artists have their own tents, and it's catered, and then you go and play an hour-long set depending on where you are on the lineup. And then you go back and you hang out and you even get to go watch other artists play. So it's really just a fun interactive experience for everybody.
L.A. is a kind of a landing place for some people. People are just in and out all the time. People are there for a short time until they get what they need and then they go somewhere else.
It's really surreal when I play shows, I'll have three or four people who are in the front row who are singing every word to my songs. The first time I experienced that I was like,"Are they mocking me? Is this a joke?" But it's not a joke. They actually identify with my music and that is something that I'm getting used to.
If I have a family down the road, I don't know if I could ever raise them in the city because I am a small town girl at heart. I definitely long for the mountains.
When I lived in Pinetop I just wanted to leave - I thought the city was where I belonged. But now that I'm living in the city, I love it for what it is. It's brought me closer to my art and put me in the right place as far as having people around me. It's very inspiring, but I miss our little town. There's something very simple and beautiful about growing up in a small place. That's where my heart is, for real.
At Pinetop I just studied music, and there was no pressure to look any certain way, and so being able to sing and play guitar was enough. But when I came out to L.A., there's a whole image that you put out there and people really feed off of that because of social media platforms. And sometimes someone will see a picture of me before they hear one of my songs. It's really important to have it all figured out so that you can portray what you want people to see.
