Interview: Carrie Wellings
No stranger to change or the exploration that comes with it, Carrie Welling has been navigating life’s twists, turns, demons, and discoveries from a young age. A self-described ‘military brat’, Welling’s struggle to feel rooted in any one place carved an unharmonious path of heartbreak, doubt, and insecurity that defined her 20s and early 30s… a journey that leads to her soul-defining rebirth as an international touring artist with a place to call home in Nashville, TN.
Her bold, sultry voice, reminiscent of Sheryl Crow’s grit, Natalie Maines’ twang, and Stevie Nicks’ heart, is upstaged only by the genuine love and connection this natural performer has with her fans both on and off stage. But embracing confidence has not always been easy for this singer-songwriter, who speaks candidly about her battle to be good to herself, and to quiet the inner voice nagging her to be “perfect”. Through the process of creating her latest work, a collection of songs that encapsulate Carrie’s determination to embrace self-love, self-care, and leave the past behind, she’s found a place of peace and healing, recognizing that authenticity and vulnerability is the glue that binds us all.
In 2018, a few years after the release of her first solo EP, The Edge, Welling put out a Patreon campaign, embracing her dream to finally quit the side hustle and focus on music full-time. Her patrons, which Carrie refers to as her “champions”, have proven to be an integral part of the artist’s journey - not only supporting her online but also at live performances across the globe. “My Patreon champions started out as my fans and now we’re all friends. Some of them I talk to every day, and they give me music ideas! They keep me going,” she says, reflecting on the creator-founded platform. [Join the Patreon Family HERE ]
How would you describe your music or sound to new people who maybe haven't heard it yet?
“ My sound has definitely changed throughout the years as every musician's sound does. This latest record that came out in 2020, is more of a singer-songwriter genre I would say. It’s got a little bit of you know, I would say a little of Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt's influence to it because I’m a big fan of that 90’s kind of feel. But yeah, I would say it’s more singer-songwriter folk. Now I did put out some singles that were a little bit more pop-y like my single ‘Flames’ and a single that is about to come out in May actually. So yeah, you know it morphs from like pop to country to singer-songwriter. I don’t know, it’s whatever anybody wants to make it!”
How did you know you wanted to go to music school in New York City, living in Germany, and being in that international scene?
“I wanted to be in musical theater for a while! I’ve always written my own songs since I was little, and I had a love and still have a love for the theater. Every time I would go to New York with my dad every summer, I would just be like “the city"' you know and so I started looking at schools when I was in high school in Colorado, lived in Colorado too, then I got into AMDA- The America music and dramatic academy- was right smack in the city, talk about learning. I moved there when I was 17 and I was literally in the meca of the city. You learn fast I’ll say that. You learn to stay on your toes and it’s really cool, I’m grateful for that experience because it taught me early to have a thick skin in this industry and that when people tell you no it’s okay, keep on going, and thank goodness for that. Sometimes I tell myself I need to stop working, and I blame my hussle on New York, I’m like “No! what am I supposed to do next!?”
Has the states you’ve lived in, influenced your music style?
“ Yeah definitely made it more chaotic. You go to New York, that’s a style, Nashville that’s a style, California! It definitely made me more collected and I think that’s the beauty the music you can always change you know, what you're doing. As we get older and have a journey so yeah definitely. New York is a little bit less singer-songwriter, lets rok out kinda thing, then I found my love of singer-songwriters here in Nashville, more of that country kinda vibe. But I still have that rock and roll in me you know. It’s cool but always makes me like "‘ What am I?’ That’s just me, I’m a bunch of things!”
With your Patreon, can you tell me a little bit about how all of that began after your EP, in 2018?
“So Patreon is a really cool Platform that a few of my other musician friends were doing. It actually just came to light during the pandemic, people started really supporting because how else were you supposed to support musicians. It’s basically like subscribing to an artist. You are subscribing to your favorite artist, whether it's $5, $10, $50 which is awesome, but I started it because I kinda wanted to create my own little, honestly as an independent artist, your own little team you know and you need that. It is really kind of, it was very slow to start because some people just don’t understand Patreon but once you get in it I such a cool thing, even my patrons, I call them my ‘Wello’s’ they are friends with each other now, you know it's like sort of a community building around this artist. It’s literally been a god-send through this pandemic like every month. We do some really cool things as I call it Wello-yoga because I’m always a yoga instructor so they get free classes, they get early access to shows, VIP, a lot of cool stuff”
Can you tell me a bit about that EP that came prior?
“ The EP was called ‘The Edge’ and it was sorta my journey from moving from California which I lived before Nashville to Nashville and I started writing with different writers here in Nashville and I was in a band for years before that in New York City, so this was sorta my launch as a solo artist you know it was like figure out what Carrie Welling would be if she went solo. So that was a little bit of a journey through that and since then you know my newest record that came out in 2020, that was a full-length solo record which was actually my first. But yeah, that EP was definitely sorts figuring it out and so when I listen back I’m like ‘oh cute, I love that, I love that I was figuring it out I’m still figuring it out but you know haha”
What was your favorite song to write off of ‘High heels and Heavy things’?
“I always say the song that kind of prompted the album, was a song called ‘ Good to me’ that’s a single off the album that sort of made me write the album. I’m a little bias about that song because it’s very personal to me, very vulnerable and so that song is just like a song, every time I sing it I’m like ’Yeah!’ and people really connect with that song so it’s all about your self worth and knowing that and being okay with where you are in your life. Maybe wasn’t exactly what you thought it would be sorta thing. Good to me is one of my favorites, I would say that and a song called ‘happy first’ on the record, that one is more acoustic, singer-songwriter, it just feels good to sing”
Growing up being described as a ‘military brat’ can you tell me a little about how that has impacted your life from your childhood to who and where you are now?
“ Well my dad was a musician and he still plays music in Florida a bit, but he’s the one that sorta gave me the bug because we use to write together and my parents are divorced, so I would go to my dad's house for summers, and every summer we would record a record. That was definitely a huge influence on me, my dads love of music. He just told me to go for my dreams, as cheesy as that sounds, do the thing that makes me happy.
If you could describe your growth from your last EP to this new album in a sentence or two, how would you describe that growth?
“Yes, you’re right, a lot of growth. If you listen to the newish record, which you did which is awesome thank you! There’s a lot of vulnerability and honesty in it. A lot of just owning you. Again I love ‘The Edge’ But it was a confusion kinda, you know you can even hear it in the sound like what is it, what is it really that I’m trying to say and do hear, but I love to see that growth and all artists. I think the difference is accepting who you are, your self-worth. Also just like knowing that sometimes being vulnerable, saying it out loud, it’s amazing how much you connect with other people. I found that to be, in all aspects of my life, just talking to people and not caring so much about what someone else thinks that you should be, not nessiceraly oh I have to stay in this little box because I live in Nashville and I’m blonde, I play the guitar. Knowing that you could actually be very unique because we all are. We all have unique stories no matter how you might have the same story as someone else, it’s still relatable, and its still worth telling. The second one I just told it”
What was the process of creating the album like? Was it finalized when COVID first started or was it finished prior?
“It was actually done before the pandemic hit and I was supposed to release it in April in 2020 like early April and that was obviously the beginning of it all. I was supposed to have a huge live show, big backing band and then cancel and so I heard it for a little, I was alright, we didn’t know it was gonna last this long, I held it a little bit then I was like ‘you know what I’m gonna put it out online so I did this big online release in September of 2020, so I did wait and I put it out and was like ‘you know when things open up I’ll do like a little anniversary live show’
What are some of your music influences?
“Yeah, again I’ve always been a Sheryl Crow fan, Bonnie Raitt, when it comes to music, they almost just kind of speak and they sing obviously but it feels very conversational. Then I just love Bonnie Raitt's sorta blues-rock influence. I’m a big fan of Natalie Maines, The Dixie chicks, just because of her voice and she just has such a powerful voice. As far as pop goes, I’m influenced by the greats, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey”
When live shows come back, where are you most looking forward to touring again?
“I am definitely looking forward to touring again. I was supposed to go on a tour opening up for the band Delta Ray in 2020 but that didn’t happen, so hopefully maybe that gets booked again, that’s what I’m looking forward to. I am doing some house concerts, outside house concerts in July so nice and safe, and I might even be in Texas, I think later fall. Usually, by now we’d have everything booked but we are kinda seeing how everything is gonna go. Definitely looking forward to that, I know that I am going to go to Europe in 2022, in the spring time, so a little bit of tour there but yeah, I was really looking forward to doing the north east because I have a lot of friends and family up there so hopefully that will happen again”
Listen to ‘High heels and Heavy things’ HERE.
Join Carrie’s Patreon HERE.
Watch Carrie perform her song ‘Monster’ live below!
Check out her new video for “Good To me” below!