The Taylorville, KY native singer/songwriter has been steadily working on her craft as a musician and with her single "Blame The Whiskey" gaining spins on Satcaster SiriusXM's The Highway channel, she's experiencing a big growth in her career with many irons in the fire at the moment. We recently had the chance to chat with her about her start all the the way through the release of the single.
RoughStock: How much did you learn performing in the Dollywood company?
Carly Pearce: I grew up singing as a child fronting a bluegrass band around Kentucky and Indiana and when I turned 16, I told my parents I wanted to be a country music singer and they said “absolutely not” and then I found a homeschooling program online that would get me credit if I wanted to go to college and I saw an audition for Dollywood after I started homeschooling. After that, I auditioned in Cincinnati for Dollywood and I got the job so my mom and I moved to a small cabin in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee when I was 16/17 and I did six shows a day and finished school in between the shows. IT was great training not only vocally but stylistically and getting to meet people and really understanding what I was doing as a teenager was not the normal teenage experience but I loved it.
RoughStock: I’m sure when you went and found the school, your parents must’ve been impressed with that; the Drive to do what you’re doing.
Carly: They were. My dad is a business man and he probably thought I wasn’t going to do that so when I came to him with that he was impressed.
RoughStock: What was it like for you to work with Hunter Hayes?
Carly: I met him when I first moved to Nashville and we kinda came up together and played our early writer rounds together and he’s been sweet and a sort of advocate for me. I used to go sing duets with him and he’s made his fans aware of me and my music. It’s nice to have your friends who are gaining success and fanbases championing your music too.
RoughStock: You’ve gotten the chance to work with Paul Worley early on in your career?
Carly: Two of my biggest influences are the Dixie Chicks and Sara Evans and he’s resposible for helping bring their sounds to the mainstream. He was one of my dream producers from an early age and I saw who produced and played on records and he was who I wanted. It was a dream come true to me.
RoughStock: What was it like for you to work the Country Throwdown Tour a few years back?
Carly: I was one of three artists that represented the Bluebird on that and we toured in a tourbus in did every show the artists on that tour did. It was awesome and I got to watch Florida Georgia Line go from driving in a van with a trailer to the launch of “Cruise” and seeing them become so huge. I’m blessed with all of the opportunities I’ve had, singing with Hunter, being on this tour and singing with Lucy Hale’s band. It’s been vital for me to be able to launch my career myself. I’ve been here a while and done a lot of things.
RoughStock: How great has it been for you to have your single on “The Highway?”
Carly: John Marks, Buzz Brainard and the whole team have been amazing for what they’ve been willing to do for unsigned talent and even female talent and he’s unafraid of all of that and has bene a huge advocate. I’ve played shows in Nashville and shows outside of Nashville and people are coming to see me and sing my songs. He’s been really awesome for me and I’m really grateful for everything. It’s cool to drive down the street and hear your song
RoughStock: Where were you the first time you heard your song on the radio?
Carly: I was actually with Lucy in San Diego the first weekend they started playing it. It was cool and I was with her band and we’ve gotten close and Lucy’s a great friend so it was a really cool experience.
RoughStock: Are you working on a new EP or album project?
Carly: I’m signing a new publishing deal and I’m a spokesperson for Essence Cosmetics and I have music with an EP with “Blame The Whiskey” on it and the perfect storm has happened where I’m building the right team around me before I get everything out there but everything is coming and coming soon.
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