Meet Willa Mae: Nashville's Newest Soft Rock Sweetheart
[UNPUBLISHED:] How've you been?
[WILLA MAE:] I've been good! Excited to finally have some new music out.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What is something you've been really excited about recently? It can be anything!
[WILLA MAE:] I've been really excited about the warmer weather and getting to go on tour this June.
[UNPUBLISHED:] You've moved away from your pop roots to a more rock-orientated sound, what influenced that decision?
[WILLA MAE:] I don't think it was a super conscious decision, but more of a change that happened naturally. A lot of the music I listen to now is a bit heavier so I think that probably has a lot to do with it. I also just wanted to make more noise.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Tell us a bit about your new single "Clean.”
[WILLA MAE:] I wrote "Clean" a little over a year ago. I was in a songwriting course at the time and it was really hard for me to find time to write songs for myself. I hadn't in so long that at some point "Clean" sort of forced itself out of me. It's a critique of celebrity culture and fame, and more specifically a reflection on me trying to pursue a career in music and poking fun at the idea of "making it". It all can be so damaging but still so many people want it.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Who are some artists you admire?
[WILLA MAE:] Jessica Lea Mayfield, Radiohead, Belle and Sebastein, and The Breeders.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Tell us something that not many people might know about you.
[WILLA MAE:] My full first name is Willamina.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Who have been some artists that you've been listening to recently?
[WILLA MAE:] Grouper, Cate Le Bon, Cowgirl Clue, and Oumou Sangaré.
Photo by Avery Adzima