I love radio visits! They are so much fun. I love visiting with music lovers, talking about music, and my favorite part is getting to play my newest songs for radio personalities and listeners! Here a few photos from my stop in Ottawa at New Country 94.3.
If you know me, you know my love of baked goods is nearing infatuation. I love a good cupcake, cake, muffin, and a nice crunchy bread! So when in Montreal it felt essential to sample a couple croissants and baked treats! I have to say, I was not disappointed! Now I don’t think I’ll be able to eat another croissant outside of France and Montreal that could possibly be as good! (Although I welcome the challenge!) I did a little research while lying in bed on the morning of our first and only day in Montreal and discovered some cult favorites were Boulangerie Mr Pinchot, Boulangerie Les Co’Pains D’abord, and Boulangerie Guillaume! We tried a few treats and I think the almond croissant was my absolute favorite! Do you have a favorite baked treat?
Boulangerie Les Co’Pains D’abord
Having never been to Ottawa prior to this radio trip I had no idea how beautiful the government buildings were, but needless to say I found the marriage between the historic aspect and the modern importance of these buildings to be incredible. While walking around I was reminded that Canada is a bilingual country. Of course I knew this, but typically the cities I’m most familiar with speak primarily English. It was so exciting to hear people speaking both French and English on the streets of Ottawa. Have you been anywhere and had a similar experience?
I’ve been performing for a long time, and I can still remember my first public singing performance; a cover of Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi”. I remember it made me want to practice, because nerves are something I’ve dealt with since I started performing. Some of the best performers have suffered from an experience on stage and contracted stage fright – the Barbra Streisand Central Park incident where she forgot her lyrics kept her from performing out for over a decade! I’ve tried a lot of different remedies, from breathing techniques and vitamins to different teas and supplements. So I’m going to share with you the things that have helped me overcome my own experience with nerves before hitting the stage.
Hartselle – Alabama
Vitamins/Supplements
Valerian – I tried Valerian root, a natural supplement that is supposed to help your nerves before an audition in high school, and it was okay, but what I found out later was that you need to try it out before hand to find out what kind of dosage you need to start feeling calm. This works for me, but I don’t feel like it completely squelches the nervous energy.
Ashwagandha – This is a tablet I got from Whole Body and it decreases your anxiety level while still giving you energy. I found that this worked well for me, I didn’t feel as though I wasn’t nervous, I just felt I could better control the anxious energy.
Nashville Street Tacos
Start Small
Play smaller shows. Start with a room where your almost just background noise or entertainment. Build your confidence there, and then work your way up to bigger rooms where your art is the main focus.
Puckett’s – Nashville
Prepare
The first show I ever played guitar and sang at was at Eddie’s Attic in Atlanta and it was traumatizing. I wore the wrong skirt which was a slippery material, I sat on a stool where my feet couldn’t touch the ground or the foot rest bar, I had only been playing guitar two weeks, and the one song I played was a mess. I LEARNED FROM THIS. I learned to think about the details that may seem insignificant but during a crucial moment can save you a lot of stress and panic. Think about how your wardrobe will affect your playing ability. Think about what you’re eating the day of the show, think about standing vs. sitting, because it all matters!
The Mint – LA
Practice
This is the method that always works for me. I practice until it’s in my bones. I practice until I can recover from a mistake. Practice until you are sick of it and then practice some more.
All of this put together helps me almost completely dissolve nerves or anxiety of any kind. What are your methods?
Last week I went to Birmingham Alabama, with my friend Taylor Dukes, to play at Moonlight on the Mountain; a great, intimate venue. Typically I fly to another city, but Birmingham is so close to Nashville that we just drove down. It’s always fun to take a day trip and doing so and then getting to play a show that evening, is even better! We had a couple hours to kill before the show so we explored downtown Birmingham and found this great coffee shop. The show went really well and afterwards we packed up and headed back to Nashville!
Sweet Home Alabama 
Octane Coffee shop 
Mountain View 
Green room 
Taylor Dukes and I
Last week I went to Los Angeles to play a show at The Mint LA! It was so exciting and I love promoting my new single Off The Market in such cool venues and cities. The Mint is iconic and I loved the intimate size, but that is was big enough to put on a loud, vivacious show! Playing a show is a part of my career that I love. I love playing songs for an audience and I love it when I hear from someone afterwards that a particular song really spoke to them. From hanging out in the greenroom to actually playing the show I had a lot of fun! Don’t worry LA, I’ll be back to play!
