Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Introducing Terah Lynn: The extraordinary story of Blue Collar Barbie


Appalachian native Terah Lynn left her home in the mountains at a young age with nothing but a backpack and a guitar. The six-foot-tall powerhouse traveled for years, working hard labor in the hot southern sun doing everything from roofing to sheetrocking to ditch digging.

In 2020, Terah was discovered by Grammy, Dove and Stellar Award-winning producer, Billy Dorsey while living in Houston and promptly released her debut EP "Wild Calling" with singles hitting No. 4 and No. 5 on the iTunes Blues Charts.

Fast forward to 2021 when Terah made history being hired as the first-ever female supervisor of Gibson Guitar's lumber mill in Nashville. She packed her bags and headed to Music City to work for the famous guitar brand and to make her Nashville debut. She recorded her latest single, "Landmines" produced by Jeff Huskins of the multiplatinum award-winning band,' Little Texas' on Music Row. The single dropped 4.15.22 and was spun on radio stations across the U.S. and was added to several Hit Country playlists on Spotify.

Terah is currently recording several new singles, produced by Award-winning producer, Dean Miller, son of Country Music Hall of Fame's Roger Miller.

This unique artist, who has been dubbed the "Blue Collar Barbie" boasts a gritty vocal tone that has been likened to legends like Melissa Etheridge, Tracy Chapman, and Bonnie Tyler.

In addition to working for the famous guitar brand, she is also the owner of Bridge Music Magazine, a Nashville digital publication in partnership with Universal Music Group.

Interview with Terah Lynn

AIM: Thank you so much for coming on All Indie Magazine. First question, who inspired you to want to pursue your career in music?

Terah Lynn: Thank you for having me! That’s a great question! I think it was a combination of my little blue-eyed, blonde haired Mama and Johnny Cash. My mom was really the only person in my life that never laughed at my dreams or chastised me for being different and creative. She gave me the space and safety to be an artist. Johnny Cash was my first musical love as a kid. He was gritty, moody and honest. I always say the torture in his voice resonated with my own so I always related to and was inspired by him.

AIM: You recently released a song called, “Landmines”. Can you talk about this track and tell us the process and who you worked with on the production? 

Terah Lynn: Landmines was a fun track! I wrote it in my head while working on the bandsaw at Gibson’s lumber mill last summer. It helped me process what I was going through relationally at the time. 

It was recorded on Music Row at Sound Stage studios. Jeff Huskins of Little Texas produced the track and brought in some phenomenal musicians to bring the song to life. It was awe-inspiring watching that team work, I am so honored to have had them all involved.

AIM: You first were recognized for your single “Not So Nice” and it was also during the pandemic. How did releasing your music in 2020 affect your career? 

Terah Lynn: Oh gosh, well that was such an unexpected season but it taught me so much. Because we unknowingly released it right before the world shut down, it delayed everything. Every artist putting out music at the time was understandably overshadowed by the collective tragedy the world was facing so it really knocked us down but even so, the response to that song was incredible! I really couldn't ask for a better group of fans. I am a firm believer in God’s timing though, that sometimes what is best for us is to have to wait. It’s extremely character-building.

AIM: For a rising music artist, what do you think has been the toughest part about this journey?

Terah Lynn: I would have to say learning that it truly is a business. I think every doe-eyed artist comes into it thinking it’s completely centered on the art, and it’s not. It’s the music business and operates like one. But once you start to learn that, and learn not to be controlled by it, you can learn how to exist inside of the business model while still maintaining your creativity. After all, some of the best art is created in adversity so the challenge of it I think makes us dig our roots a bit deeper.

AIM: What are your top 3 music artists that you loved as a child that you never get tired of hearing?

Terah Lynn: Definitely Johnny Cash. And I absolutely love CCR and of course the Queen Dolly Parton.

AIM: Who do you consider your most influential artists of today?

Terah Lynn: I still find the most influential artists to be those like Dolly Parton, Reba, Loretta Lynn and the like. The current artists are really just a product of their hard work so while I enjoy what they’re doing, I know that what exists in them was only made possible by the blood sweat and tears of those before us.

AIM: Do your songs represent a story about yourself or are they simply creative works based on your imagination?  

Terah Lynn: There are almost always something I’m going through that I’m processing, and from that, I just try to paint the picture for it in a relatable way. The best compliments I get are the ones that say “This made me feel so understood” and “I relate to this more than you know” - That’s why I love to write. I’ve felt so alone for a lot of my formative years and if I can do anything to make someone feel a little less alone, then I can call my life a success.

AIM: Some people say writing songs is hard. Some people say creating the music to convey what you envision your music to sound like is the hardest part. What do you think has been the toughest part of writing and creating music?

Terah Lynn: For me, it’s really the music itself. Lyrics are my heart but music and arrangements are difficult. I play a little bit but I’m not innately a musician. Because of the manual labor Ive done in my life, I’ve had my right shoulder reconstructed 3 separate times and because of that, I can only play the guitar for a little while before my hand completely goes numb so I’ve really hard to learn to write in other ways. And because I’m naturally introverted and always in my end, that’s where I end up going to write. Words come easy, but definitely not the music!

AIM: I know it might be too early to say so this early in your career, but what are you thankful for?

Terah Lynn: Aw it’s never too early to be thankful! I have so many things I’m thankful for but if I had to pick one I would just say I’m thankful for the people I’ve met on this journey. I love people and meeting so many different, amazing artists, managers, producers, labels, etc has been such a blessing. I wish I could list them all. They have blessed my life and made me a better person.

AIM: Are you working on new material to release in the near future? If so, what is something you can share with us right now?

Terah Lynn: Yes! I am about to get back in the studio to finish a project we started a few months ago. A single called, “So Strong” I wrote that in my head, sent it to my amazing manager and she said “That’s the one!” So I’m excited to finish that one up and get it out into the world to hear.

AIM: If you had one or even two million dollars set aside to do whatever you want, what would you invest that money into right now?

Terah Lynn: I love this question! People! I really have gone through such an interesting year of finding myself, my purpose and truly realizing what is important in the world and it is always PEOPLE! There will never be anything more worth your time and money than investing in another person. When I was a little girl, I started this list of people I met that if I ever got rich, I would just mail them a bunch of money, and I still have that list today so it’s only a matter of time!

AIM: If there was a major festival you could headline or even be announced on the roster, which one would you want to be on?

Terah Lynn: Oh man, it’s so hard to pick one specifically because it is just as much an honor to me to be invited to a big festival as it is to be invited to a dive bar on a weeknight. Even after all this time, it’s just so amazing to me that people want to listen to me so each invite, I am incredibly thankful!

AIM: If you could meet any person or celebrity right now, who would you love to spend the day with?  

Terah Lynn: I would have to say Dolly Parton. First and foremost to thank her. Then to glean from her, to soak up her wisdom and knowledge and hope that some of her genius would rub off on me. I think it’s so easy for the next generation to get enamored with the “next big things” and as talented as they are, we shouldn’t forget those who have pioneered and paved the way for us to be here! None of this was possible without them. Nowadays, we are rarely breaking down walls, its all fairly “easy” and people like Dolly are the reason. They broke the glass ceilings, they endured the skepticism and sexism and prejudice. They fought battles we could not even imagine to pave the way for us to casually upload our music. I would love the opportunity to thank Dolly and people like her whose pain served a greater purpose for us all.

AIM: Thank you so much for coming on All Indie Magazine. We wish you the very best and we hope to see your name everywhere very soon!

Find more of Terah Lynn at: 

Official website: https://terahlynnmusic.com/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/26Zx9YA6ZRj4EMV3pEQRmF?si=-ypqeI2iT8S4o8wuoITIEA&nd=1

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/landmines/1617681292?i=1617681396 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terahlynnofficial/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@terahlynnofficial

Amazon Music: Link

FOR BOOKING CONTACT: INFO@TERAHLYNNMUSIC.COM

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