Mother. Mom. Mama. Mommie.
The matriarch.
So many names for the woman whose unconditional love and support is the glue that helps keep everyone together, everyone balanced, and the loss of this important, influential person can truly capsize one’s life. What was up is now down, what was right is left, and each person will mourn in their own way. After losing her mother last year, 26 year old singer-songwriter Dakota Danielle channeled her love and heartache for her mom into a beautiful EP perfectly titled My Mother’s Daughter.
We spoke with Dakota about the special relationship she had with her mom, the new EP and her ability to eloquently convey her emotions through lyrics.
CN: A lot has happened since we chatted with you last! Your debut single “One Church” hit over 56K on Spotify, and your follow up single “Forever” led you to several speaking engagements at schools to help students pursue their dreams. You also have been continuously performing, including a recent gig with Easton Corbin. How has it felt to have such a positive reaction to your music?
DD: It has been a great and humbling experience. It motivates me to keep working hard knowing the positive reaction I have been receiving from others. I am very thankful!
CN: You also had a very personal shakeup occur last year with the loss of your mother. There is nothing like a bond between a mother and a daughter, and your mother was a very strong supporter of you pursuing your dreams throughout your life. I remember from our previous conversation that her old guitar is what helped spark your drive to be a musician. Would you share with us one of your favorite mother-daughter memories?
DD: I have so many great memories with my mom! She road tripped with me all the way to Colorado for some gigs. That was a lot of fun. We took stops along the way to enjoy some sight-seeing. In Kansas we went to the Wizard of Oz museum and we visited Red Rocks amphitheater. My mom never let her heart disease get the best of her. We always had to take frequent stops when walking and etc., but she never would turn down an opportunity to explore something new. We made a lot of great memories. Before she passed we took a family trip to Ireland and that was a trip I will never forget. There is one other story that I have to tell because I will never forget this hilarious moment. I was in high school and my mom was going to make fish square sandwiches for dinner. She pulls them out of the oven, makes a sandwich and gives it to my dad to eat. My dad bites into it and strawberry jelly comes out all over his face…My mom had accidentally mistaken toasted strudel’s for fish squares. We both were laughing so hard at my dad’s distraught and disgusted face. haha
CN: In your grief you have found the strength to create a beautiful EP titled “My Mother’s Daughter” which was released on April 19. Each of the 4 tracks were written by you, resulting in very intimate and vulnerable songs. How was the process of writing these songs helpful and cathartic for you?
DD: All of these songs on my EP reflect a time in my life where I have grown or learned as a person. The process of writing these songs were almost like a therapy session. I was able to talk about stuff that I knew related to my life in some way or another. My best friend Jessilynn Kidd wrote “Small Town Talk” and “Maria” with me. Having her perspective and relation to those two songs made the writing process that much better.
CN: As they are so personal, could you possibly take us through the stories and memories behind each track?
DD: Of Course!
1. CITY
I got inspiration for this song when I made the big move to Nashville TN! Coming from a small town I was torn between loving the city and missing my hometown lifestyle. Nashville is four hours from the place I grew up making it a trip you can take in one day. Plus, St.Louis, MO is a city that is about an hour away. This song came from my thought of loving to get to be back in my hometown, but yet it is always nice to have a change by having a night out in the CITY! This song brings me back to the memories of first moving to Nashville, missing home, and being so excited to explore the city 🙂
2. SMALL TOWN TALK
This song was one that just needed to be written. Living in a town with a population of 1,600 people – it’s really easy to get caught up in all the gossip. I started this song in Nashville when I was working the 10pm-6am shift at The Fontanel. I was being reflective on my high school years to present and all of a sudden my first verse and most of the chorus was written. I was reflective on times when people would say something about me that wasn’t true or be very persistent on finding information out about what’s going on in my life.
3. MARIA
This song is about being a girl that is like one of the boys. Growing up I always wore sweatpants and a t-shirt. I do not have any brothers (I am an only child), BUT I did hang around my neighbors and cousins a lot playing kickball, baseball, basketball, tennis, etc. It wasn’t until 5th or 6th grade my mom finally got me to start wearing some “girly” clothes. I remember as I got older I still never enjoyed wearing a lot of make-up or be fashionable. I was and still am all about being comfortable! This song was written based on my memories of having crushes that did not like me back. I remember at times I would look at some of my friends and wish I could be/look like them. As I got older I learned to accept and embrace who I was.
4. GROWING OLD
This song took me 2 weeks to write. It was one I had to leave and come back too because it was difficult for me to let my emotions out. I lost my mom almost a year ago and this song was everything I needed to say. I could not explain to people how I felt with her being gone, but when I picked up my guitar all the words I was looking for just came out. I have heard so many times how much I look like her and am like her. My mom believed in me so much and I want to make her and my dad proud.
CN: You have stated that this EP has helped you discover who you are, which is your Mother’s Daughter. Can you explain when you realized how alike you both are? Was it while you were writing or recording? Or perhaps one of those “Wow I sound like my mother” or “My mother would do this” moments?
DD: I didn’t realize how alike me and my mother were until she passed. Going through all her old photos I noticed when she was younger we looked like twins. As time went by without her; I started to pick up on how my voice and mannerisms were similar. I would catch myself doing something exactly like her or saying a comment to my dad that I specifically remember her saying to him before. It was difficult for me to realize because I wanted nothing more then to have her back in my life rather then continue her memory through me.
CN: The artwork for the album is a photo of you looking at yourself in a mirror. It’s a very moving image; here you are physically looking at yourself, while writing the album allowed you to look within yourself. It’s a beautiful concept.
DD: Thank you! I wanted my album cover to be me looking in a mirror because the days leading up to the moment I started writing “Growing Old”: I spent a good amount of time looking myself in the mirror wondering what I am going to do next, questioning who I want to be, noticing all my laugh lines, cry lines, dark circles from no sleep, my similarities I had with mom and etc. I feel like once you experience such a tragic loss everything around you looks different and your perspective on things changes dramatically. At least for me it did. I wanted my album artwork to portray that emotion.
CN: You must know your mom is so proud of you for what you’ve accomplished with this EP, both personally and professionally. What does releasing this EP and these specific songs for everyone to hear mean to you?
DD: Thank you, I like to think she would be proud of me as well. Her favorite song before she passed was “Small Town Talk.” 🙂 Releasing this EP was a very important accomplishment for me. With everything I had going on I wanted to keep doing my music because I knew that is what my mom would want me to do. I am hoping with these songs people will get to know me better and be able to relate to my life.
CN: For our Nashville readers, this Monday, May 13 you will be featured on WSMV’s Today in Nashville performing the wonderful track “Growing Old.” Where can fans catch you this summer?
DD: Yes! I am so excited for this 🙂 Fans can catch me at CMA Fest this summer and my website www.dakotadanielle.com will show upcoming tour dates!
For more information on Dakota, follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.