Did you know what you wanted to be at three years old? Bailey Hefley did. The Arkansas native knew then that she was destined to be a singer and she has followed through to her calling. She has opened for some of country’s biggest stars including Old Dominion, Ashley McBryde, Deana Carter and more. Her debut single “Dust on a Diamond” was released last year and her follow up single “+1” is out now all leading up to her debut album Forever 20 Something due out fall of 2020.
We spoke with Bailey about her musical influences, her recent releases – including a remix – and more.
CN: For our readers who may not be familiar with you, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
BH: I like putting melodies to my thoughts, and I have been playing in dive bars since I was 11. I grew up on a farm, I love horses, dogs and really all animals, and I sing all the time.
CN: With everything that’s going on in the world in regards to COVID-19, we hope everyone in your circle is safe and healthy. How are you holding up?
BH: Thank you so much for saying that. They are. I have one close friend that did catch the virus, but she is great now and her symptoms were very mild, bordering on asymptomatic. I am great! I believe in keeping a positive mindset no matter what life throws at you. We truly do create our own realities. I keep my condo clean and make my bed every morning, which works wonders for me as far as my mood goes. I also can’t go long without being outdoors, and I’m loving the time I get to spend walking and listening to music.
CN: How has the current situation affected your craft? Perhaps productively such as inspiration (providing some or a lack of)?
BH: I would say it’s for sure been harder for me to write alone. I’m an observer and I write about not only what I experience, but what I see and it’s hard to find that kind of inspiration in the protein bar aisle at Whole Foods (laughs), but hey, never say never.
CN: At what moment did you realize that you were destined to follow a path of music?
BH: It’s been something I have just known that I wanted, for as long as I can remember. I vaguely remember telling my mom I wanted to be a singer when I was 3. When I performed at my first school talent show in Kindergarten I sang “Baby Take a Bow” and I never wanted to stop bowing.
CN: Which musicians, country or not, have influenced you both personally and as an artist?
BH: So many. I grew up listening to Shawn Mullins, The Dixie Chicks, Shania Twain, Christina Aguilera, Garth Brooks and many more. Also, my mom is a classical pianist so even Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight Of The Bumblebee” influenced me. I remember walking around my house belting “Beautiful” by Christina Aguilera until I got all of the vocal runs right, and my little sister would yell “stop singing! I’m studying!” She loved how loud I sang constantly.
CN: A fairly new face in country music, you have already garnered 500k+ streams and have been added to several Spotify playlists. What does it mean to you to be recognized and included on playlists such as New Music Nashville and Fresh Finds Country?
BH: It absolutely means the world. Each playlist is so helpful for getting my songs out there. So much heart goes into making each song that they feel like my children, so when I send one off to college making an editorial playlist is like hearing it made the Dean’s list first semester.
CN: Opening up for acts like Old Dominion to Deanna Carter to Ashley McBryde had to be amazing and memorable. What were those experiences like? Were you nervous? What did you learn from those artists as well as from within yourself?
BH: I was so honored to stand on the same stage as those heroes of mine. I always get a little nervous before I go on stage, but that’s just part of it. Once I’m one or two songs in it all fades away and I’m back to feeling like I’m in my “happy place”. Also, I try to remember why I’m there—to share a feeling, which is a beautiful and powerful thing and that diminishes the nerves.
CN: Last year you released your debut single “Dust on a Diamond” – a very personal and empowering song. Would you share with us the story behind these powerful lyrics?
BH: I lost a guy and in turn lost myself. In an effort to find my stride again, I gained strength I hadn’t known before. Though there were (and always will be) bad days, I learned that mindset is everything, and optimism can endure whatever life throws at me and I’ll always bounce back. My hope is that anyone who is feeling down will realize that they are “good enough” when they listen to “Dust on a Diamond.”
CN: Most recently you shared Remix 20 of “Dust on a Diamond.” What motivated you to create a remix of this track? What was the production process in regards to reworking the song?
BH: I was parking my car at the mall a little over a year ago, and I suddenly heard an echoey phrase and sound in my head that I felt should be the intro for “Dust on a Diamond.” Unfortunately, it was too late to change the intro. For months, I couldn’t get the intro idea out of my head. Fast forward to November 2019, and the music mastermind Brian Kennedy heard my song and wanted to produce it, and @davixforeman (also unbelievably gifted and possibly a magician I’m convinced) mixed the song. When I finished cutting my vocal with Davix, I was basically like “so I have this idea..” and I sat and watched him make the sounds on his keyboard. It was really cool to see. It only took him about 20 minutes to build it and we tweaked it together to fit what I was hearing.
CN: Tell us a little bit about your current single “+1.” You can include the backstory, inspiration, writing/recording process, etc.
BH: I wrote “+1” about the hope of finding true love, which I think many of us are looking for. We wrote it in two separate sessions, and wrote to track. I had been out with friends the weekend before, and was completely crushing on this guy, and still in a daydream state about him and that’s what inspired the song.
CN: Will there be a music video for the song?
BH: We haven’t figured that out yet. I was actually looking at finding a date to film one the week the virus hit, so it’s undecided until we know more about the safety of being around a film crew etc.
CN: If you could collaborate with any one artist, who would it be and why?
BH: Ed Sheeran because he is a musical genius. I love his lyrics and how they always seem to hit me. His melodies are unbelievable too. He writes for country and pop, which I think is incredibly cool. I would love to write a song with him or sing on a track together.
CN: What was the first concert you ever attended?
BH: The Dixie Chicks! It is still one of my favorite concert memories ever. My mom took me to so many concerts growing up and would say, “watch! this is how you learn.”
CN: If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be and why?
BH: I had to ask my mom for this one—she said kind—which was the first word that popped into my head too. I see the best in people and I believe in treating others how I want to be treated.
CN: What’s next on the horizon for you?
BH: For now I’m doing as many live streams as I can in quarantine… And I may have a surprise single coming out very soon. I’m releasing my first full album sometime this year. I co-wrote each song, and I’m very excited to send each song child off to college!
For more information on Bailey Hefley, visit her website at www.baileyhefley.com and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.