Renee Blair, someone you should get to know
Interview conducted on September 17, 2019
by Dan Locke
Country up-and-comer Renee Blair treated fans to a two-pack on September 16, 2019, releasing songs “Summadat” and “Wearin’ It Well.” “Both tracks sonically channel the modern country vibe, with pop influences” (NY Country Swag) and are available for purchase and streaming across all digital platforms. “Summadat” was co-written by CMA-nominated artist Jordan Schmidt (Florida Georgia Line, Kane Brown, Jason Aldean) and Andy Albert (Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Dan+Shay), while “Wearin’ It Well” was co-written with Schmidt and Sara Buxton (Keith Urban, Florida Georgia Line, Chris Lane). Both tracks include a “fresh take on her genre-blending kind of country”
Dan Locke: You are a Missouri-raised country singer. What was the Missouri country music scene like?
Renee Blair: There wasn’t much of one, if any, from what I can remember. I started coming to Nashville and working on music when I was 15. I’d skip high school about one day a month to come down here to take voice lessons and meetings.
You have been writing music since you were 15 years old. What inspires you? And what is your writing process like?
I truly never thought about how a song became a song before. When I came to Nashville early on, a publisher I met with told me “you should try writing songs if you want to move here,” and the whole 5-hour car ride back to St. Louis I was filling up pages of my notebook with words I thought could be cool in a song. Needless to say, since 15 I’ve fallen in love with songwriting in a way I never expected. It’s just as important to me as being an artist. Nashville is home to some of the most incredible wordsmiths in the world who have taught me the delicacy of crafting one word next to another. I love co-writing – walking into a room of silence and creating something out of thin air. It’s truly magical.
I saw your video “Through The Wire” with your jaw wired shut. You still sound pretty good back then. Why did you decide to make that video?
Unfortunately, I fell asleep at the wheel a few years back in the middle of the afternoon. I ended up in the hospital for four days. My jaw was broken in five places, and my lip and lower cheek were completely sewn back together after being torn off and into multiple pieces. Kanye West’s career took a turn when his mouth was wired shut and he recorded “through the wire,” so I figured I should do the same. I was lucky to be alive and, even with my mouth wired shut, all I wanted to do was sing.
What is the biggest crowd you ever performed in front of?
It was actually a few weeks ago. I got to sing the “National Anthem” for the Indianapolis Colts! I remember pulling up to Lucas Oil Stadium and, before I even realized what it was, I shouted “Oh my God, what is that building? That’s the biggest building in the world!” My agent said, “That’s where you’re singing tonight” – and I couldn’t believe it. I told her to turn the car around, haha. I think there were about 50,000 people there!
How was it to open up for Willie Nelson?
Honestly, it’s my favorite thing that’s happened to me professionally so far. Willie is a legend, an icon, and an outlaw. His crew on the road has been with him for over 40 years, and to see the level of professionalism and passion that exists was beyond inspiring. He asked me to come sing the Gospels with him on stage our last night, and may have left us some goodies in our dressing room 😉
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I’d love to see myself at the GRAMMYS, CMA Awards, ACM Awards… Headlining my own shows… I want to continue creating music that fans want to hear – music they can have fun listening to!
Showcasing her versatility and vivacity, singer-songwriter Renee Blair drops a shimmering acoustic version of her knockout track “Girlfriend” (Matt McGinn/Schmidt/Blair). The silky but sassy original led CMT News to say that relative newcomer Renee “has one of those voices that makes her sound like she’s not a newcomer at all.” This silvertoned new version doubles down and shows you why you’re going to be hearing from her for a while to come.
