We interview Bailey Hefley about her breakthrough single ‘Dust on a Diamond’ and her journey so far.
Hey, how are you? How’s life in quarantine been going for you?
It’s being going so well, I’m not hating having some extra time I didn’t think I’d have with my family.
I know Nashville is starting to open up a bit now…
Yeah, I’ll probably go back towards maybe July or toward the end of the summer, once things start to get a bit in full swing over there.
I know you were born in Little Rock, can you talk a bit about growing up there and what the music scene is like?
Well, so growing up in Little Rock, my main source of performance opportunities was the school talent show, but when I was eleven, I would beg my dad to take me to this little dive bar called Whitewater Tavern, which was the diviest of dive bars. It happened to be conveniently located near the baseball field, where my brother would play, so five minutes away, I could totally convince my dad. So every time when the game would end, I’d ask my dad to take me over and most of the time he’d take me. It was so funny to get up there with the men that were playing, this one song I’d look out in the audience and see my little brother falling asleep in my dad’s lap, snoring because it was 11pm at night, on a school night.
The first single of yours I heard was your breakthrough single ‘Dust on a Diamond.’ Can you talk a bit about that track and how important it was to you in terms of your musical journey?
Absolutely. ‘Dust on a Diamond’ was written from a very raw, real emotion and I came in spilling my guts, telling this whole story about this guy who broke my heart and when I lost the guy, I lost myself. The song fell out in about an hour and ten minutes. I knew right then when I got in the car, I listened to it over and over again – we had what everyone likes to call a ‘track guy’ in the room, building the track, so I sang the vocal over the track he built, while we were writing the song, so I was able to listen to it in the car. I just knew it was going to be a song that I was going to record, I listened to it over and over again. I listened to it about 45 times, and it really brainwashed me into feeling better about myself after what I’d been through.
Well that is what all the best music does! I know you’ve opened up for a lot of artists like Old Dominion and Ashley McBryde, so what have those experiences given to you and your music?
I would say that all those experiences were super positive and I didn’t take a second for granted. When you get to do something like that, you just know going into it that it’s going to be something that you remember forever. You’ll remember the faces, the fans and meeting them after you play, getting to know them. When I did most of those shows, like opening for Ashley McBryde for example, that was before I’d released any songs and so it was even more special that I got to do something like that and that people in the audience responded to me. It was an overwhelming type of joy to see them react to songs that I had been writing in my bedroom. They just seemed to really connect to it which was really cool. I’m so thankful to Ashley and to Deana Carter for allowing me to crash the stage that night, it was really cool. They’re amazing and I think both of them really epitomise female girl power in this industry, just this strong female energy. Ashley McBryde when she came to Nashville, I think she just stormed the entire town.
I know that everything has been a bit on hold at the moment with everything going on, but do you have new music that you’re planning to release soon?
I’ve been writing like crazy, so quarantine has not been slowing down my writing at all, if anything I’ve been writing more and it’s been great. I am super excited about some of the songs that I’ve been writing and definitely writing for album number two, so fingers crossed, I will be able to get in the studio soon.
Have you got any particular themes or songs that you think will be on the album or is it just a case of getting in the studio and seeing what’s going to land?
I do actually have an idea of what I want and I’m already getting really giddy about the songs that I’m pretty sure are going to be on it. I always get like that, I’m like a little kid on Christmas and intense about songs. I can’t wait for people to hear it, but what’s funny is that it’s at least a year, sometimes more before the world actually hears the songs. I’ve had to learn patience for sure.
Final Few
If a biopic was made about your life what would be the opening track? Ooh, ‘Forever 20 Something.’
Would you rather give up songwriting or performing? Oh my gosh! That’s like saying, ‘Would I rather give up my leg or my arm?’ Hmm, I don’t know, maybe songwriting? That’s tough.
A song you love to dance to? Savage, I hate to admit it.
Complete the sentence…
Music is… my passion.
Country music is… everything.
Bailey Hefley is… heartfelt.
