In this interview spotlight, I chat with Nashville native Nora about her music, technology, challenges and more.

I find myself existing in a world where I come into contact with more bands who have moved to Nashville than ones who are native to Nashville. With that said, it’s always great to chat with a musician whose roots are deep in Music City.

Full Q&A along with link and music below.

Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)

 So i am originally from Nashville , Tennessee, so people usually assume I am a country artist but my music is more on the soulful, indie side. I love the Blues and hope to migrate to a more jazzy style with time.

What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?

 Well music has always been a huge part of what motivates and moves me. I first started writing when i was 10 years and dabbling with guitar when i was 12. I found myself constantly migrating towards music to escape and to be heard. It’s like a language that speaks to you and makes you feel understood when no one else can understand what you are going through. Singing and writing has been my go to outlet to say what is lingering on my mind and to share feelings that i always held inside me. So up until this point i was constantly going back and forth with music and then three years ago it stuck with me for good. I felt complete with my guitar and I fell in love with writing and playing more then ever before. I was ready to start opening up and facing my fears of performing in front of an audience. The idea always terrified me but i did not want to wait any longer. Once i started to believe in myself as a singer/songwriter i knew there was no going back. These days I feel off if i don’t continuously pour myself into my art so that is motivation enough for me.

How is this song any different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?

 This song was just something that simply came to me at a moment in my life when i was feeling really down. I was just capturing the emotion and telling my story in a way that is poetic and open. You feel like the world is tearing you apart and you don’t know if you will get back up again. I think we all have moments in our life that really test our strength, and either build us up or tear us down. It really depends on how hard someone is willing to fight to get back up. . That’s the beauty behind this song. The sun eventually shines again and the world is more beautiful then it was once before if you can survive the rain.

Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this over saturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?

 Well i think the main challenge as a musician is believing in yourself first and not worrying about what everyone else is doing or thinking about you. Just being honest and true to yourself will keep you in a good place. No matter how many other indie musicians are out there ,each individual has something unique and special about them. So even with an over saturated market you find inspiration from your fellow artists and it drives you to keep getting better. I think the music community is a welcoming space if you let it be. And if you keep giving love you will receive it in return. 

Technology has helped teach me a lot. I pretty much taught myself guitar by looking up chords and songs online. Then there is social media which has given me a platform to share my voice with people all over the world. Now that is pretty special. We have the ease and comfort to do everything from our home. Creating, sharing, and connecting with people from all walks of life. The options and opportunities out there are endless , you just have to be open and ready to dive in. It’s somewhat a curse and a blessing because now we have another world that we have to keep up with and protect ourselves from. 

What was the last song you listened to?

The last song i listened to is playing right now as i write this, “Lovely night” by America. My music taste has really opened up since i moved to California. 

Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?

Recently i got rid of all my CDs and hopped on the Vinyl wagon. I am in love with record shopping now! I go into a store and pick out some random ones from the clearance bin as a surprise gift to myself. You never know what you will get until you go home and give them a listen.

How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?

Spotify!! it curates some amazing playlists and I haven’t had any problem finding the songs i want to listen to.

Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?

Instagram is where i usually post about future shows and all the happenings, also i share clips of me singing there too. You can find me at @noramurraymusic

Anything else before we sign off?

I recently had a conversation with a fellow musician who moved from New York to Los Angeles and his story stuck with me because i feel that so many of us can relate to it.

Basically he moved to the city for music but got sucked in to the corporate world. He neglected his dream while all his energy was poured into working for someone else. I feel that we can easily loose sight of our dreams and the need to fill our soul. It’s just crazy how easy it is to get sucked into being the builder of another mans dream while forgetting about ours.

I just wanted to share this because i feel that from time to time we need that reminder to wake up and ask ourselves if we are living the life we truly want. And this doesn’t mean that we all have to be musicians but we all should go after the things we are curious and called to in life. You just never know what door it can lead to and who you will meet along the way.