Haley Mae Campbell released her EP “Growing Up” on February 12, 2021. With the new title track, this EP is the culmination of previous single releases over the past couple of years. It is symbolic because growing up is precisely what Campbell has been doing during her first three years in Music City. Undiscovered Nashville has been following the singer-songwriter for a couple of years after seeing her perform at Nashville Tour Stop. We were excited to finally interview Haley Mae Campbell. Please keep reading to learn more about Campbell.
Haley Mae Campbell Finds her Passion
Many of us go years without finding something we are passionate about, but Haley Mae discovered hers as a child. While born in New York, Campbell spent her childhood in Charleston, South Carolina. Campbell said, “It was just enough New York to kick the southern accent out of me. Strangely, I never had a southern accent. It must have been all the New Yorkers surrounding me.”
It’s always interesting to learn when every singer-songwriter falls in love with music. The singer-songwriter said, “I started out falling in love with music through musical theatre. By the time I was ten or eleven, I was in a youth company putting on musicals. While I loved being on stage, I quickly figured out the dancing and acting were not my things. However, the singing stuck. Performing and entertaining people is what I loved.”
Learning to play an instrument can be a game-changer in developing as a songwriter. Campbell explained, “Once I got my first guitar, I couldn’t put it down. I still can’t. After I learned guitar, I started writing songs and playing out as much as possible. When I was fifteen, I fronted a cover band that played all over Charleston. They had no idea I was under eighteen until I showed up for band practice.”
The Pursuit of a Dream
The perseverance and drive exhibited by singer-songwriters in Nashville are inspiring, especially those who jump without a backup plan. Haley Mae said, “After high school graduation, I was taking a gap year because I graduated early. At that point, I had been coming to Nashville a couple of times a year. However, I didn’t want to wait until after college. I knew what I wanted to do, and I wanted to jump headfirst. So, I convinced my parents to let me move to Nashville at nineteen, and here I am three years later.”
It seems rational to have a backup plan when you are pursuing a music career, and many have one. However, Haley Mae Campbell explained why she never had one. The singer-songwriter said, “If you have a plan B, you will be tempted to follow it. I heard a good quote recently. It said something like, “you can fail at anything, so why not fail chasing your dreams rather than you backup plan. You can go for a stable job, then something like 2020 happens. So, there is no time to waste. You have to go after what you want.”
Lessons Learned from 2020
The past year was challenging for everyone, but those musicians whose income source came from touring were hit especially hard. Campbell described her experience from last year. Haley Mae said, “The past year took us all for a ride. For me, I rely heavily on touring. I don’t have a side job. It was difficult seeing six months’ worth of dates wiped out in one week last March.”
Campbell described the perspective she gained through the challenges of 2020. The singer-songwriter said, “Last year taught me a lot about embracing the other aspects of being an artist, especially in Nashville. Due to the limitations we face, the writing game has changed for the better. People are willing to take chances on writing sessions they may not have since we have more time on our hands. Honestly, what kept me going was releasing music. The success of the music encouraged me, and confirmed this is what I am meant to do. Pandemic or not, I will be finding my way and figuring out how to do it. In the last year, I feel I have grown so much.”
Haley Mae Campbell Releases “Growing Up”
“Growing Up” is a strong representation of who Campbell is as an artist. The singer-songwriter said, “The EP came together organically. It includes the five songs I’ve released over the past two years. The title track, “Growing Up,” caps it off. I wrote “Growing Up” shortly after moving to town with one of my favorite songwriters, Liz Longley. I told her about my journey to get to Nashville. We were discussing whether I missed out by not attending college. However, I don’t think I missed out because I went to a summer camp where I made lifelong friends. It became this nostalgic song, and it’s more vulnerable than the music I have previously released.”
Haley Mae described what her previously released music has meant to her. Campbell said, “I decided to cap off these last five songs that have changed the course of my career. Before I released “Anything but Yellow,” I had never been playlisted on Spotify. That song played a significant part in opening doors for me. I followed that with “Ghost Stories,” which was my first number one on the CMT 12-pack, which was terrific. I have had so many mentors and champions come on to my team because of the success, especially John Marks at Spotify. He has been a huge supporter, and it’s been incredible to work with him one on one.”
Campbell continued, “It’s been a whirlwind. It’s crazy to think this EP will have over 4 million streams behind it, including the last singles. I definitely wouldn’t have thought I would be here if you had asked me before releasing “Anything but Yellow.” It seemed perfect to cap off the project with “Growing Up.” In the last three years, I’ve learned a lot. From nineteen to twenty-two, it’s been an enormous period for growth. My gray hairs have been earned. This EP represents me as an artist. You can listen to this and understand who I am, what breaks my heart, and what makes me happy.”
Tik Tok and Fun Facts with Haley Mae Campbell
Tik Tok has become a social medium that has sprung singer-songwriters into popularity. Everyone is trying to get songs to go viral. Campbell said, “I’m on Tik Tok, and it’s an interesting beast. I feel like I am too old to understand it, but I love it. If people follow me, they will see stupid stuff and music stuff. For a long time, I was afraid to get on there. As I have known it throughout my career as an artist, content had to be this perfect thing. However, I think that is the beauty of Tik Tok. It’s raw and authentic.”
The most surprising thing in the whole interview with Haley Mae Campbell was talking about her fun facts. The singer-songwriter said, “I am a big fan of roller skating. I played roller derby in high school, and it is the most fun sport. People either know what it is from the movie “Whip It.” If they don’t know, I tell them to watch that movie. It is as much fun to watch as hockey. My roller derby career was a short-lived but glorious time in my life. Another fun fact is I am a dual citizen. I have Irish citizen through my grandmother.”
Maybe Campbell will become TikTok famous, but in the meantime, listen to her EP, Growing Up, on Apple Music or Spotify. Follow her journey on social media. Undiscovered Nashville believes you will love Haley Mae as much as we do.
