In a recent SPIN interview, Grammy-nominated country artist Hailey Whitters spoke about her lifelong appreciation of her songwriting processes and creative inspirations.
The “Fillin’ My Cup” vocalist highlights that she grew up idolizing Trisha Yearwood and Alan Jackson, plus had teachers hone her writing and musical talent to allow her to evolve into being a rising Nashville singer-songwriter.
“I grew up idolizing the voices that I was hearing on country radio, aspiring to be like Trisha Yearwood and Alan Jackson,” she says. At the same time, her teachers noted her exceptional writing talent. Thus, it seemed only natural to combine her skills and interests and become a singer-songwriter.
“Songwriting became an early passion of mine,” Whitters notes to the magazine. “My mom brought me down to Nashville when I was 15. It was the biggest city I’d ever been to, and I saw people with their guitars standing on Broadway busking for tips. We went to the Grand Ole Opry and I was like, ’This is what I want to do for the rest of my life – I’m moving to Nashville.’” She continues, “To have the guts to leave every single thing that you’ve ever known and move nine hours away to try a career that you had no example for, I think that was a pretty bold move for a 17-year-old girl from small-town Iowa, in hindsight.”
She notes a fun, creative process that brings her back to her “small-town,” Shueyville, Iowa roots. “I like to go to the cornfield behind my parents’ house. I take a bottle of wine. I can see the beauty in the simple landscape and sit and reflect about life. I like to go back home and talk with the people in my town. I get a lot of inspiration from real-life experiences,” she notes.