Images by M. Cencula Photography.
If you ask rising contemporary country singer Brittany McLamb what her favorite experience in country music so far has been, she'll say playing on WSM 65o, the radio station for the Grand Ole Opry. "I got to play a song live and they also played my current single at that time on the air," she said. "So that was just a big deal for me cause my dream is to play the Opry. And to be a part of something that's close to the Opry was very exciting for me."
McLamb started singing young, but it wasn't until she competed in a pageant towards the end of elementary school that she realized she wanted to make music her career. For the talent portion of the pageant, she decided to sing. "My favorite song was Shania Twain's "If You're Not In It For Love (I'm Outta Here)," she said. "I don't really recall being that nervous. To me, it was just like, I'm up here singing my favorite song. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary."
But to the audience, it was much more than ordinary. "After it was over, I think the crowd was as much in shock as I was, for singing for the first time on stage and they just went crazy," said McLamb. "I think that was my first taste of what it was like to be a country music singer and from that point forward I was like, I wanna do this."
Recording covers in studios shortly after that pageant and continuing to sing eventually led to McLamb moving to Nashville in 2007. Today in Nashville, it seems like every artist came to Nashville as a songwriter, but McLamb's songwriting career came about a bit differently than other artists. When she arrived in music city, she hadn't started writing yet. "I met a couple guys who eventually became part of my band," McLamb explained. "I guess we decided among ourselves that I needed to start writing." The first song McLamb ever wrote was a song called "Mr. Right," about a friend who was having "boy issues." From the quality of this song (listen below), she made the right decision when she started writing.
But to the audience, it was much more than ordinary. "After it was over, I think the crowd was as much in shock as I was, for singing for the first time on stage and they just went crazy," said McLamb. "I think that was my first taste of what it was like to be a country music singer and from that point forward I was like, I wanna do this."
Recording covers in studios shortly after that pageant and continuing to sing eventually led to McLamb moving to Nashville in 2007. Today in Nashville, it seems like every artist came to Nashville as a songwriter, but McLamb's songwriting career came about a bit differently than other artists. When she arrived in music city, she hadn't started writing yet. "I met a couple guys who eventually became part of my band," McLamb explained. "I guess we decided among ourselves that I needed to start writing." The first song McLamb ever wrote was a song called "Mr. Right," about a friend who was having "boy issues." From the quality of this song (listen below), she made the right decision when she started writing.
"Once I got my ground laid here in Nashville, I saw how things worked," McLamb said. "People in this town, they're not just artists, they also songwrite. At that point, I made a decision that it was important for me to start leaping into that world and I'm glad I did. That's something that I try to work on as much as I can."
As for the songs she's written, one of McLamb's favorites is a song called "House of Cards." "I love bluegrass music and something I always wanted to do was to write a bluegrass song of my own," McLamb said. This song was the first bluegrass song she ever wrote. She said that every time she plays the song, she always gets very positive reception from fans. "So I've very proud that I actually wrote a bluegrass song and I hope to write many more."
As for the songs she's written, one of McLamb's favorites is a song called "House of Cards." "I love bluegrass music and something I always wanted to do was to write a bluegrass song of my own," McLamb said. This song was the first bluegrass song she ever wrote. She said that every time she plays the song, she always gets very positive reception from fans. "So I've very proud that I actually wrote a bluegrass song and I hope to write many more."
However, McLamb's journey to Nashville hasn't been all sunshine and beautiful songs. "In 2005 I had a tonsillectomy,'" McLamb recounted. "When I was younger I always dreamed that I could sing really high songs. I loved the powerhouse vocalists: Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Martina McBride. But I was sick all the time so I could just never hit those notes." Her doctor warned her that after the procedure her voice might change.
"Of course I was terrified cause I was like 'I wanna be a singer and what if my voice changes and it's worse?'" McLamb said. But luckily, it ended up being a good thing. "I was super excited to sing after the surgery to see what had changed, if anything," McLamb remembers. "And to my surprise I was able to hit those notes."
In the future, McLamb hopes to release another EP. "I've been writing a lot lately and I have a couple songs that I'm sure would be on there but I need a couple more," McLamb said. "So I'm just trying to get a few more writing sessions in and I think that would probably be the next step." In 5 years, McLamb said she would love to be signed to a record label. "Just doing what I love full time. Right now I've been having to do it part time cause I've been having to work full time to pay bills," McLamb said. "So to be able to tour and have the backing support of a label to help further that along would be great."
See McLamb on tour this summer and check out her new video for "I Like Where This Is Going."
In the future, McLamb hopes to release another EP. "I've been writing a lot lately and I have a couple songs that I'm sure would be on there but I need a couple more," McLamb said. "So I'm just trying to get a few more writing sessions in and I think that would probably be the next step." In 5 years, McLamb said she would love to be signed to a record label. "Just doing what I love full time. Right now I've been having to do it part time cause I've been having to work full time to pay bills," McLamb said. "So to be able to tour and have the backing support of a label to help further that along would be great."
See McLamb on tour this summer and check out her new video for "I Like Where This Is Going."
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