“Strawberry Wine.”
It was that hit song by Deana Carter back in 1995 that convinced bright eyed beauty Sandra Lynn that country music would one day be her destiny. But Nashville was nowhere close to the suburbs of Chino, California where Lynn grew up, surrounded by dairy farms and horses. Nonetheless, the sounds of powerful females such as Trisha and Faith influenced Lynn so much that she began writing and networking within the LA music scene after school. And through her connections, she ran into prestigious producer and songwriter David Foster, who convinced her that she needed to immerse herself in the Nashville circles.
So, in 2010, she visited Music City for the first time and immediately began seeking out those who were on a similar journey. And just four short years later came her self titled debut EP, produced by Rascal Flatts’ Jay DeMarcus.
“I am so humbled by a lot of people I have gotten to work with. These people are the masters of their craft, “ Lynn says of the impressive list of industry folks her name has been linked too. Names like Lori McKenna, who wrote the focus track on her debut EP. Although she herself has not written with McKenna, it is on her bucket list. And names like Ross Copperman, who co-wrote and produced her 2014 upbeat Sirius XM single, “After Party.” She continued to build fans and radio airplay with another single, “Hey California” which garnered over 200,000 streams on Spotify.
And as of January 19, 2018, her new EP, Fight, is out featuring the single track, “Somebody Kissed Me In A Bar.” In comparison to her earlier releases which featured more of her playful side, this one is more in depth and more vulnerable. Lynn told The Country Note that she spent the better part of the last two years expanding on her songwriting and perfecting her song choices.
The order of the song choices may be just as important as the songs themselves. According to Lynn, Fight is chapter one of a three part EP release. All three “chapters” chronicle the “push and pull” of a relationship between a couple through each song which is threaded together to narrate a bigger story. Where they end up is anybody’s guess–that is until the final chapter is released later this year.
So what made her release “Somebody Kissed Me In A Bar” first?
“A lot of us have had that moment in time. Sometimes it takes another person trying to sweep you off your feet for you to realize you’re not over someone. All of those emotions come flooding back-what I call a ‘green light moment.’ So where do you go from there? And that’s why I wanted the video to be a performance piece to tell that story of not knowing you still felt those emotions till somebody kissed you in bar.”
The video is currently airing on CMT and it’s also up on CMT.com. You can watch it here.
While the first three songs (“Fight”, “Rest in Pieces”, “Somebody Kissed Me In A Bar”) obviously focus more on the couple’s up and downs, the last song, “The Outside” (written by Lynn and LA up and comer Jake Scott) steers more towards the life experiences of women who have lived a little.
“We get vulnerable behind closed doors and share experiences with other women usually, whether it’s our own or friends’. We can sometimes take people for granted in relationships and look around and think, ‘Maybe I can have it better.’ But you don’t know what really happens behind closed doors. And if you’re gonna work for something, work for it and be happy and don’t take it for granted.”
And one thing Lynn is not taking for granted? The chance to learn from the best of the best out on the road. Having opened for the likes of Kenny Chesney, Kenny Rogers, Cole Swindell, and Brad Paisley, Lynn says the biggest thing she takes away is watching them connect with their audience.
“After my set, I’ll sit on the side of the stage and watch these artists and it’s like taking a master class. They’re obviously as big as they are for a reason. Watching how they entertain and connect with a crowd is a learning process for me because that’s my goal when I play live. And it’s incredible.”
It’s also incredible to Lynn that she gets to meet fans and social media followers after the shows.
“Our world is kinda weird now and days in that social media is the forefront of our lives and a lot of times, I follow them or they follow me and then I get to meet them in person and thank them for the support! It’s so cool that we get to connect with humans that way!”
And while no exact tour dates have been set yet in support of the EP, Lynn says not to fret because they are coming!
And in the meantime, download this EP for your listening pleasure and check her out on where else—socials! Visit www.sandralynnmusic.com for all the latest info and follow her on Twitter and Instagram @sandralynnmusic.