Tennessee born, Dallas raised Shaylen is a singer-songwriter who grew up listening to Elvis, Willie Nelson, Ella Fitzgerald, and Janis Joplin, and used those genres as a starting off point as an entertainer. Those artist’s influences gifted her with a wide range, stylistically, of music to perform.
After 10 years in L.A. performing as a pop artist with Republic Records, Shaylen returned to Tennessee, and started working on country music, the genre where she felt more genuine. With that move came her first single “What If I Don’t” released in July, followed by her latest “Roots.”
We recently caught up Shaylen to talk about her musical journey, her new single and more.
CN: Could you please share a little bit about yourself for our readers?
Shaylen: Hi:) My name is Shaylen. I was born in Chattanooga, TN and raised in Dallas, TX. I started singing basically when I could talk. I learned how to sing in church and grew up on country music. Ever since I was little I knew that this is what I was gonna do and nothing could stop me. I moved to LA when I was 18 to pursue pop music and have been there for the last 10 years, writing brought me out to Nashville last summer and the first song I ever wrote in Nashville was my song “What If I Don’t” Thinking I was gonna pitch these songs I quickly realized country music is where my heart lied. I went back to LA turned my life upside down and moved to Nashville officially in August of this year just shortly after releasing “What If I Don’t” in July and I’ve never been happier.
CN: At 7 years old, you had your first experience in front of an audience at church. Could you tell us what that was like and what was it that made you pursue music?
Shaylen: I’ll never forget that moment, it feels literally like it happened yesterday. It was my first church solo during offering and I sang “Bringing In The Sheaves” and I remember feeling for the first time in my whole life like the world stopped and I was the calmest id ever felt but the most alive and I remember making eye contact with everyone while I was singing and the expressions on their face and realizing how much we were connecting for just those short few minutes but it was a feeling I wanted to experience the rest of my life. The days that are harder to keep going in this industry that’s the memory I always go back to and I’m sure glad it did cause its starting to really pay off
CN: Your introduction into music was in church, where gospel music is the norm. When did you decide to move west and perform as a pop artist?
Shaylen: I was 17 turning 18 and was in a pop group at the time that started out as a Christian pop group so there was heavy gospel influence all throughout my younger years and touring but we started to shift into more just pop music which I absolutely loved as well and it led us to our first record deal when I was 17 which then was the main reason for my move out to LA.
CN: What was your time like in LA & what lessons did you take with you to Nashville?
Shaylen: I will say I have so much love for LA and the things I learned there. The people I came across will always have a place in my heart for forever and working with anyone and everyone over the last 10 years taught me so many things that I’m really starting to see and apply to my country music that I’m not sure I would have learned and became the artist I am today without all of those experiences.
CN: You write music as well as being a singer, do you find any similarities between country and pop…any differences?
Shaylen: OMG so many things I’m learning between the two worlds even the process and the sessions in general are very very different. Especially Nashville writes sometimes starting at 9 AM WHICH WAS A FIRST FOR ME LOL! LA you are not starting a write before 1 pm and that’s on a good day lol! I will say the lyric process in Nashville is way different in finding the twist to the songs and seeing how much the country audience responds to the lyrics much more than in pop. Its been really fun getting challenged in that department.
CN: As a songwriter, have you written any songs for other artists?
Shaylen: Lots and I got to South Korea a ton to write for K-pop groups out there which is so freaking cool to me. Never thought my songwriting would take me all the way to Korea and be respected over there. Still feels very surreal to have written one of the biggest songs there in 2017.
CN: Your recent work uses inspiration from real life experiences, are they your experiences?
Shaylen: Yup! Every song that I write is something that I’ve gone through or am currently going through. Its the biggest form of therapy for me to get it all out and make it into a song.
CN: Your new single “Roots” just came out October 14. Can you give us the background on it?
Shaylen: “Roots” was truly my moment of realizing that I was going back to LA to pack my bags up and take a leap of faith not having any plan or idea of how this was gonna work, if people were gonna accept me in the country music scene and ending my relationship with my boyfriend at the time, and coming back home and I can honestly say that might be one of the most personal and real songs that I’ve written to this day. And then going through the video footage as well was so therapeutic and just seeing everything come full circle to come back to my home state just felt beyond right.
CN: With the first single “What If I Don’t” having been out since July, and Roots just released, do you have a new album in the plans?
Shaylen: Oh boy I think I have enough songs for two albums at this point hehe but I’m gonna keep releasing singles till mid next year and then plan for a full album by end of next year and I’M STOKED.
CN: Are there any touring plans? If not, do you have a dream tour you’d love to be on?
Shaylen: There will definitely be quite a few shows coming up top of the year but as for dream tour… CARRIE UNDERWOOD, SHANIA TWAIN, MORGAN WALLEN LOL
For more information on Shaylen, follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.