Delaney Grant – What Made Me

By starrymag | September 20, 2021

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) The best way to describe my sound is Country with lots of acoustic elements that showcase the message in each song, as well as bring out the soft crispy tones of my voice.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) Growing up in the Ottawa Valley fiddle community, I was very influenced by Irish Celtic music. I was also influenced by my parents’ taste in music like ACDC, Aerosmith, Eagles, John Prine, CCR, Neil Young, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Randy Travis and Alan Jackson. As I started to discover music, I fell in love with Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Shania Twain, Alison Krauss, Dixie Chicks, Lori McKenna, Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert and Martina McBride.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “What Made Me.”

 

A) “What Made Me” was written with my good friend Alee over Zoom after I’d moved back home for the summer last year. The initial inspiration came from the moment I walked into my old bedroom. There were so many keepsakes like my prom dress, the medals on the back of my door and my grandma’s quilt. All those momentums brought up so many memories of lessons I learned. I brought the idea to Alee and she said it could be so much more than just the little stories. All those keepsakes represent lessons I’ve learned, and have helped shape who I am.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) I think that this song encourages fans to look at their own life and appreciate every little moment that played a part in the person they have become.

 

Q) How did you decide to also offer up the bonus track “Home?”

 

A) “Home” is a very special song to me, and I thought it needed to be heard. The reason why I decided to package the two together is because they reflect two different parts of my life – past and present. “What Made Me” talks about the past and how I got to where I am now. “Home” is about living in a new place that has some similar qualities to where I come from as well.

 

Q) What is your songwriting process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) I would say that I don’t have a typical writing process – it changes for every song. However, I keep a note running on my phone of ideas, concepts, song titles, random lyrics and will pull from those ideas when I go into a co-write. After that, we bounce off different ways to write the song and see what melody fits the idea best.

 

Q) Travis Humbert lent a hand with production, but how much of a say do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) I love working with Travis because he is very patient and open to any ideas that I pitch. I like to be a big part of creating that “sound” because, at the end of the day, I know what I want my sound to be.

 

Q) Will there be a full album or EP coming in the near future?

 

A) There will eventually be another EP or album in the future, but as of right now I am just focused on writing great songs and seeing where they take me. I released my debut album last year and it is available everywhere!

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

 

A) My favorite place to perform changes depending on if it is a writer round or a showcase. For writer rounds, I love to play at The Listening Room because the audience is always so eager to hear new music, the stories behind each song and the stripped-down version of the song. The audience always makes you feel appreciated. For a bigger show, Carp Fair has been my favorite so far because it is the local fair that I’ve been going to since I was a month old. All my family and friends are always there in the front row and there’s no better feeling than playing for a hometown crowd.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) There are so many people I’d love to collaborate with on a song but just to name a few; Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, Lori McKenna.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

 

A) I tend to switch from band to band each week but, at this very moment, I’m listening to Leah Sykes’ EP I’ve Always Been Like This. She is so honest and vulnerable in her lyrics, and I have so much respect for that.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) Social media allows me to stay connected with fans that don’t live in the same city that I do but want to know what I’ve been up to. Also, it is especially important because I live eighteen hours away from home, so it lets me stay connected to family and friends when I can’t see them.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) Thank you so much for being a part of this journey with me and allowing me to be completely myself. Even though I typically write songs about my life moments, I hope they feel like I wrote them for you. If my music ever made you smile, laugh or cry – that makes me beyond happy because that’s when I know it spoke to you.