Eileen Carey – Finally

By starrymag | February 3, 2020

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) I write and sing what I call “West Coast Country.” It is a hybrid that mixes my interest in 80s pop and current country music. Elmore Magazine calls “a little bit cosmopolitan, a little bit country, a true musical chameleon who blends pop and rock and country influences with ease.”

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) I grew up in a suburb of Cleveland, listening to pop music mostly; The Beatles, Sheryl Crow, The Motels, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston; songwriters like Dianne Warren. Chrissie Hynde to the Beatles. It depends. Vocally I am inspired by singers like Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand and songwriters like Dianne Warren and Keith Urban.

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Finally.”

A) The song is a declaration of love and demand for reciprocity. Strong emotions sometimes cry out for strong language. These lyrics state in the plainest possible way what we feel but may be hesitant to say. You are the light that I turn to/you are the sound that I fall into/It’s all the things you do I’ve finally found you/What the hell are you waiting for?

Recording this song took some effort. It got a bit hectic since my producer Travis Allen moved his Nashville Tracks to Nashville itself this past year, so I had to jump back and forth a bit. The song further represents my crossing over to mainstream Pop Music. Travis and I co-wrote “Meet Me Halfway” with the intention of enlarging my demographic. Meesha’s “Finally” is a further move in that direction.

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

A) The tension and flavor that one feels when we’ve been there—immersed in that glorious moment when everything about a budding relationship clicks into place and, at last, we know that we’ve found the right one. It is the dizzying sensation that a budding romance creates. I think all of us can identify with that.

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

A) The video for “Finally” is the most unusual video I have released to date. Taner and I had to find a way to continue our music video collaborations after he moved back to Berlin, Germany from Los Angeles. It was originally meant to be a lyric video, but when he came upon this idea for an old school animation it was a perfect backdrop to the song! I think that the video expresses that same wonderment that falling in love is. Simple and beautiful.

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

A) I am constantly writing down ideas from the things I see all around me. For instance, my recent #1 New Music Weekly single “Meet Me Halfway” is about the distraction social media is to real relationships. When I am writing every day, I write at least one line.

Q) How much of hands do you have in the production of your music?

A) I am a hands-on artist I am involved in every part of my career.

Q) What can fans expect from a live Eileen Carey performance?

A) A positive, up-tempo and well-rehearsed set of melodic music and meaningful lyrics. My lead guitarist and longtime music director John McDuffie has also been Rita Coolidge’s longtime lead guitarist and music director as well so fans can expect professional performances from us all. My fans are very vocal and come to as many of my shows as they can reach.

“Eileen Carey’s seasoned talent, her ability to consistently engage her fans, and real chemistry with her band members kept me entertained throughout the night.” – Whiskey A-Go-Go, Heather Allen, Music Connection.

Q) Will there be an EP or full album coming soon?

A) Being that the current state of the industry is so single, download and streaming generated I have been releasing singles for the past few years. I am considering re-releasing them as a full album, along with three or four unreleased tracks. I am not sure. I am always upping the bar. I believe my fans deserve 100% of me in the show and in my product.

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

A) The Canyon at the Rose in Pasadena, California. It consistently booked me in front of so many classic artists like Jefferson Starship, Wilson Phillips, Albert Lee, Rita Coolidge and Ambrosia, among others. It immensely added to my reputation as a performer. I loved the Saban in Beverly Hills, such a great stage and sound system. Ole Red, 3^rd & Lindsley in Nashville. I’ve enjoyed performing at most of their honkytonks as well. And I will always have a soft spot for the Hanger Stage at the Orange County Fair, which I have played every year for years; and the San Diego County Fair as well. Fairs are another thing altogether.

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

A) Keith Urban because we both like to rock our country-pop with positive messages and Sheryl Crow because her music is so similar to my own in that she crosses over to so many genres.

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

A) I am impressed with all artists that make it, but these are some of the artists I listen to these days.

Keith Urban “Coming Home”

Sheryl Crow “A Change Would Do You Good”

Bruno Mars “Just the Way You Are”

Katie Perry “Hot & Cold”

Pink “Who Knew”

Coldplay “Adventure of a Lifetime”

Gwen Stefani “Make Me Like You”

Shawn Mendes “Nothing Holding Me Back”

Maren Morris “The Middle”

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

A) Interesting question considering my last single “Meet Me Halfway” is about the over-kill that social media can be, but there is no doubt that social media somewhat levels the playing field for artists.

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

A) Thank you! If you would like an ongoing relationship with me, my doings and most importantly my new music then hook up with me on my Oohyah.com/EileenCarey. You can subscribe to my career, download old or new music, special merchandise offers and gifts. A 6-month subscription gets you all of the above for $3.99 a month.