Meet Callie Young

We had the good fortune of connecting with Callie Young and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Callie, why did you pursue a creative career?
It sounds cliche, but I truly feel that I didn’t really choose to pursue a creative career but rather it kind of chose me. It just always felt like something I was made to do and I never really thought twice about that. It did, however, take a lot of sacrifice and diligence and dedication. Pursuing a career in music is no walk in the park. There are no guarantees and it honestly doesn’t look that great on paper haha! You do it because you love it and can’t imagine your life without it. So to answer the question, in my heart I really didn’t feel I had much of a choice. I knew it was just something I had to give my all to or I would regret it for the rest of my life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Since moving to Nashville a year ago, I feel like I have finally found my voice and sound in folk pop. I grew up on a ranch with my parents always listening to 80s country, and with a brother who gave me a love for the live instrumentations of red dirt and classic rock music, but I also have a huge love for the artistic freedoms, electronic elements, and experimental tendencies of indie pop. I am a mix of all of these things, so I feel that my music should be as well. I think what helps set me apart in this industry is my ability to be fearlessly sensitive in my writing. I’m not afraid to be completely vulnerable in my lyrics and I take pride in showing the raw and real emotion that I pull from my life experiences. I think pursuing a career in music is one of the hardest endeavors. There’s so much sacrifice, comparing, expenses, criticism, and doubt, and it takes so much courage to push through and have faith in the art that you create. I had to make so many sacrifices and the biggest thing I’ve learned is that sometimes you need to be selfish and make that decision to take a chance on a dream even when it doesn’t seem sensible to everyone around you. I’ve also learned that you are the only person you can count on to really make your dreams become a reality. You can truly live the life you want just by having the courage to pursue that thing that you were made to do. It isn’t always pretty and it’s definitely not easy but it’s so worth it to live your life doing what makes you happy.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve been in Nashville a little over a year, but there are still so many places I haven’t been! I’m still exploring, but some of my favorites are the Listening Room Cafe and the Fox and Locke to see some incredible songwriters, and I’ve seen some of my favorite artists at venues like the End, Exit/In, and Basement East. My favorite coffee shops are E+Rose and Dawn Cafe, and anyone who comes to town I would take to Noko for dinner. Nashville is obviously known for it’s bars, but I love midtown for a night out, Pearl Diver and Old Glory for incredible drinks, and Pins Mechanical to play some duckpin bowling with friends. I’m a Colorado girl, born and raised, so when I’m missing the mountains my favorite spots are Warner Parks and Radnor Lake.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people in my life that have helped me get to where I am. I have an incredibly supportive family, including my brother, Garrett Young, who deserves most of the credit for me getting into music. I grew up watching his classic rock cover band play in bars that I was way too young to be in, but let me in so I could get up on stage with them and sing “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Joan Jett. I followed in my brother’s footsteps to really pursue a music career, eventually starting a band with him called the Garrett Young Collective. With him I got to open for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the Bellamy Brothers, and Mike Ryan, as well as getting the opportunity to be the backing band for Chevel Shepherd (winner of season 15, the Voice!), where we opened for Little Big Town, Lee Brice, Brother’s Osborne and more! I owe so much of the success that I’ve had to my brother, but I also would give credit to every co-writer, mentor, and friend I’ve met along the way. I moved to Nashville, TN last year and the absolute biggest blessing has been all of the friends I’ve met, who happen to be incredibly talented producers, writers, performers, photographers, videographers, and just amazing people. Credit should also go to my big feelings, my ruminative brain, the amazing people i have in my life, (and I should probably mention my exes lol) for all of the songwriting inspiration.

Website: https://callieyoungmusic.com/home

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/callieyoung_music/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/callieyoungmusic/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@callieyoungmusic

TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@callieyoungmusic?lang=en

Image Credits
Mason Crisp, Mandy Javens, Grace Cacho, Gary Vandenberg