Meet Tracee Perrin | Singer-Songwriter & Indie Alternative Folk Artist

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

Hi Tracee, how do you think about risk?
Oddly enough, I consider myself rather risk averse, and yet, seem to pursue a career path that is riddled with risk and uncertainty. I’m definitely moving against the grain in that way. I think this has caused me to hesitate to be super ambitious in the past, even when I had less to lose by taking the risk. I’m trying to do things differently now and still make informed decisions about my career but not over analyze everything which, for me, can lead to analysis paralysis.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a singer-songwriter and music maker and I write emotional songs about the world as I see it and experience it. I am gearing up to release an EP, The Clearing, in early March after an almost 13 year hiatus and I’m really excited for everyone to hear it! I think that I’ve come to this point in my music career in a bit of a round about way that has not been easy but also probably not unique to me. I would say, by music industry standards, that I got a late start to all of this. 13 years ago I could barely play guitar and was so new the craft of songwriting. It came after pursing a musical theater in NYC and realizing I don’t really like to act, so I had to regroup and fell into a songwriting workshop which gave me a new perspective on how music could show up in my life. I was processing the death of my father at the time and I found the songwriting process so cathartic and empowering. When my husband and I moved back to L.A. I decided to look for ways to get more involved in songwriting. The family I was nannying for had a friend who recommended a workshop in Laurel Canyon called The Songwriter’s Rendez-Vous led by a former music Publisher, Susan Koc. I became a little obsessed and everything just grew from there. The decision to move to Nashville came out of being a new mom and finding it hard to fit in to the music community in L.A., which is not exactly family oriented. When I was 5 months pregnant I drove myself out to Nashville and stayed for about a month to play open mics and writer’s rounds, and get a feel for if Nashville would be a place I could continue to grow as a mother, songwriter and musician. I decided it was and about 2 years later my husband, son and I started over here. It was a big change for us and it took years and a lot of buyer’s remorse conversations until we finally started to feel settled-in. But when you move to a new city with an infant, no jobs or family support, you start to question your sanity and life decisions. We’ve really just been putting one foot in front of the other and now we’ve been in Nashville for 10 years. I’ve learned that you must be discerning with those you choose to surround yourself with, especially as a creative. There is already so much self doubt and self-criticism that comes along with it so it’s important to surround yourself with people who will both show up for you and be encouraging but who will also tell you the truth and get in the trenches with you. I feel like I have found that and it has been a saving grace for me. I am someone who craves authentic connection with people and I hope people hear and feel that in music.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The great thing about Nashville it that you can experience so many different aspects of TN life within 30 minutes of downtown. Since we do much of our everyday life on the North & East side I’d likely start there. Day 1, we’d grab coffee and breakfast at Madtown Coffee in Madison and take a long walk in Shelby Park. From there, we’d head to Mas Tacos for lunch and mid-day margaritas and then tour the National Museum of African American Music downtown. For dinner we’d likely go to Margot Cafe & Bar followed by a friend’s show at Bower Vault. Depending on the time of year, we’d likely also go hiking at Beaman Park Nature Center or Cummins Falls and maybe take a day trip to Chattanooga. I’d love to take them to a movie at the Belcourt Theater maybe a Sounds game. Other food destinations would include, Little Hat’s, Greko, Sip Cafe for ice cream, Phat Bites… I could go on and on…

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?
Oh gosh, there are many people! Apart from my amazing family, I for sure have to give a shout out to my early songwriting mentors, Susan Koc and Judy Stakee. They are masters at constructive feedback that encourages a writer to push themselves without tearing them down in the process. I would also like to recognize my business mentor, Tabby Oldham, who has helped me get clarity on what I want and see the value of investing in myself. I am also so grateful for my dear friend, collaborator and fellow indie artist, Mary Jennings! Mary is a one of a kind human being and I trust her implicitly. She sees and calls out things in people that they may not see in themselves and she has always supported and encouraged me. Lastly, my bestie, Shap Malek. Shap and I met in college and spent way more time learning Indigo Girls harmonies than studying, haha! She expanded my horizons musically. She is brilliant and supports indie music through her website www.lyhme.com where she fuses her love for food and music. I am so grateful for all of these women in my life.

Website: https://traceeperrinmusic.com/

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

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

Other: Spotify https://open.spotify.com/user/31pv4gvzebz6vasaab2xhvrgjiqu?si=01a5dff5a1334c08

Image Credits
William DeShazer