Q&A's

 

Paige King Johnson has had an incredible year. “Baby Don’t” climbed up the always important MusicRow CountryBreakout chart, she’s become the musical ambassador for her home state of North Carolina’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, she made her Song Suffragettes debut, has recently released “American Beauty” while “Famous Enough” will be releasing just around the bend. Rolling into this year’s CMA Fest, Paige will be playing in one of the most important shows of the week when she takes the stage as part of Country for A Cause. We had the awesome opportunity to catch up with Paige and talk all about that specific show and what means to her to be a part of it, as well as all the amazing things she’s had going on with her career over the past year.

(Interview by: Jeffrey Kurtis

TCM REVIEW: "American Beauty"

TCM REVIEW: Song Suffragettes debut

MUSIC VIDEO: "Baby Don't"

LYRIC VIDEO: "Baby Don't"

LYRIC VIDEO: "Homes in the Hometowns"

https://www.paigekingjohnson.com/

 

1) Tell us a little bit about the Country for A Cause show that you’re a part of during CMA Fest week.

The Country for A Cause show will be taking place on Wednesday, June 8th at 7:00 PM CT at 3rd & Lindsley in Nashville, TN. This will be my first time joining the show, but legends T.G. Sheppard & Kelly Lang have been hosting this show for years as a way to give back to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt located in Nashville, TN. This year’s lineup has over 15 acts including John Rich, Rhonda Vincent, The Isaacs, T. Graham Brown, John Berry & more. I’m honored to be a small part of the special night.

2) You mentioned that the show is benefitting the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. What does that cause mean to you personally?

I do not have kids of my own, but I do have many family friends that do, and sadly a few of them have experienced serious illness with their children. Although none of them have received treatment directly from Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital, I have seen firsthand the importance of children’s hospitals. The work they do inside those special places is truly the Lord’s work – saving innocent lives, walking beside worried parents, offering comfort & reassurance to those families in times of desperation. Although I am not a nurse or doctor & cannot offer any help in that area, I’m grateful to know that I can use my God-given talents to still support such a cause. As someone who hopes to have children of my own one day, it comforts me to know that there are places like Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital out there doing amazing work for these helpless children.

3) Have you ever done any other volunteer work with the children’s hospital? If so, what was your experience like with it?

I have never had an opportunity to work with the Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, but it has been on my wish list since moving to Nashville. During my 7 years here, I’ve learned so much about the work they do for kids all across the country, and I pray I get a chance to work with them more closely one day.

4) With all the different events taking place during CMA Fest week, why is Country for A Cause an absolute must add show to any country music fans calendar?

Not only is the Country for A Cause show stacked full of amazing talent that you may not get a chance to see on any other stage during CMA Fest week, but knowing that your hard earned money is helping support a meaningful cause doing such great work in the Nashville community is enough to make it a “can’t miss show”!

5) If people aren’t going to be in town during CMA Fest week, is there still a way that they can donate to the cause online?

If people are unable to make it to the show, but still want to support the cause, they can make checks out to: Country For A Cause and mail them to P.O. Box 1442, Hendersonville TN 37077.

6) Switching to another cool thing you’re a part of… you’ve recently partnered with your home state of North Carolina’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services as their musical ambassador for their ‘Got to Be NC’ Campaign. Tell us a little bit more about that.

Agriculture is the only thing in my life that has taken up more time & energy than music. I grew up on a farm showing horses, lambs & rabbits at local county fairs & the NC State Fair. I was raised in a small rural farming town, called Angier, NC, where most of our family friends were involved in the farming or agriculture business in some way. I know the hard work & dedication that gets put in day in and day out from farm families & workers, and I’m grateful that this new partnership with the NC Department of Agriculture (NCDA) is providing me an opportunity to share that knowledge with others.

So far, my partnership with NCDA has consisted of writing & releasing a song called “Homes in the Hometowns” which was directly inspired by all the farm families & agribusinesses throughout the state of North Carolina. We’re in the process of also releasing a music video for that song which highlights, even more, the dedication involved in this industry.

In addition, I have been travelling around to many festivals all over the state, performing & talking with people about the work that NCDA does to support our farm families. I’ve also recently begun a high school tour throughout the state, visiting with music & FFA classes to talk about the work of NCDA & all the flourishing job opportunities within our state’s agriculture industry.

Lastly, we just recently announced a statewide talent competition beginning in September 2022, called NC Ag Star Homegrown Talent Search. This competition will take us to many different parts of the state to help identify yet another important resource in our state: raw talent. I’m very excited about this venture & all the exciting projects ahead with NCDA & myself!

7) You’ve recently released “American Beauty.” Why do you feel that song was so important for you to release right now and what type of impact are you hoping it makes on the listener?

“American Beauty” was special for myself & my co-writers to write because its message was one truly meant for us at the time. We wrote this song during the beginning of the pandemic in a time where we were very unsure what our futures would look like as songwriters and musicians. We wrote this message of encouragement & empowerment for ourselves, but also to all the other ladies out there who may also feel a little lost & confused on their path, not really seeing the progress being made at the time. Even regardless of gender, I think a lot of people can relate to the song’s message of needing reassurance from someone around you to help you keep going on the hard days. I hope listeners can find peace & comfort in that truth!

8) You’re just about ready to officially release a brand-new song, “Famous Enough.” What can we expect to hear from that song?

“Famous Enough” is my next release & the first radio single off of my first ever full-length album, “Honky Tonk Heart”! This song was sent to me by my hero & friend, Pam Tillis, and I knew from the second I heard the first verse that this song was written just for me. The songwriters on this song are actually friends of mine that I often write with, which makes sense that they would also have a song in their catalog that fit me to a tee. “Famous Enough” is all about the balance of an artist between longing for a successful career and longing for a successful personal life – whatever either of those may look like to them. For me, I strive to keep climbing the charts and playing bigger stages to gain more fans, but I also crave to become a better wife each day to my new husband and build a stronger, sweeter life together each day. Balancing those two lifestyles can be difficult most days, but, like the song says, “if I’m in [his] arms when the sun goes down… I’m famous enough”.

9) We were blessed with the opportunity to be a part of this night with you. Tell us about your recent debut with the Song Suffragettes. What emotions did you feel before, during, and after the performance, etc.

First of all, I was so glad to have y’all there with me to join in the celebration! Song Suffragettes has been on my bucket list of Nashville shows since I moved to town 7 years ago. Getting the call that I was being invited to finally join this show was a great feeling! I was so honored & happy to know that I had finally reached that point in my career to join.

During the show, I kept reminding myself of the gratitude I had for being able to join such a special group of ladies who are working toward the same goal as me, but still lifting me up & making me feel so welcome.

After, I truly was on cloud nine! There’s nothing like getting to play to a room full of people in Nashville who truly care about your songs & the stories you’re telling. I’m so grateful to now be a part of this group!

10) What is the best piece of advice that you can offer an aspiring songwriter/artist just trying to break into the music business?

The #1 piece of advice I can give anyone wanting to get into the music business is to take time to truly find out who you are & how you want to be portrayed in the public eye before you ever step foot into a meeting, photoshoot, co-write, studio session, branding meeting, etc. There will be plenty of people in this business who have their own ideas of who you should be or how you should look or what kind of songs you should sing, and if any of those things don’t align with your personal values, dreams, or desires, then you need to be confident enough to stand up for yourself & back yourself up with reasons why they won’t work. At the end of the day, it’s your career & your image on the line.

 

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