Hot rising sensation Erin Gibney has had a tremendous breakthrough year on the back of hot songs releases, “Naïve” and “Easy Like That,” and high-profile tour dates opening for Sister Hazel. Continuing to ride the buzz wave of momentum that’s surrounding her, 2023 is standing to prove to be another monumental surge for Gibney with several promised song releases, beginning with “Exit Signs.” We recently had the incredible opportunity to check in with Erin and chat with her about the new song, co-writing it with Kris Allen, being so vulnerable with her music for the first time, and so much more!

(Interview by: Jeffrey Kurtis/Photo credit: Stephen Goth) 

1) Let’s chat about your new single, “Exit Signs.” Tell us a bit about the song. What is it about? Where did the idea come from?

This idea came from the feeling of knowing it’s time to walk away from a relationship. I think a lot of times, people grow up and grow apart. Sometimes there may be so much love between you and someone else, but they’re no longer your person anymore. This song came from feeling that way about someone who had been in my life for a really long time. It’s a song that was incredibly difficult to write, but it's one I'm extremely proud of.

2) You’ve said that this song is the most vulnerable you’ve ever been with your music so far. In what ways do you feel that vulnerability will be heard most in your vocal performance?

I think that when you go through a breakup and you are the one to initiate it, there are a lot of feelings of guilt that come up. I found it really hard to cope with the fact that I was hurting someone I had a lot of love for, even though I knew it was the right thing to do. When you listen to this song, I think you can hear those emotions in the chorus. The line “I never thought I’d change my mind” is one of the hardest lines for me to sing in the song because this is truly a place I never thought I would get to.

3) You wrote the song with Kris Allen, who many people will remember as the season 8 winner on "American Idol." How did that connection to write together happen for you?

Writing with Kris is something that came together with the help of my team at Rock Ridge Music. I have always been a huge fan of Kris and watched his season of "American Idol," so when I found out that we would be writing together, I was thrilled. He really helped me put everything I was feeling into this song, and I’m extremely grateful to have gotten to work with him.

4) What did Kris bring to the writing room that helped shape the song into what it became that might not have otherwise been there? And in what ways did he help pull that vulnerability out of you and get it into the song?

Kris was unbelievable to work with and brought elements into the song that I would have never considered. The melody that you hear in the verses is all him. He had a really great vision for this song, and it was fun to watch it come to life.

5) Kris’ contributions to the song don’t end with only co-writing it with you, but he also sang backups on the studio version of the track. What was that experience like for you? 

It was amazing having Kris in the studio and a really surreal moment for me. I have always been a huge fan of his, so being able to collaborate on this song the way that we did was really amazing. I feel really grateful to have him be a part of this experience.

6) Is “Exit Signs” a stand-alone single, or a preview of an upcoming project? If it’s part of a bigger project, can you fill us in on it?

Over the next few months, I’ll be releasing music more frequently than ever before. I’m excited to be kicking off this next chapter with a song that is so close to my heart. It’s exciting to be focusing on just releasing music to my fans and getting to share the stories that I’ve been holding onto for so long.

7) Switching gears to your last single release, “That’s What I’m Looking For.” That song was a bit of a departure that dipped further into the pop realm than any of your previous releases. Was that a conscious decision to see how it would fit or just something you wanted to try out? And can we expect more like that going forward?

I really liked exploring the pop realm, and it’s definitely something I’ll revisit again in the future. “That’s What I’m Looking For” was a song that just fit so seamlessly into the pop category that it felt right to lean into it the way that we did. I love the production on that song and am open to doing it again.

8) We caught your performance earlier this year at the popular New Faces Night in Nashville at The Basement. You said about your song “Naïve” that it changed a lot of things for you. What unexpected doors did the success of that song help open for you?

"Naive" is the first song that I feel like my fans and I really connected with each other on. It’s the first song that reached a big audience and is the first song I was able to hear fans sing back to me at my shows. I think the song is a great representation of who I am as an artist, so it’s really special for me to see it grow the way it has.

9) You’ve been on the road doing acoustic opener spots with popular group Sister Hazel. What has that experience been like? What have you learned from watching them that you’ve been applying to your own shows?

Being on the road with Sister Hazel has been an unbelievable experience, and I feel like I’ve learned so much from them. They are so interactive with their fans on stage, and it has really helped me open up and feel more comfortable with the audience when I’m on stage, too.

10) What one piece of advice can you offer to someone who is just starting out and trying to break into the music industry?

I think the best piece of advice I can give someone who is just starting out is to block out all the noise and focus on what they love to do. Sometimes it can be hard when you’re trying to grow your numbers and have your viral song moment, but I think it’s important to constantly remind yourself of why you’re doing this. Take time to just write and just play and just focus on the parts of music that make you happy.

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