Having just recently released her debut single “Girlfriend,” Alabama native Alice Nelson made an immediate impact on Music City and has quickly earned the attention of the country music industry and media outlets. We recently had the chance to chat with Nelson about the single, why it was the right choice for her debut, writing with frequent collaborator Carmen M. Bennett, her recent release party in Nashville, and so much more!

(Interview by: Jeffrey Kurtis/ Alice Nelson photo credit: Goldy) 

TCM Single Review: "Girlfriend"

TCM Show Review

https://alicenelsonmusic.com/

1. You’ve just recently released your debut single “Girlfriend.” Tell us a little bit about the song.

“Girlfriend” is a little different than most country music you here today! It tells the story of the girlfriend before the current girlfriend that is there now! Not to bash her or the guy in any way, but to warn the new girl of what he is doing because she knows what the new girl is going through. It’s a total women empowerment song, standing up and helping other women because like the song says, “Girlfriends got to watch out for each other and no little boy’s worth hurting one another.” 

2. You co-wrote “Girlfriend” with frequent collaborator Carmen M. Bennett. How does writing with Carmen bring out something within you and your songs to make them what they become, that might not have otherwise been a part of them without her?

Writing with Carmen has become a regular thing for me. I love writing with her because I always feel like I can be true and give a real story! With Carmen, writing can be easy because we get into the real stories and reasons behind the songs that we write!

3. Why do you feel that “Girlfriend” is the best song to first introduce yourself to radio with? 

It was a hard decision deciding what to release as my first ever single because I knew this would be the song that put me out in the public view and would give people a taste of who I am as an artist! “Girlfriend,” however, I felt was the perfect song due to its diversity in the country music scene. Like I said previously, “Girlfriend” is not like most songs you hear on the radio today and that was a big reason for this release. I wanted to begin by starting out with something fresh, something people may have not heard before!

4. What has the reception to “Girlfriend” been like thus far from radio, streaming, etc.?

AMAZING! Streaming has been doing wonderful. I have received streams from the US, plus places outside of the US including Russia, UK and many more. It’s super cool to see that my music is not only being heard here in the US, but also in other countries!

Radio play is a big part to getting this song out there and heard! I have had multiple people tell me they heard my song on the radio, which is super exciting to know people are requesting it at their local stations! I hope people will continue to stream and request “Girlfriend” as well as send me photos and videos of them listening as many has done so far!!

5. We sadly couldn’t make it to the single release party during your exciting week in Nashville due to scheduling conflicts, but will you fill us in on the show? How did it go? What did we miss? Why do people (including us) need to be at the next full-band show in Nashville?

The show went really well! We had a pretty good turn out and had lots of fun celebrating the single release!! I played some brand-new songs that have never been heard before so everyone that attended got to hear what they sounded like before everyone else!

Full band shows are always super fun. I can interact with the audience 10X the amount, plus it always gets the blood pumping even harder! Don’t worry though, even when I do full band performances, I always like adding a few acoustic songs - just me and my guitar - as I feel like there is a personal connection with the audience during those times of the show!!

6. Though “Girlfriend” did just officially release to radio, what’s next for Alice Nelson? Another single release, an EP, etc.?

Next, I am releasing another single!! There will be updates on how to pre-save and where to listen on all my social media platforms soon! The new single will be out a few months (early 2022) and then after that you may never know what could happen, I may release a 3rd single or an EP!! I’m very curious as to what the fans would want more of!!

7. We did get to see you play at The Commodore Lounge during your release week. Like with that night, you always get a great reception when you play here in Nashville. Is there a song that you haven’t recorded yet or played in town that you can’t wait for your fans to hear?

My song “Heart Breaks” has not been recorded yet, but I did play it for the first time live at my recent Commodore performance! I would love for more people to hear that song! I believe audiences will love it just as much as I do! I also have a song that I haven’t played out in public yet called “Guy Like You.” This song was co-written with Carmen M. Bennett and it’s a real pretty tune. It’s one song that I don’t believe will be released as a single, but it will go on an EP or an album one day in the future!

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

NEVER GIVE UP!! The music industry is crazy, hard to break into, and struggles will definitely be part of the journey! No matter how many no’s you receive, if you love what you’re doing then keep pushing forward! Surround yourself with people you can learn from! I was given a small piece of advice not too long ago and I want to give that forward…. “Don’t be afraid to go up to someone you believe in and just simply ask “Hey, what you doing? Can I watch?” More than likely, they will say yes! Watch and learn from anybody who will allow you to! As a songwriter, my advice would be to write hundreds of songs with anybody you can write with and get a thick portfolio!

Learn more about Alice Nelson by visiting her official website at: https://alicenelsonmusic.com/

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