Songwriter Feature - Lydia Dall

I met Lydia Dall in January of 2012 in a Songwriting Class at Belmont University.  I don't even know exactly how I happened because it kind of felt like we'd always been best friends, but before I knew it we were swapping songs in the gazebos and grabbing dinners at Curb Cafe.  Over the last eight years, I've been so blessed to have Lydia in my life as a friend and as a songwriting partner.  We both went through some massive life changes about three years ago.  I remember the night we really decided to change our lives, we got Panera for dinner and Jeni's ice cream for dessert and then we went back to my house to watch "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." That night we had a big talk about what we really wanted to do with our lives and our music, and that was the week we decided to go all in and start pursuing music full time. We've both come so far over the last three years, and I don't know where I'd be without her. 

This Friday, June 26th, I'm so excited to be releasing a song I wrote with Lydia Dall and John Townsend. It's called "Water" and if you'd like to pre-save it before it comes out HERE is the link!

I hope you'll join us tonight on Instagram LIVE at 8pm central time for some original music! In the meantime, I would like to pass the mic over to Lydia Dall so you can get to know her!

Here is a full collection of Lydia Dall's songwriter cuts

"My life has been music for as long as I can remember. When I was 5 I started taking dance lessons, at 9 I began piano lessons, 11 I joined the band and our community theater, and at 13 I started writing songs. After high school I left my small town in IL and moved to Nashville, TN to attend Belmont University (Where I met Holly in a songwriting class freshman year :) ) 5 years of living here full time, 3 years of writing full time, 22 cuts, and 500+ songs later here I am."

When did you start singing/playing music?

piano lessons at 9, voices lessons at 11

How did you get into songwriting?

I was always making bands with my friends as a kid. Songwriting just came naturally from that I guess. I honestly have no idea how it started, which sounds crazy I know. 

Who are your biggest influences?

Taylor Swift, Jackson 5/ Michael Jackson, Jo Dee Messina, Katy Perry, Julia Michaels  

What are you listening to right now?

The Band CAMINO, The 1975, Hardy's Hixtape, Kacey Musgraves ( I listen to her new album almost every morning) Gabby Barrett, Seaforth, Lainey Wilson, still Katy Perry lol 

If you could only listen to one artist for the rest of your life, who would it be?

Taylor Swift - as basic as that is lol 

What is "Water" about? What do you want listeners to know about what the song means to you?

Water. It's this song I wrote with this really amazing artist who just happens to be one of my best friends ;) This song to me is about knowing what you want and going after it, even if it means waiting for it. 

If you could write a song with any person dead or alive, who would it be?

Elton John, Shane McAnally, Bonnie Mckee, Taylor Swift lol.. clearly I'm not great at picking just one person. 

What was/is your experience in quarantine like as a musician?

Honestly, this is something I really needed mentally. It's hard not to get lost in the shuffle and hustle of the music industry. Being able to go back to my home town and write via Zoom while reconnecting with myself and spending some time with my family was amazing. It took a minute to get used to writing virtually, but now it's pretty normal to me.  

What advice would you give to an aspiring singer/songwriter?

Don't chase the trends. Don't be afraid to be super honest in your writing. Try new/weird things. Study the songs you love and figure out what makes them so important to you/ what makes them work so well. Keep an open mind. Resist the urge to overwork/write yourself (something I'm still working on lol ) Try your hardest to separate your self-worth from where you're at in your career ( another one I'm still working on) 

Here is a music video for the song "I'm Gonna Love You," that Lydia Dall wrote with Ian McConnel and 

Stewart and Holly Halcomb, AKA The Springs. This video premiered on Heartland and The Country  Network.