Tenille Townes brings the spirit of country on her musical adventure to the UK

Izak Hannard | 31st October 2018

Tenille Townes Manchester RNCM CMA Songwriters Series 2018

Tenille Townes. Photo courtesy of Jessica Steddom

From across the pond, a fresh and fiery soul brought the entrancing vibes of country packed with passion on her UK tour. The enchanting Tenille Townes flew all the way from Nashville to Manchester to perform at RNCM’s latest edition of the CMA songwriting series.

 

Tenille Townes sat down with VIVA and chatted all about her incredible journey. Tenille discussed her inspirations as an artist, why the living room is a haven for mastering her music and how raising money for a homeless shelter changed her as an artist.

 

Since receiving her first guitar from her grandparents at the age of 14, Tenille’s passion for writing and producing country music flared. Her albums “Light” and “Real” helped her secure a record deal in 2017 with Columbia Nashville. Tenille described the immense support in her hometown and everywhere she has got to discover on her musical adventure so far.

 

“Alberta is such a good community. I have the most amazing group of family and friends and I got to grow up in a place that believed that anything was possible. They’ve been supportive of this adventure from the very beginning. They love country music and it’s a big part of our identity for sure. I’ve always wanted to come to the UK, it’s a dream come true to be on this tour and visit the great city of Manchester.”

 

Tenille Townes Manchester UK Tour RNCM 2018

Photo courtesy of Jessica Steddom

The journey began when Tenille started raising money for a homeless shelter in her hometown Grand Prairie. To save the shelter from closing, Tenille set out to make a difference by organising a fundraiser, involving performances. They ended up raising an amazing £23,000. Tenille described it as a point of discovering her purpose as an artist.

 

“To me, this event has shifted the way I see what music is capable of. It fuels me and gives me so much purpose to know that that’s what it’s for. That it’s this vehicle that brings us together and just lets the walls down. When you bring together good people powerful things can happen and I got to witness that at this fundraiser.”

 

Ever since Tenille has worked closely with the charity Big Hearts For Big Kids and organises the event every year to raise money. Tenille said that “the support has been incredible”.

 

Now, Tenille is in the process of creating her third album, which she revealed will be released next year. Her latest EP “Living Room Worktapes” has proved a successful introduction before her third album release. The first single “Somebody’s Daughter” is a rich and authentically raw track that sets the dynamic of Tenille’s style of country music. Tenille explained why the virtues of a comforting living room birthed the track and set the tone of her latest EP.

 

“The living room is a symbol of a safe place to just talk about anything, anything that’s vulnerable and true and I really wanted this music to feel like that living room invitation. It’s such a sacred place. ”

 

Tenille Townes Single Cover Art Somebody's Daughter 2018 Manchester RNCM

Tenille Townes’ new single “Somebody’s Daughter”

 

Tenille went onto to mention that country music has always been a part of her life.  Since playing her first guitar, she discovered a passion for crafting her own music and a love for writing.

 

“I’ve always loved to sing and I was singing at all kinds of different local events in my hometown. When I was little I used to sing the anthem at my hockey games and sang at weddings. I started following along to the lyric booklets of my favourite records. I remember sitting in the back seat and seeing the names knowing that some of these artists were writing their songs. That songwriting key was a big piece in believing in this for me.”

 

When discussing who inspires her music, Tenille described drawing inspiration from everyday life and the people she meets. Also mentioning the likes of Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Shania Twain and Elvis.

 

“The people around me inspire me. I get inspiration from courageous people who are going through hard things. My family or people I read about or see sitting on the side of the sidewalk. I love to read and watch films and get a lot of inspiration from that too. I was a die-hard Shania Twain fan and looked up to her so much. She was strong and fierce and I loved that about her.”

 

Tenille recently released a music video for her latest single “Somebody’s Daughter”. She explained why music videos are an important element of her work and said: “music videos for me tell a story and I feel that whenever anybody listens to a song, they envision it to how it relates to them.”

 

Manchester RNCM Tenille Townes CMA Songwriters Series Tenille Townes

I remember driving to the furniture store with my mom and seeing this girl on the side of the interstate holding a cardboard sign. I just had this moment of wondering what her story was and who she belonged to. It made me realise that everybody has their own story and are going through something. The song reflects the beginning of people’s stories and was the anchor of how this song was written. I wanted to get that across in my music video.”

 

Appearing at the CMA songwriter’s series at Manchester’s RNCM, Tenille joined three fellow country artists. That included Ashleigh Campbell, Chris DeStefano and Kassi Ashton. Their performances were enthralling and their emotionally driven songs hit close to home.

 

 

Tenille Townes’ latest single “Somebody’s Daughter” is available now on digital platforms worldwide! Now, Tenille Townes continues her UK tour before getting ready to release her anticipated third album next year!