Emily Elgin Breaks New Ground With Debut EP

In one sense Emily Elgin is like the thousands of aspiring country performers who venture to Nashville, Tennessee to “make it” in the music business. On the other hand, she is entirely unique. Now she can check off a big box on her career to-do list as she breaks new ground with her debut EP, This Woman, released today, September 19, 2019.

The vivacious, Oklahoma-bred redhead arrived for our lunch-time interview on-time and driven by a business-like approach to music that few 32-year olds possess. Yet her serious determination to succeed comes with a smile and tender nature that puts everyone at ease. She knew almost everyone in Gray’s On Main in downtown Franklin, Tennessee because not long ago she worked there as a server.

“I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember, she recalled. “On my mama’s side, I’ve got uncles that sing and play and daddy’s side; I’ve got aunts and uncles that play and sing. We’re a pretty musical family, and I just got that itch that wouldn’t quit. I got older and toyed with the idea of doing this professionally.”

A Real Cowgirl

There are plenty of young ladies pursuing a career in music that portray themselves as the cowgirl next door. The difference is few have logged as many miles in the saddle as Elgin. While other coeds were deciding on college majors and which sororities to join, after high school this young cowgirl pursued her dream of training and riding horses. However, her career choice left her conflicted.

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“Training horses is always something I wanted to do, but I struggled with it because music is so much a part of me. I always felt like I had to choose between horses and music. It was something I projected on myself without realizing I could have both.”

Emily suffered a setback at 20 when she broke her back, attempting to break a young mare that even experienced local cowboys had trouble riding. Thankfully, the dogged determination ingrained in her as a child proved beneficial. After recovering, she resumed her training career. “Now I try to avoid the young two-year-old colts,” she explained, with a slight grin.

There’s A Knob On Both Sides

After six years of training horses full-time, the pull of the stage was too powerful to ignore. To supplement the lifestyle of a working cowgirl, Emily found a job bartending at Coyote Ugly. “I got to sing and perform every night while traveling with the company and I loved it. That’s what gave me the bug to want to be on the stage every night.” 

With the encouragement of management and colleagues, they pushed her to audition for American Idol. Emily successfully navigated a series of auditions, finally making it to the big stage in Hollywood. She was eliminated after the first round. For most aspiring performers, that may have been their fifteen minutes of fame. For the feisty redhead, it was another day at the office. Did the rejection destroy her confidence and drive?

“Not at all, it made me want it even more,” Elgin noted, never missing a beat. 

“No isn’t no, it just means not right now. Doors close all the time. That’s why there’s a knob on both sides. I believe in hard work, and if you work long enough and hard enough, it will happen. Don’t get me wrong. I was disappointed and I cried. I had my pity party, called Daddy, and he encouraged me to keep going.”

Lost Love Propels a Nashville Move

Resuming her life in Oklahoma, Emily found a boyfriend, fell in love and placed her music ambitions on hold. That didn’t dissipate the fire in her belly. “I couldn’t let go of that ‘music thing.’”

Armed with new life experiences, it provided ample material for writing country lyrics. “When the relationship with my boyfriend ended,  I made the decision to move to Nashville,” she told me.

“I realized what my life was versus what it could be, and I wanted more. Daddy’s a farmer and carpenter and inspired in us a high work ethic. I knew if I worked hard and pushed myself, I could succeed.”

Selling what few material possessions she owned, she packed up and drove to Music City in 2015. “I even sold my toaster,” she said. “The guy at the pawnshop said they didn’t buy small appliances, but I insisted until he gave me something.”  

Sometimes It’s Best Not to Know the Rules

Her greatest challenge is that she had the desire to perform, but no plan on how to achieve her dream. Having written a single song when she was 12, the young singer hadn’t developed her songwriting skills. “Now that I was in Tennessee, I wanted to learn how to write songs and play the guitar, but my progression on the guitar was delayed when I injured the fingers on my left hand.”

Emily soon turned her most significant disadvantage to considerable advantage while waiting tables at Gray’s and singing for free in any venue she could find. 

“I didn’t play by the rules when I arrived because I didn’t know the rules. All I knew was that I wanted my music career to be run like a business; to do things differently. I started my own company to be an independent artist, so I can better control my career. Sure, it’s a dream, but music is also a business, and I want to have creative control over my business.”

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After sending a demo to potential investors, she finally received the backing to jump-start her company. Today she sits tall, confident in the opportunities that lay ahead.

“My EP contains five songs, all written or co-written by me. I’ve lived all of these songs. They are me and they are my life. They show who I am as an artist and as a person. My hope is my music speaks to people; that they can laugh, cry, have a good time, or whatever.”

Three days before the release date, Emily is chatting enthusiastically, eating a salad on the second floor of Gray’s and feeling like a giddy schoolgirl. “It’s scary and exciting at the same time.”

Show Time

She’s now preparing for the next step, but until the budding artist can reach the next level, life goes on. What will she do the day her first EP is released?

“I’ll do what I do every morning,” she explained. “After falling out of bed, I make my coffee, go outside and do my chores, ride the horses, come inside to make breakfast, and then start working on my music.”

In spite of all the advice the young cowgirl receives, she refuses to accept the “10-year rule,” meaning that it will take at least another decade to reach her goal of headlining a tour. “My goal is to be riding on my own bus in two years. Why should I place limits on me?”

With the September 19 release of her EP, her website goes live, and marketing efforts will begin in earnest. Her team is in the final stages of planning a release party, and with the support of family and both old and new friends, Emily is eager to take the next step.

Taking Advantage of Her Village

Emily uses social media and various apps to keep in touch with friends back in Oklahoma. “There’s a group of us that still chat every day. That keeps me grounded and in touch with those who care about me the most.”

Local friends such as Dawn Ann Ritter, a successful model, and actress who also owns Moo Country, an upscale fashion boutique in Leiper’s Fork, and so many others have helped Emily get off to a good start. 

“I’m lucky to have such incredible support. I couldn’t do any of this by myself, and I’m so thankful for everyone. It truly takes a village.”

You can download This Woman on iTunes and follow Emily on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.