Catching Up With Southern Halo
Southern Halo, the Nashville-based sibling band originally hailing from Cleveland, Mississippi, have been on our radar for some time now ……..we have featured them several times and were really excited to hear the news that 2020 will be bringing new music from these talented sisters. Originally a trio ( check out their feel good 2019 single ” Sunshine”
the youngest of the three, Hannah, has recently decided to pursue a career in interior design but Natalia (Nata) and Christina (Tinka) continue to make music together, their great blend of country/pop/rock and stunning vocal harmonies are always a total joy.
So, what better time to catch up with the duo ? Enjoy the read!
1. LH Hey ladies, thanks for taking the time to answer my questions! Let’s start by asking where you are at the moment….to help set the scene and paint a picture like country music loves to do!
Nata: We’ve missed chatting with you!!! Currently I am at our family home in Mississippi until the COVID-19 passes and it is safe to return back to Nashville.
Tinka: I am currently quarantined in my home with my parents back in the MS Delta! If you’re going to be on lockdown, you might as well be with the ones you love, ha ha!
2.LH Scary to think that is was back in 2017 when I last interviewed you, while you were in London! Sounds like you’ve been super busy since then, a second album release in 2018, two stand-alone singles last year and new music due out this year (more about that later!) . Do you eat, breath and sleep music?? What do you do to switch off and relax?
Nata: How crazy!!! We miss being back in London. We are always working on music, whether learning covers, writing new songs, recording, traveling, or performing, we love to stay busy! To switch off, I personally love to dedicate some time to some physical exercise, whether it be working out, going for a run or practicing yoga. I also love spending any quality time that I can with friends and family. It is so important to me!
Tinka: Music runs deep in the Mississippian culture that we were raised in, so we absolutely can’t help but to eat, sleep, and breath music! Honestly, when I’m not doing anything musically (which is practically never), I love to take care of my physical health by running, cooking/baking fun healthy foods, spending quality time with loved ones, or any type of outdoor activity!
3.LH And going forward, you’re now continuing as a duo as Hannah pursues her passion for interior design. That’s going to feel weird for a while I bet, especially with the close sibling bond you all have?
Nata: Of course things will feel different without baby sis with us all of the time, but to be honest we have all been so close that we continue to reconnect as much as possible and feel so good knowing she is going on to pursue her biggest wish!
Tinka: Yes, it’s true! Nata and I are continuing our love for music with Hannah no longer in the band, but we COULD NOT be more proud of her for pursuing her dream to become an interior designer! It’s not entirely weird or different without her being involved in our music career, as she is still with us pretty much 24/7, showing us nothing but love and support. She might not be our bass player anymore, but she will ALWAYS be our best friend and sister.
4.LH When we last spoke you told me you were very ” hands on” with your debut, self -titled album which you were promoting at the time. Is this still the case when it comes to putting music out and what have you learned from that involvement?
Nata: ABSOLUTLEY. Since the new changes, we have been working with a new producer, Cliff Downs, and he has been the biggest inspiration in bringing out our true sound through our recorded music. Since coming to Nashville as little girls and recording at young ages, we wanted to play everything safe and write/record music according to the appropriate guidelines since we were so new to the game. Now as mature Nashville/touring artists, we have had the amazing opportunity to play and share our music all over and see the big difference between our original material and covers that we chose to play LIVE. With this new project, we are sharing more of who we are, where we come from, and what we want our fans to hear through our new music and couldn’t be more proud. We are SO excited to hear what you think of this new EP!
Tinka: Yes indeed! Learning and growing everyday as artists in the music industry, the music we create continues to become more “hands on” with every new project. I believe the cause of this personal improvement is just from simply growing and becoming more confident with who we are and what we want as artists, and then knowing how to incorporate that into your product.
5.LH And you also told me that you’d invested the money from that album in an apartment in Nashville (smart move!). I hope it survived the tornado, by the way…How are you enjoying being a part of Music City, and does it feel like home to you now?
Nata: YES!!! Thankfully, all is well after that terrible storm. Being a part of Music City has been a wake-up call. Everyone here wakes up with motivation, determination and is ready to make a difference in the day. When I’m here I feel like I belong and can learn so much through others who share the same dream and aspirations as I do.
Tinka: Before we even made the move to Nashville a few years ago, we had always thought of Music City as our “home away from home.” Living here has truly allowed us to become more involved and connected in the music industry, and live every day feeling like we belong in such a strong community of like-minded people that share our same passion. It’s invigorating, and we LOVE it!
6.LH It’s so exciting to hear that you have a brand new single coming out this week, on Friday 24th April to be exact (which of course we will be reviewing!) What more can you tell me about “Don’t Let Another Day Go By?”
Nata: “Don’t Let Another Day Go By” perfectly displays who we are in a song: energetic & harmonious! It reminds us and our fans that it’s very easy to get carried away with life, and that we should stop and smell the roses every now and then on our journey!
Tinka: Oh my goodness, Natalia and I are SO beyond excited about releasing this new single of ours! We thought that “Don’t Let Another Day Go By” would be the most PERFECT song to come out of the gates with this year, considering its fun, upbeat tempo and positive message. It’s also a blast to perform live!!
LH Well we all definitely need some fun music with a positive message right now!
7.LH And will it form part of an upcoming EP or album?
Nata: UM—YES!!!
Tinka: Yes! Along with the single comes way more music and we can’t wait to release all of them to you guys on our new upcoming EP. Stay tuned!!
8 LH How do you think you have developed as artists since you began playing and writing?
Nata: I can honestly say that the progress is shown week by week in my eyes. As the older sister, I’m such a “perfectionist” or “type A” kind of girl that I am never comfortable with being “comfortable.” I always feel like there is always something new I can learn to help me express who I am and what I’m feeling. Thankfully with music, the learning never stops!
Tinka: Southern Halo’s development, since our very beginning, has been that of an exponential increase I would say! Through the years, we have learned so much, met so many new people in this industry, and have put SO many hours towards sharpening our musical abilities. And we are STILL continuing to grow in all of these areas. I will say the one thing I do not think has changed is our spirit and our passion to do what we do. It is the fire that we have carried with us in every moment throughout our musical journey, and I know for a fact that it will always stay the same.
9.LH Social media will definitely play a bigger part in all our lives when it comes to seeing live performances in these crazy, challenging times. I’ve been catching some of your fun live streams recently, can we hope to see more of these from you?
Nata: Absolutely! Buckle up, y’all—’cause Tinka and I have never been more excited to share and connect more than ever!
Tinka: Absolutely! Nata and I are definitely going to be doing a lot more of the digital performances, as long as these challenging times are upon us. We love sharing live videos with you guys (even though we may not be that good at handling technology, ha ha).
10.LH And hopefully when you can get back out on the road you’ll consider coming back to visit us here in UK?
Nata: As soon as we are all able to get back touring, you can believe that we will be going back to the U.K. ASAP!!!!
Tinka: YES! 100 times yes!! We miss you too much! The next time we come back to the UK, we’re definitely coming to see you guys again! We LOVE Belles and Gals UK!!
LH Aw, we love you too!! Thanks for your time and let’s hope our next interview with you will be in person!
Presave Southern Halo’s new single here https://orcd.co/o7m0lan
Keep up to date with all their news at https://www.southernhalo.net/ where you’ll also find links to their socials.
Interview conducted by Lesley Hastings (twitter.com/lesleyhastings)
