Interviews

Chatting to Erin Enderlin About Her Upcoming Single “Somebody’s Shot Of Whiskey”

July 9, 2021 Nick Cantwell country music, erin enderlin, somebody's shot of whiskey

Fans of Nashville based Erin Enderlin who have been patiently waiting for new original material from the acclaimed singer/songwriter will be rewarded next Friday, 16th July , with the release of her latest single “Somebody’s Shot Of Whiskey”, available to pre-save here https://hypeddit.com/link/pf37ua

And having been privy to a sneak advance listen it’s definitely been worth the wait!. The song is an unusually upbeat and fun write from the Arkansas native and her co-writer Ben Chapman which leaves you in no doubt that Erin isn’t willing to compromise simply in order to appease others. “I’d rather be somebody’s shot of whiskey than everybody’s cup of tea” as she put it!

Its attitude and sass contrasts with her more familiar storytelling songs of heartbreak and betrayal , but it will come as no surprise that the track still flies the flag for the traditional side of country music which flows through her veins… she recently stepped on to the Opry stage for her 13th appearance, was a two time winner at last month’s Arkansas Country Music Awards and will be out on the road soon with the legendary Tanya Tucker, you can’t get much more country than all of that!

Despite the pandemic which of course put Erin’s normally hectic touring schedule on hold she has kept busy, using the enforced break to learn new technical skills which resulted in her single handedly recording and releasing three limited edition CDs under the umbrella name “Campfire Covers”. Each volume is a selection of her own acoustic versions of country songs which have a special place in her heart, the most recent of which will be available very soon ( all info/order details at erinenderlin.bigcartel.com ) .

Erin has also been engaging with her loyal fanbase courtesy of regular lifestreams where she first showcased her upcoming single in stripped back format. She kindly agreed to answer a few questions about the track exclusively for us here at Belles and Gals, and I think the answers give a great insight not only to the song itself but to the tenacity and strength of character that Erin has needed to succeed in the cutthroat music industry. Something else that struck me was the release’s female-heavy credit list, which you’ll find at the end of our interview.

1. LH I absolutely love the concept behind this song! What inspired it?

EE Thank you! I was playing a festival show out in Kansas and before show time I was walking around checking out some of the different tents and things. Some t-shirts caught my eye, one said “I’d rather be somebody’s shot of whiskey, than everybody’s cup of tea” – right away I was like, man, that’s me. The older I get, the more I place a premium on just being able to be myself, whether it’s with friends or in my music. It’s so freeing to be able to say, this is me, this is what I love, this is what gets to me and feel great about it. I know I’m not for everyone – and that’s alright by me.

2. LH The idea developed into such a fun and catchy track! Is that what you envisaged from the start, or how it evolved only when you and your co-writer Ben Chapman got your heads together?

EE You know I’ve been really wanting to do more of that. Typically, I’m very story song oriented, and more ballad/mid tempo, but I love other styles and I wanted to experiment with that. I’d had this idea in my pocket for years and Ben connected with it and I loved the vibe he came up with. He kinda started playing a Waylon feel – and I love honky tonk Emmylou Harris tunes, so I was like what if we add in a little bit of that? And it’s a little bit cheeky and I love that.

3. LH As you’ve just mentioned, it’s a change from the majority of your songs which typically address heartbreaking subjects, but like a lot of them I love how it still conveys a great message. Is it one you stand by in real life?

EE Thank you very much. It definitely is. I’ve been guilty of trying to be someone different to please others, but the older I get I just find it’s not worth it and it’s not what I want to do. When I moved to Nashville, some people would tell me “You’re too country” or “Your songs are too sad” or “You’ll never be an artist” and I just would try to keep in mind – that’s not true, you’re just not one of the people who “gets” me – and that’s alright, I’ll just move along and find the ones that do. And luckily there have been a lot of those out there!

4. LH And of course once again your deep love of trad country music comes through as always in the song’s arrangement….the fantastic fiddle in particular which features so strongly. How involved were you in the instrumentation/production side of the track and who else did you work with in both capacities?

EE I produced the track and played acoustic guitar on it – but had some great folks engineering and playing on the track that really brought their talent and vision to the song also. The engineer on this Justin Courtelyou is actually the first engineer I ever worked with back at MTSU on a school project. I just love the energy and creativity he brings to the project. I did this recording a little different – partially because of the pandemic, and partially because I’ve always wanted to play guitar on a project but was too intimidated to try in a room full of studio musicians with just a few hours to get it right. So, I went into the studio with Justin and his assistant Kyle and laid down the acoustic track and sang the vocal. Then Justin sent the tracks to the other musicians to play on. Jenee Fleenor played fiddle, and she was the first musician to add to the track – I just told her “Jenee you know I love what you do, so just play allllll the fiddle all over this son of a gun and I know I’ll be over the moon with it!” and I was. I think another big part of the feel was getting to work with Megan Jane on drums and percussion. I’ve been lucky enough to play with her quite a bit on the road so she knows how I like to play live – and she knows that I like to feel the music and speed up and slow down according – not to a click as they say. I’m not saying this is good or bad, but it’s how I play, it’s part of my sound and I wanted to capture more of my live show. I love percussion elements in addition to straight up drums. Megan has such cool ideas with all of that and she’s just an incredible talent.

5 .LH Did you face any particular challenges throughout the writing and recording process due to the restrictions the pandemic threw at you?

EE Well, as I said in the last question, in a way it kinda helped, everything was so turned upside down it was like why follow any other rules? Why not play my own guitar and take on the role of producer? I don’t know that that’s always how I would do it, but it was great to get outside my comfort zone and challenge myself. I have to say though, that I’m more nervous than I’ve ever been to see how people react to it. But I love how it turned out. I think otherwise there were a lot of mental and financial challenges. I had a really big year shaping up for 2020 and so much of it was just gone in a poof – making this music helped center me, helped bring me back to being excited and the foundation of the music I love. I’ve been so lucky this last year in so many ways, especially how much support I’ve received from the fans to keep doing what I do.

6. LH Talking of your fans I gather there’s a accompanying video in the works, which will include clips which they have sent in …what more can you tell me about that?
EE There is! I am so excited about it. To me the point of this song is loving yourself for who you are and finding “your people” – it’s like the famous quote from Bridget Jones’s diary – one of my favorite movies – when Mark Darcy tells Bridget “I like you very much. Just as you are” – I’ve found a whole community of my people and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to include them in the video. I’ve got friends, family, fanily, and a couple of very cute doggos making an appearance – and I’ll tell you, I’m smiling ear to ear the whole time I watch it!

7. LH I mentioned your Campfire Covers recordings in the introduction…..although releasing ANY music must be a fantastic feeling, does it make it extra special/exciting/nerve wracking when it comes to putting out your original material?

EE It is and it isn’t. Covers are nerve-wracking because I have so much respect for the original piece, and I hope that I do it justice and that the original creators would be pleased. When it’s my own music, I’m really trying to live up to the song. They really are like your children and you want the best for them. I’m just so grateful to still be here, making music that I love, and getting to share it. I don’t take it for-granted, it a gift.

8. LH Can we expect more new music from you in the coming months…..either in the form stand alone singles or is there maybe there an EP/Album in the works?

EE Yes and Yes. I guess I’ll spill the beans here, but I have a new EP in the works – it’s based around different characters all in the same barroom on the same night, but going through very different things. I’ll be releasing a new single/focus track each month for a couple of months and then the full EP. I gotta say I have been working on so much cool creative bits from the songs to videos and more, I’ve been stockpiling like doomsday preppers, and I absolutely cannot wait to start sharing all of it!

LH Oh that’s brilliant news….thanks for the ” spill”!!! I’m sure I’m not alone in LOVING a concept project, and I can’t wait to hear what you’ve come up with!

Thanks so much for your time, and I hope you’ll make it back over the pond to perform again here in the not-too-distant future,

“Somebody’s Shot of Whiskey” Credits

Written by Erin Enderlin & Ben Chapman

Producer: Erin Enderlin

Engineer: Justin Courtelyou

Assistant Engineer: Kyle Blunt

Mixed by: Justin Courtleyou

Mastered by: Amy Brown

Acoustic Guitar: Erin Enderlin

Fiddle: Jenee Fleenor

Drums: Megan Jane

Bass: Rachel Loy