EXCLUSIVE: Harper O’Neill Chats Backstage At CMA Fest

CMA Fest is always a whirlwind of incredible performances and small snatches of time with incredible artists and backstage in the media room here at Music and Tour News we were lucky to grab a few minutes with country artist Harper O’Neill to discuss her new music, mental health journey and more.

So, first off, congratulations on the Lainey Wilson tour support news. How much are you looking forward to that?

Thank you so much. It’s gonna be awesome, she’s the best. It’s been so fun to watch her every night just perform and she teaches me so much.

How did that connection come about?

Just kind of working with some of the same partners and her manager Mandelyn is a great friend of mine and she manages some friends of mine as well that are merging artists and so we’ve had a really fun time kind of coming up all together sharing some of the same opening slots. Like opening for Ashley McBryde and Morgan Wade and some other really awesome powerhouses country music right now. So it’s been fun to share that experience with them. It’s fun to share with someone who can have an understanding of it. Like, we played here and it was so much fun, her crew was amazing.

And you’ve also got the new single ‘Guilty’ out, what’s that been like?

Yes, that has just come out that was mammas favourite song. She’s been dancing up a storm, telling everyone at the grocery store for sure. She’s a marketing genius haha.

And it got picked up by the likes of Rolling Stone which is incredible, how’s the response been?

Yes, that was such a wonderful surprise. I was just blown away. It was one of those surreal moments and definitely a dream come true and they’ve been playing it on Sirius XM on the highway. I feel people are connecting with it which is so fun.

Who were the team you worked with for this song?

I wrote that with my friends Jacob and John who are two members of a great band called The Brummies and it was my first write with them. I was a big fan going into it and was super nervous and probably quiet. But we sat all day and tried to write it and we got it done and then let it live for a little bit and then about a month later we were like “We love what we have but it could be better, it could be stronger”. So we kind of went back in and peeled all the parts out that didn’t work and added some stuff and it’s ended up being one of my favourite songs. It really taught me that sometimes songs are just unfinished, they’re not bad or anything they’re just unfinished. Sometimes I feel like we can get into this cycle of “I have to get out a lot of songs really fast” instead of just honing in on an idea and refining it and getting it right. It’s so fun to share that song with them. It’s the first one we’ve written and then my friend Jake Gear produced all my stuff that I’m working on right now. I brought it to him and we had a great time bringing it to life.

How have you found that it’s been connecting when playing it live?

It’s been good. I feel like it’s got a really rewarding chorus. It’s very low in my range in the verse so when it moves up I think it’s really rewarding to hear so I feel people have been really connecting which is so fun.

And what’s next for you?

I have a single called When You Love Me that is out now and we’ve got some more coming for the rest of the summer as well.

One last question for you, what’s your message to your UK fans?

I cannot wait to play over there. I got to travel a little bit over there when I was in school and college and I just had so much fun. I love seeing new cultures and meeting new people and I’m so excited. I’m jumping at the chance. I’m just waiting for the call.

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