Aubrie Sellers Shares Her Far From Easy Path on ‘Behind the Mic’ Session

“I decided to call my second record Far From Home because, when I was writing my second record, I was far from home – literally [and] physically for the first time really – as a solo artist touring a lot. [The album] is just kind of about finding my place in the world and that’s the theme of this record for me.”

There’s a bit of situational humor in the seeing Aubrie Sellers,’ the self-described garage-country musician, talk about and perform music from her newest album, Far From Home, while literally broadcasting from a room in her home for a recent segment of American Songwriter’s ‘Behind The Mic’ series. However, perhaps it’s fitting that the album’s title and thematic core don’t perfectly mesh with the the world’s current state of affairs because as Sellers reveals, her own thoughts regarding many of the feelings and challenges she’s taken on in order to get to this point in her musical career have shifted and transformed since Far From Home was first being created.

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“I grew up on the road, on a tour bus, but it was a lot different than hitting the road myself as a solo artist, and going out in a car and a van, and really being alone all the time. I’ve struggled with anxiety so, that kind of added an extra layer of challenge for me – to be on the road and being in front of people. [Furthermore,] I’m an introvert,” Sellers says.

One would be hard pressed to see Sellers’ introversion at the forefront of her interactions with the public, given how intensely she allows herself to perform and embody the feelings infused into emotionally trying, mentally intimate songs like “Worried Mind.” It’s almost as if the physical and logistical aspects of being a public-facing artist cease to intimidate when Sellers can fully immerse her body and mind in the music coming from her own voice or from her supportive musicians like guitarist Ethan, who accompanied Sellers through the segment.

While Sellers’ efforts to further solidify her own sense of confidence and comfort with touring and regular performance are part of an ongoing process, other facets of developing oneself as a working musician – like defining one’s sound, accruing an audience, and gaining enough support to be able to be a more widely active professional – have become easier for her to adapt to and face, over time and with more lived experiences.

“The [music] business is so different now,” says Sellers. “I think that the best thing [aspiring musicians] can do is be [themselves] and be distinctive.”

Whether it’s a factor of having grown up in the orbit of touring musician life or simply because Sellers is just that dedicated to understanding the mechanics of the music industry, it’s not lost on her how musicians just now coming up in the world have their own sets of struggles and advantages, quite different from the musical influences that came before her in some key ways.

“You know, labels used to sign people and develop them before they were ready to put out a record. [T]hat doesn’t really seem to be the case anymore. It seems like you kind of gotta do that development and get ready on your own,” she says. 

This duality of perspective for what-is and what-was in the industry, certainly is helpful to Sellers as she continues her journey, not just for her own growth but also for how she can connect with those who walk the path after her, eventually becoming the guide for the next artist who might feel afraid to take that next step.

“I would say take that time, writing, play[ing] music, and figuring out what’s kind of your signature stamp,” says Sellers. “[T]hen just [get] out there and [do] it as much as you can. There’s a lot of great options now for artists. You can put out your own music, which is incredible. That didn’t used to be a thing [but] now it is!”

You can support Aubrie Sellers at her online shop, buy her new album or rock some gear.

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