There was a time when HunterGirl thought about throwing in the towel. After years of toiling over “the dream,” the Tennessee native was prepared to step away from music, but she stopped for a moment and thought, “What if it isn’t about me?”
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That is the onus behind her latest single, “Ain’t About You.” She calls the track her “45-minute conversation with Jesus,” during which she found the last little bit of motivation to pick her guitar back up and keep pushing forward.
What ignited that flame again? The idea that someone out there could need her music. If you give up, if you give in / You should know that you’re not the only one who’s losing / What if there’s a little girl who needs a song / Telling her she’s beautiful when the world tells her she’s wrong, she sings in the chorus.
It’s a powerful declaration of pursuing music not for fame and glory but for the chance to make something that matters – which is an important goal for the Idol alum.
HunterGirl recently sat down with American Songwriter to discuss “Ain’t About You” as well as her songwriting journey. See our conversation, below.
[RELATED: Noah Thompson and HunterGirl Return To “American Idol” with Electrifying Duet]
American Songwriter: You wrote “Ain’t About You” a while ago. Before you were even on Idol, right?
HunterGirl: I wrote this song two years ago when nothing was really going on for me in Nashville. A lot of my friends were getting record publishing deals and I was like, “Lord, what am I doing? Am I on the right path?” [One day] I felt like I needed to write another song so I grabbed my guitar. That’s why I call this song my 45-minute conversation with Jesus. It all just poured out of me. It’s about looking outside myself and thinking about all the people that I might be letting down.
AS: How do you connect with this song after Idol and everything that has happened to you over the last year?
HG: I connect with it every single night when it comes up in the set because I get transported right back into my bedroom wondering if this is gonna work out or not. I think about how much my life has changed over the past couple of years and how thankful I am for it.
AS: You played it for a few of your fellow Idol alums before you released it. Can you talk about that experience?
HG: I played it at Chayce Beckham’s house after CMA Fest. We were all hanging out and passing a guitar around. That was the first time I ever played it. Chayce was like, “Where have you been hiding that one?”
AS: Is that why you decided to release it?
HG: It took a bit more time, honestly, but I decided to start playing it at shows to see how everyone responded. The response has been my favorite part of this song – watching the crowd. I think this song is about making somebody feel like there is hope in three minutes.
AS: Towards the end of the song you sing, What if there’s a little boy who needs a safe place to cry as a reason to keep making music. You’ve written a song that provides that outlet. Can you talk about writing “Lonely Outta You?”
HG: There are so many guys out there not comfortable with showing their emotions. I wanted to [tell them], “Hey, it’s okay to talk about your feelings.” The point of my music is to make something that means something to people.
AS: Do you keep up with American Idol? What emotions come up when you’re watching subsequent seasons?
HG: Yeah, I still keep up with everyone! It was such a big part of my life. LA to me meant Lower Alabama so, [being out there] I was like, “Woah, we’re not in Tennessee anymore!” Everyone on the show is awesome and a lot of them have moved to Nashville, so I have a good core group here.
I think the nervousness comes back. When I was watching the auditions this past year, I remembered all the bright lights and all the judges. You think, “I’m gonna have a heart attack.” Watching the performances now, I get nervous for them.
AS: What was the biggest bit of advice you got from the judges or your fellow contestants?
HG: I think some of the best advice I got on the show was when I sang my first original song. I remember Luke [Bryan] and Katy [Perry] telling me to keep songwriting. That meant so much to me because it was something I had created. [It was important] for someone to not only like my voice but, also like my story.
AS: What was it like being on the show and performing original songs?
HG: It was scary, but also so rewarding getting all these messages online saying, “I really needed that song.” The whole point of doing music is to connect with people.
AS: In addition to music, I know you are also very passionate about working with veteran organizations. Can you talk about why that is important to you?
HG: I started working with veterans when I was 17. I come from a big military background. I go into rooms with veterans and write songs about their lives. It means a lot to me to get to be in that room and talk to somebody.
It’s funny, you go into the room and a lot of the veterans are guarded, and by the time we get done with the song we are either laughing or crying – or maybe a little bit of both. It’s therapy in a way. I’m glad that I can support them.
Photo credit: David McClister
