Paige Davis is heading to Country Thunder Wisconsin. The singer was named the winner of American Songwriter’s Sounds Like Summer promotion, walking away with a prize package that includes a performance opportunity at Country Thunder Wisconsin’s Songwriters Showcase.
“I love playing live. I love the songwriting process and being in the studio too, but there’s something really special about the connection that happens between an artist and an audience during a live performance,” Davis told American Songwriter following her big win. “Getting to share a song in real time with people who are hearing it for the first time is such a unique experience.”
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Davis said that she’s most looking forward to her first trip to Wisconsin, where she’ll get to play her songs “for an entirely new audience in a place I’ve never been before.”
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity. My hope is always the same: that someone walks away feeling a little more understood or a little less alone because of something they heard,” she said. “If even one person connects with my music that way, that’s everything to me.”
One song that’s sure to connect with the festival goers is “joyride,” the track that gave Davis her big win.
“It’s a song I wrote entirely on my own. It’s about the vulnerability of letting yourself fall for someone in the early stages of a relationship,” Davis said. “Starting something new can feel exciting, overwhelming, and a little scary all at once because you have no idea where it might lead.”
“At its core, the song is about choosing to embrace the uncertainty instead of trying to control it,” she continued. “It’s about letting go of the need to have all the answers, enjoying the moment for what it is, and trusting that some experiences are worth having regardless of how they end. Even if it doesn’t last forever… even if it’s just a joyride.”
Read on to learn more about Davis.
Paige Davis Q&A
WHAT INITIALLY GOT YOU INTO MUSIC?
Music was always part of my childhood. My dad played in an original grunge-rock band, and I used to stay up way past my bedtime (sorry mom!!!) listening to their rehearsals through the air conditioning vents. There was always music in our house, whether it was my dad playing guitar in the living room, my mom blasting Evanescence and Anna Nalick CDs, or eventually me wearing out my own CD player.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SONGWRITING?
I’ve been writing songs for pretty much my entire life. I started paying close attention to the structure of the songs I loved and writing about my own life when I was around 12 years old, just a few months after I took my first guitar lessons.
I watched a lot of Hannah Montana growing up, and I think that was the first time I saw music as something I might actually want to do myself. Then I discovered Taylor Swift, and seeing someone write songs about her own life completely changed the way I thought about songwriting.
I started playing open mics at the only bar and grill in my small hometown when I was 12. After that first show, I was absolutely hooked. I wrote a lot of songs with my dad. When I was 14 I was introduced to David Christensen. He believed in me from the very beginning and encouraged me to pursue music professionally. Through him, I met so many incredible people, including Gary Agresti, who recorded my acoustic vocals in New Hampshire, and Roger Alan Nichols, who produced my first two singles in Nashville.
Their encouragement helped shift my mindset from, “This is a fun hobby,” to “This is what I want to do with my life.” I released my first song at 16. I’ve been writing, recording, and releasing music ever since. Looking back, I’m incredibly grateful for all of the people who believed in me before I fully believed in myself.
WHY DID YOU ENTER AMERICAN SONGWRITER’S SOUNDS LIKE SUMMER PROMOTION?
I actually entered on a bit of a whim! I had recently been talking with my parents about how I’d love to get out and play my songs in places I’d never been before and for people who might not have discovered my music otherwise. Around that same time, I’d been hearing from a lot of people that “joyride” felt like the perfect summer song. Then my mom came across the American Songwriter Sounds Like Summer promotion. She encouraged me to submit it just to see what happened. I’m so glad I listened to her because I never imagined it would lead to an opportunity like this.
WHAT DOES WINNING MEAN TO YOU?
Winning has honestly meant so much to me. Chasing a career as a songwriter and artist can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also be discouraging at times. There are so many moments where you’re creating simply because you love it. You have to trust that it’s reaching people, even when you can’t always see the impact.
Receiving this recognition has been such a meaningful reminder that the music I’m making and the stories I’m telling are connecting with others. That’s incredibly encouraging, and it motivates me to keep writing, keep growing, and keep sharing my songs. I’m truly honored and so grateful for this opportunity.
WHAT SONGWRITERS AND ARTISTS DO YOU COUNT AS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATIONS? WHY?
I grew up listening to artists like Anna Nalick, Evanescence, Foo Fighters, Miley Cyrus, and Taylor Swift. They’ve influenced me for as long as I can remember. Today, I also draw a lot of inspiration from artists like Halsey, Carter Faith, and Olivia Rodrigo.
What connects all of them, in my mind, is their willingness to be completely honest in their songwriting. They have this incredible ability to take deeply personal experiences and tell them in a way that feels both universally relatable and uniquely their own. I think that’s one of the hardest things to do well as a songwriter. It’s something I strive for every time I sit down to write. I have so much admiration for each of them and the way they approach their craft.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PLANS IN 2026.
I’m planning to release at least three more singles before the end of the year. I’m always looking forward to writing with new collaborators.
As much as I love writing on my own, there’s something really magical about getting into a room with a few incredibly creative people and seeing what happens. Everyone brings their own experiences, perspectives, and influences. Together, you get to turn all of those pieces into one three to four minute story. It’s one of my favorite parts of being a songwriter.
I’m excited to keep releasing music, keep meeting new people, and keep writing songs that hopefully connect with listeners in meaningful ways.
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CAREER DREAM?
I’d love to tour the world and share my music with people in different cities and different countries. But at the heart of it, my biggest career dream is to make people feel seen and connected. Not just connected to me or my music, but to each other, too.
I hope my shows can be a space where people feel safe enough to be vulnerable, where they can connect with the songs and realize the people standing beside them are carrying many of the same thoughts and emotions. One of my favorite things about live music is that it reminds us we’re not as alone as we sometimes think we are.
I like to say that I write a lot of “inside thoughts,” and tend to focus on the feelings we don’t always know how to say out loud. My hope is that by putting those thoughts into songs, someone else hears them and thinks, “I thought I was the only one who felt that way.” If my music can do that, then I’ve accomplished what I set out to do.
WHAT WOULD YOU TELL OTHER ARTISTS WHO ARE CONSIDERING ENTERING THE CONTEST?
Just do it… the worst thing someone can do is say no.
My dad has been telling me ever since I released my first single to actively chase the no’s. I’ve made it a personal goal to do exactly that. Every no means I’m putting myself out there and continuing to move forward.
I think that can be one of the hardest parts of being an artist and songwriter. We’re sharing pieces of ourselves, our experiences, and our perspectives, which can make rejection feel incredibly personal. But the moments when your work does connect with someone make it all worth it.
Not everyone is going to understand or connect with your art, and that’s OK. The beautiful thing about music and art is that there will always be people who do. You’ll never know unless you take the chance.
Photo by Phil Silverberg