Exclusive Interview with Singer/Songwriter Eliza Spear

During a gap year between high school and college, singer-songwriter Eliza Spear spent her time in her hometown of LA playing gigs around the city and writing music. It is during this time that she began really honing her craft and understanding herself as an artist, and developing her classic rock-pop-twangy sound. Now, the North Carolina based artist has truly come into her own, having recently released a new single “Morning” and a brand new EP, The Pineapple.

I got the chance to talk to her about how she first got into making and performing music, her musical influences, the inspiration behind her song “Morning” and so much more. Keep reading to see what she had to say!

Tell me a little bit about how you first got into making and performing music.

I wrote a song about my dog and then continued to write because it felt natural to me. I did an open mic at the neighborhood music store and saw that people related to the words that I wrote from my personal story, which kind of blew my mind, so I kept doing it. 

Was there a specific moment or person that made you realize that music is what you wanted to pursue professionally?

My first voice teacher used to tell me about her experiences as a singer/songwriter, and we would work on the songs I had written together. I remember thinking that if she did it, there wasn’t anything that was stopping me from doing the same. 

I’m always genuinely curious about what artists want to convey with their music. If you had to describe the music you create without using genre names, how would you describe it?

Songs for people to sing to themselves in their mirror as they realize that loving themselves is actually pretty cool. 

Going off of that, who are some of your musical influences?

I’m a BIG Dixie Chicks girl. James Taylor and John Denver will always play a big role in my music. Kacey Musgraves can have my children and Taylor Swift is responsible for my living room dance parties. 

Let’s talk about your new single “Morning”, which I absolutely love. What inspired that song?

I’m glad you love that song! I was over men using me when they were lonely, and then forgetting I existed the next day. My mama raised me with more worth than that. 

What was the songwriting process like for this song specifically?

I came up with the hook, and then I brought it to two friends and it kind of wrote itself. Then I became obsessed with it and played it for everyone who would listen to me. 

Something I’ve always been curious about songwriting is how topics come to mind. Did you know what you wanted to write about going into the song session that birthed “Morning” or did it just come about organically?

The first line of the first verse is “I walked on home, all by myself”, and that quite literally happened. I was walking home on a gloomy morning, and that melody popped into my head. Then I stopped walking and I ran home as fast as I could to write the song.

Were there any major changes to “Morning” that happened once you got into the recording studio, whether it be in the lyrics or something sonically?

There were some melody changes that I’m super happy with. Kyle, the producer I worked with, is a genius. 

You also have your EP, The Pineapple (out now). What can fans expect from that project?

It’s definitely the most mature project I’ve done. I’m really, really proud of it and I hope people see why. The music on this EP represents a lot of self reflection, and I hope that encourages people to do the same for themselves. 

You’re still relatively new to the music game. What are some music industry-related goals or benchmarks that you’re aiming to reach in the next couple of years?

I am so new! I have to keep reminding myself of that. I want to tour and meet the people that I’ve reached. I would love to hit a million streams on Spotify and continue putting out music that I’m so proud of that I want to scream on a roof about it. 

Last question — we’re called Talk Nerdy With Us because we all have an inner-nerd so what is something that you’re currently nerding out about?

OMG. I nerd out about everything. I nerd out about people and food and dogs all the time, but today I’m nerding out about some new jeans. They’re the kind of jeans that fit so well that you have this new found confidence and you feel like you can take over the world. So today I’m nerding out about jeans and I’m trying to hold onto this feeling for as long as I can. 

Make sure you follow Eliza on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.