Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase
The second of 8 Boots and Hearts Emerging Artists we will be featuring, Brea Lawrenson, is no stranger to many of our readers. We’ve featured her in the past and she’s taken part in the #SoundOff on more than one occasion (Doin’ What He Likes & If I’m Not Here Tomorrow).
The Carleton Place, Ontario native has been playing and performing music since she was in her mid-teens. Her music has taken her coast to coast in Canada as well as numerous trips to Nashville, TN as well as to London, UK. She’s worked with many different songwriters and producers including: Stu Epps (UK producer who previously worked with many artists and bands including Elton John and Led Zeppelin). She’s also had the pleasure of working with singer/songwriter Barry Brown (of The Family Brown), Keith Glass (of the Juno award winning Canadian Country band, Prairie Oyster).
Brea Lawrenson
Brea currently boast 3 singles in active airplay across Canada. “Honey“, which was released in summer 2013, “With You Whiskey” was released in September 2013 and “Bottom of the Bottle” which was released this past March. All three songs made it into the top 100 on Canadian Country Radio.
The pinnacle moment of her career to date came about a month ago when she was chosen as one of 8 finalists (out of over 200) for the 3rd Annual Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist showcase. The winner of this competition will win a chance to open for Hunter Hayes at the festival this summer as well as a professional single release by Big Machine Label Group and a week of training in Nashville.
Brea, and all of the top 8, need your votes to determine their starting slot during the competition at Boots and Hearts on August 2. The higher the votes the better the starting slot. You can vote up to 5 times per day here: www.bootsandhearts.com/showcase/.
We sent each of the top 8 a list of questions that will allow you the opportunity to get to know the finalists each a little bit better. Here is the result of the interview with Brea Lawrenson:
SC: Being selected as a finalist for Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist is a big deal. One of the 8 of you will perform in front of Hunter Hayes this summer. Describe the moment you found out you made it? How did they contact you? Where were you? and has it sunken in yet?
BL: When I found out that I had been selected for The Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase I sitting on my bed at home reading my e-mails and I had to read it twice, I was overwhelmed with excitement for the opportunity and couldn’t wait to tell all my friends because they all go to the festival every year. I had to keep it a secret for a few weeks which was almost unbearable! I was contacted through e-mail and then got a phone call later that day to discuss details and I was on the road to Toronto a few days after that to meet some if the amazing crew members and to shoot my profile video. I am not sure if it had sunken in yet… It started to feel more real after I saw the video and the other amazing artists I got picked along with… They are all so great!! I think it will sink in more when I find out what time slot I get to play!
SC: Every artist I’ve spoken to has a story about how / when they decided to purse music as a career. Describe the moment that you knew that music was the path for you and what inspired you to take that path.
BL: I can’t really remember one specific moment that I decided I wanted to pursue music. Hearing my dad play guitar and piano are probably some of the earliest memories I have that made me love music. Music is just always been a part of me… Just something that I do to feel normal… Kind of like breathing. I think it was more like the moment I decided to persevere despite all the ups and downs with my music career, which was the most significant moment for me. Every time I had been discouraged and even if music was the cause of my discouragement… Singing and playing guitar was the only thing that made me feel happy again. I think those were the moments I knew that there was nothing else for me… Music is where my heart is and where it always will be. I couldn’t ever be this happy doing anything else.
SC: In music today there are a lot of artists working on projects with other artists, for example Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line or Tim Hicks and BlackJack Billy. If you could write with or perform with any artist on the scene today (from any genre) who would it be?
BL: I have had many daydreams about being on stage with Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert and Stevie Nicks. I probably spend too much time dreaming about it all LOL!
SC: As an aspiring Country Music star performing in front of large crowds is pretty much par for the course, what’s the largest crowd you’ve ever performed in front of? do you still get butterflies? If so what do you do to calm your nerves ahead of the show?
BL: I love performing for big crowds rather than the smaller ones because there is so much energy and chemistry going on. I think my biggest crowd has been close to 7000 people which was an amazing experience. At that point you are basically just bursting with energy and love for the fact that they are all there to see you do what you love to do. There really is no other high. I still get butterflies, if I didn’t I’d be worried! I like to have a glass of wine to take the edge off 
Brea Lawrenson
SC: In any career there comes a moment, sometimes moments, where you know you’re doing something right. As an entertainer you make a decision to follow a path that can take can be rocky and difficult to travel before it brings you to a favourable destination, can you describe a moment in your career, so far, that made you feel that you took the right path?
BL: It was the first time I was told that my song, ‘Honey’, had been added to the biggest major market commercial radio station in the area that I grew up… on the station I grew up listening to. I was sitting in my mom’s living room and when I got off the phone from that call I cried with happiness. I knew that I didn’t have to wake up everyday feeling discouraged and like maybe I’d never get there or maybe I made the wrong decisions. You get all kinds of judgement from people around you, most supportive and some wonder why you would sacrifice so much for music… There’s always doubts and worries and the music business is full of people trying to ‘make it’ for most, it doesn’t happen. But for me, after hearing my song on the radio, all the sacrifices I had made were all worth it.
SC: What’s your all-time favourite movie?
BL: My all-time favourite movie is, ‘The Bodyguard’ with Whitney Houston.
SC: Your ideal brain food?
BL: My idea brain food is, hmm… chicken pita and some good spinach salad.
SC: Favourite Restaurant (anywhere in the world)?
BL: My favourite restaurant is, Red Lobster.
SC: Favourite TV show (all-time)?
BL: Charmed
SC: If you could see any artist in concert, who would you see (living or dead)?
BL: I would love to see Whitney Houston in concert and Mariah Carey because I never have seen either and they are amazing vocalists.
SC: iPhone, Android or Blackberry?
BL: iPhone
SC: Can you talk about a fan encounter that completely took you by surprise?
BL: The first time I met one of my biggest fans and now she’s a great friend, Caitlyn. She made me feel like a star and she still does. We met at concert event we were doing for my fans… We got to go VIP to a concert in Ottawa and take a limo and she was there. We have stayed pretty close since then. She told me how my music helped her through a lot in her life and that meant a lot to me. Now there are always moments with my new fans I get to meet at my shows… they ask to have a picture taken with me… It blows me away every time.
SC: What are your family member’s musical interests and abilities?
BL: My mom plays the stereo. My dad plays piano and guitar by ear and my brother plays guitar, ukulele and sings and my aunt and uncle on my dad’s side all sing and play guitar and piano.
SC: Name a fictional character most like you?
BL: Elmyra from Looney Tunes. My aunt, to this day, still calls me that because I love animals so much.
SC: In “Brea Lawrenson, Story of My Life” – The Movie, who would play you?
BL: My mother. She knows me best.
SC: Star Trek or Star Wars?
Yoda
BL: Not sure…. Haven’t really seen either. Star wars because I like Yoda, he’s cute.
SC: Stress management: hitman, spa vacation or Prozac?
BL: All of the above
SC: Several years ago you wrote and recorded a song “If I’m Not Here Tomorrow” as a tribute to the men and women of our armed forces. Can you tell us a little about the inspiration behind that song?
BL: My song, ‘If I’m Not Here Tomorrow’, started as a song idea I had started writing when I was a teenager about a life on the road as a musician. It was after a family member of mine had gone to Afghanistan that I thought it would make a song that other families could relate to.
SC: The music business is one of the most charitable businesses in the world, is there a specific charity that’s close to your heart that you support or would like to see more support for?
BL: It’s hard to pick just one charity but I think I would go with The Children’s Wish Foundation for sure.
SC: In the final few days of voting tell us why country music fans should vote for Brea Lawrenson?
BL: I think Country Fans should vote for me because I will be the voice for all of my fans across the country. Country music is mostly about telling the truth and being true to who you are and that is what it means to me. I will always be real and true to my fans who have supported me because they are the reason I am where I am now. More than anything I want to make music to help make a difference for people because that is what it has done for me. As a singer/songwriter I feel a responsibility to help people feel something and to help heal to help them live. Be a ‘Brealiever’ and vote for me!! <3
#AskBrea
If you want to find out more about Brea, we’re excited to be hosting an intimate and interactive session on Twitter tomorrow evening. Join us starting at 6:30pm EST for #AskBrea, simply send your questions with #AskBrea attached and Brea will be there to answer them. You can find out more about Brea and her music at her website www.brealawrenson.com
Here’s the music video for the song that started it all for Brea Lawrenson, “If I’m Not Here Tomorrow”!
