The Sit Down with Alyssa Flaherty
Since releasing her debut EP “Heartbreak, Thank You” in July last year, Alyssa Flaherty has started to become a regular visitor to this side of the pond as she played both Country Calling and The Long Road festivals last summer before returning in March to play at C2C: Country to Country in London which is Europe’s largest country music festival. Less than two after her last trip to London, the Maryland native is about to head back to the UK to join Jon Pardi on his Honkytonk Hollywood UK Tour so with the news of this last minute visit, Alyssa caught up with us before flying over to talk about this further opportunity in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Hey girl, it's so nice to see you again because I feel like I didn't see you when you were last here in London.
“No, I don’t think so.”
C2C is just absolute chaos as you probably worked out.
“Total chaos, but in the best way and we had so much fun. We need like an O2 in Nashville.”
You’d obviously heard things about it before you were there but what were your of impressions of an indoor festival, where it's a lot of people in a condensed space compared to stuff you get at home?
“My first thought was this is like a teeny, teeny, teeny, tiny Vegas strip. There are so many different shops, so many different restaurants and you have obviously the huge arena, but then there’s all the little venues inside, that were so cool. We played in the Blueroom for the Song Suffragettes show and it was so special. It was so awesome, we literally had the best time so it was just like the coolest experience. You were never bored, there was always something to do, somewhere to go eat, somewhere to grab a drink and we just loved it.”
It must be quite nice as an artist with the fact that firstly, you're not just doing one show where you come in and you're straight out, but it's a variety of stages. You said about the Blueroom where you played in a round and then you've got stuff that's going on in that tent outside and everything else.
“Yeah, it was so cool and again, they set up different kind of scenarios, I feel like for each show. The Blueroom was very much a listening room where it was chill and quiet, then obviously you have the arena that's like craziness, but so much fun and then I played on also like a little side stage, in the mall area which was also so cool. It just felt like a more intimate, but still like high energy and fun show so it was just awesome to see the different little venues and moments they were able to create throughout the whole festival. It was so awesome and I was obsessed with it.”
So, that was trip number two, because obviously, when we first met was last summer in Chelmsford, then you played The Long Road too, where I was watching your set your mom so, luckily Sharon was there to make sure I wasn’t misbehaving and was great company. However, now, we’re gearing up for a third visit in what, nine months? So, things are going fast over here and I know this one came about pretty last minute but is it now becoming a big part of planning where the UK is fundamental to what you want to do going forward?
“I think it's so special to be able to go across the world and do what you love. It's so surreal still and I can't believe that we're coming back for two weeks. I'm just like, what is life? I feel like the fans over there are just so excited, they're so invested, they're always responding, always resharing, reposting and all the things, where that as a young artist who's like, you know, trying to survive and make as many fans as possible, but to see an audience reciprocate that excitement and love is not something you always get when you're touring in the US. It's more normalised here, the country music thing is like such a pop culture moment. I feel like the last couple years, I mean talking about pop culture, it's like worldly pop culture now, you know what I mean? So, it's been cool to go over there, meet people and then see people bring friends to the next show, so it's like the crowds just build and that’s something to me that's the biggest win ever. The first time I went over there, I sold a couple tickets in York, the room was pretty full, but it wasn't sold out by any means, then to go back over and sell out a couple of shows in a row is crazy. You're just like, so this is how you do it. You’ve really just got to show up and show up for the fans, show up for the people and share your songs, then it's crazy to see the reaction to it and the love. It's so exciting and I cannot wait to come back to just see people, make new fans and play in cities I haven't been to yet, I'm so excited.”
Hey girl, it's so nice to see you again because I feel like I didn't see you when you were last here in London.
“No, I don’t think so.”
C2C is just absolute chaos as you probably worked out.
“Total chaos, but in the best way and we had so much fun. We need like an O2 in Nashville.”
You’d obviously heard things about it before you were there but what were your of impressions of an indoor festival, where it's a lot of people in a condensed space compared to stuff you get at home?
“My first thought was this is like a teeny, teeny, teeny, tiny Vegas strip. There are so many different shops, so many different restaurants and you have obviously the huge arena, but then there’s all the little venues inside, that were so cool. We played in the Blueroom for the Song Suffragettes show and it was so special. It was so awesome, we literally had the best time so it was just like the coolest experience. You were never bored, there was always something to do, somewhere to go eat, somewhere to grab a drink and we just loved it.”
It must be quite nice as an artist with the fact that firstly, you're not just doing one show where you come in and you're straight out, but it's a variety of stages. You said about the Blueroom where you played in a round and then you've got stuff that's going on in that tent outside and everything else.
“Yeah, it was so cool and again, they set up different kind of scenarios, I feel like for each show. The Blueroom was very much a listening room where it was chill and quiet, then obviously you have the arena that's like craziness, but so much fun and then I played on also like a little side stage, in the mall area which was also so cool. It just felt like a more intimate, but still like high energy and fun show so it was just awesome to see the different little venues and moments they were able to create throughout the whole festival. It was so awesome and I was obsessed with it.”
So, that was trip number two, because obviously, when we first met was last summer in Chelmsford, then you played The Long Road too, where I was watching your set your mom so, luckily Sharon was there to make sure I wasn’t misbehaving and was great company. However, now, we’re gearing up for a third visit in what, nine months? So, things are going fast over here and I know this one came about pretty last minute but is it now becoming a big part of planning where the UK is fundamental to what you want to do going forward?
“I think it's so special to be able to go across the world and do what you love. It's so surreal still and I can't believe that we're coming back for two weeks. I'm just like, what is life? I feel like the fans over there are just so excited, they're so invested, they're always responding, always resharing, reposting and all the things, where that as a young artist who's like, you know, trying to survive and make as many fans as possible, but to see an audience reciprocate that excitement and love is not something you always get when you're touring in the US. It's more normalised here, the country music thing is like such a pop culture moment. I feel like the last couple years, I mean talking about pop culture, it's like worldly pop culture now, you know what I mean? So, it's been cool to go over there, meet people and then see people bring friends to the next show, so it's like the crowds just build and that’s something to me that's the biggest win ever. The first time I went over there, I sold a couple tickets in York, the room was pretty full, but it wasn't sold out by any means, then to go back over and sell out a couple of shows in a row is crazy. You're just like, so this is how you do it. You’ve really just got to show up and show up for the fans, show up for the people and share your songs, then it's crazy to see the reaction to it and the love. It's so exciting and I cannot wait to come back to just see people, make new fans and play in cities I haven't been to yet, I'm so excited.”
These are going to be bigger rooms as well when you’re playing the shows with Jon which is really cool. Have you done anything with Jon Pardi before? Have you guys met? Are you a fan? Is there any sort of connection at all?
“I am the biggest fan. I'll never forget my mom, this was like years ago when “Heartache on the Dance Floor” came out and she would watch The Today Show literally every single morning and I remember, coming home from school and her being like, you need to hear this song, it's so cute. It's about him seeing this girl dancing on the dance floor and it’s heartache on the dance floor where she's like, you got to listen to it, it's so good. So, she loved it and obviously I became a huge Jon Pardi fan, but for my brother, Jon Pardi is probably his favourite artist, so he's kind of jealous that I get to go.”
How are you going to be playing on the tour? Is it just going to be you and your guitar again?
“Yep, me and my guitar.”
I guess the dream and the next goal is to bring a full band over here.
“Oh my gosh, I would absolutely love that. That energy is just so different. I think the intimate guitar thing is so special and it's so vulnerable, but then bringing a full band over at some point will be absolutely insane. That's like a bucket list thing to do here, you know, in the US and travel with a band, but then to be able to do it over there would be crazy. I mean, for everyone, it would just be such a surreal experience.”
Would you say that your sound and what you do with a band really evolves and brings so much more?
“Oh my gosh. I think again, it's like the energy, you know, like I'll have moments where I won't have a guitar strapped to me where I get to just sing, move around and actually perform the songs in a different way. I think that's what's always fun about full band shows and even just with the rehearsals, you kind of rediscover your music in a different way and honestly in the way that it's intended to be played. Obviously the stripped back thing is always really cool, but there's nothing like a full band show ever. It is just so special and I'm obsessed with it and performing has always been my favourite part of all of this so, I cannot wait for the day that we get to bring the guys over.”
As well as doing these shows with Jon, I know you've recently played some shows with Kane Brown too, so some really cool runs to get in on. For a newer artist, I guess they're quite different audiences to what you may get more regularly. Beyond the fact it's a new audience, what do you feel you take most out of getting to go on the road and playing shows with these guys that have been doing it for a long time now?
“For one, it's so cool just to see behind the scenes and how the teams operate you know, everyone is always so welcoming and so sweet, like Kane team is incredible. I love all the behind the scenes stuff with how does this show end up actually happening because it takes so much work from so many incredible people that you never even get to see. I really think going into those shows and knowing I've never played in front of these people before, so it’s like what's the vibe? I feel for me, it's like, who am I? Like, who am I as the artist? Because that's what I have to sell to these people, I have to sell myself to these people. At the end of the day, they're either going to like it or they're not, but I have to go out there, just be myself, be nothing but that and pray for the best. What has been really cool is, especially after my sets, I'll go out and sell merch, take pictures and just meet people, which for me, my biggest reward in those moments is seeing a line, you know, wrapped around and just people that have never met me before and they're wanting to come, take a picture, say hi, you know, sign this or just be like, oh my gosh, I loved that song and picking out certain moments that I'm not even thinking about, but it resonated with them during my set. Those moments to me are genuinely the most rewarding and fulfilling, I have one of those conversations, then it keeps me going for a couple months so that to me is the most fulfilling part of it. I'm so excited to meet some of Jon's fans, hopefully make some myself and you know, it's like that snowball effect, you’ve just got to keep showing up and keep doing it again. It's like every time someone meets you and they love it, hopefully next time they'll bring a friend and then the next time they'll bring a friend so it just kind of evolves. It's kind of like the old school way of doing things because social media is so important and it's such a tool but the real magic is in those human to human connection moments that you get when you play these shows.”
I think over here people discover things so organically as well and then people keep coming back with a friend and the next thing you know, you’ll be playing The O2. You mentioned social media, which whether people like it or not, it is so central to whatever you are doing but from a purely creative point, you know, as an artist writing songs and playing shows are the reasons you do it. I know obviously AI is a concern for a lot of people as well, but in regard to the fact of so much time and attention comes into making a tonne of videos before you do the actual show or release a song do you kind of worry that there's potential it can dilute the art element, where that starts to takes over?
“I am the biggest fan. I'll never forget my mom, this was like years ago when “Heartache on the Dance Floor” came out and she would watch The Today Show literally every single morning and I remember, coming home from school and her being like, you need to hear this song, it's so cute. It's about him seeing this girl dancing on the dance floor and it’s heartache on the dance floor where she's like, you got to listen to it, it's so good. So, she loved it and obviously I became a huge Jon Pardi fan, but for my brother, Jon Pardi is probably his favourite artist, so he's kind of jealous that I get to go.”
How are you going to be playing on the tour? Is it just going to be you and your guitar again?
“Yep, me and my guitar.”
I guess the dream and the next goal is to bring a full band over here.
“Oh my gosh, I would absolutely love that. That energy is just so different. I think the intimate guitar thing is so special and it's so vulnerable, but then bringing a full band over at some point will be absolutely insane. That's like a bucket list thing to do here, you know, in the US and travel with a band, but then to be able to do it over there would be crazy. I mean, for everyone, it would just be such a surreal experience.”
Would you say that your sound and what you do with a band really evolves and brings so much more?
“Oh my gosh. I think again, it's like the energy, you know, like I'll have moments where I won't have a guitar strapped to me where I get to just sing, move around and actually perform the songs in a different way. I think that's what's always fun about full band shows and even just with the rehearsals, you kind of rediscover your music in a different way and honestly in the way that it's intended to be played. Obviously the stripped back thing is always really cool, but there's nothing like a full band show ever. It is just so special and I'm obsessed with it and performing has always been my favourite part of all of this so, I cannot wait for the day that we get to bring the guys over.”
As well as doing these shows with Jon, I know you've recently played some shows with Kane Brown too, so some really cool runs to get in on. For a newer artist, I guess they're quite different audiences to what you may get more regularly. Beyond the fact it's a new audience, what do you feel you take most out of getting to go on the road and playing shows with these guys that have been doing it for a long time now?
“For one, it's so cool just to see behind the scenes and how the teams operate you know, everyone is always so welcoming and so sweet, like Kane team is incredible. I love all the behind the scenes stuff with how does this show end up actually happening because it takes so much work from so many incredible people that you never even get to see. I really think going into those shows and knowing I've never played in front of these people before, so it’s like what's the vibe? I feel for me, it's like, who am I? Like, who am I as the artist? Because that's what I have to sell to these people, I have to sell myself to these people. At the end of the day, they're either going to like it or they're not, but I have to go out there, just be myself, be nothing but that and pray for the best. What has been really cool is, especially after my sets, I'll go out and sell merch, take pictures and just meet people, which for me, my biggest reward in those moments is seeing a line, you know, wrapped around and just people that have never met me before and they're wanting to come, take a picture, say hi, you know, sign this or just be like, oh my gosh, I loved that song and picking out certain moments that I'm not even thinking about, but it resonated with them during my set. Those moments to me are genuinely the most rewarding and fulfilling, I have one of those conversations, then it keeps me going for a couple months so that to me is the most fulfilling part of it. I'm so excited to meet some of Jon's fans, hopefully make some myself and you know, it's like that snowball effect, you’ve just got to keep showing up and keep doing it again. It's like every time someone meets you and they love it, hopefully next time they'll bring a friend and then the next time they'll bring a friend so it just kind of evolves. It's kind of like the old school way of doing things because social media is so important and it's such a tool but the real magic is in those human to human connection moments that you get when you play these shows.”
I think over here people discover things so organically as well and then people keep coming back with a friend and the next thing you know, you’ll be playing The O2. You mentioned social media, which whether people like it or not, it is so central to whatever you are doing but from a purely creative point, you know, as an artist writing songs and playing shows are the reasons you do it. I know obviously AI is a concern for a lot of people as well, but in regard to the fact of so much time and attention comes into making a tonne of videos before you do the actual show or release a song do you kind of worry that there's potential it can dilute the art element, where that starts to takes over?
“I think we all have to take everything with a grain of salt, just get out of our own way as there's so much going on. People are really not thinking about how much you're posting, you think about it because it's all we have to do as it's a big part of our job but at the end of the day, no one’s paying that much attention. Like, they're seeing something and maybe you post the same thing about five times, but it's like you're reminding people five times that you have a show or you have this song coming out or whatever. You have to be your own marketer and I think for me, there's definitely the frustration and like the oh my gosh, I don't feel like posting today, but at the end of the day, if you don't put yourself out there, you're only hurting yourself. It can be a tricky thing and I think the social media, mental health and comparing like these people are doing really cool things, I'm not doing anything but that’s not true. I just think the thief of all evil is the comparison aspect of it but I really feel like you can't even think about that part, it's just post and don't even worry about it. Interact with your fans, that's what I do in all my posts, I'm responding to almost every single comment, I'm getting back to everyone I possibly can and that's how I interact with my fans on the daily. So, it's like, don't complain about not having fans, like they're there, you know, like just respond to them, give them the love and that'll help. I just feel like it's all about perspective, mindset and just kind of getting out of your own way and realising you just have to press a button to post, just get it over with, do it, and call it a day but that's how we connect with people these days. With the AI thing and all that stuff, I feel like people crave human to human connection and at the end of the day, that's always really gonna win, people want to go see a live show, you know? They're gonna be ten times happier going out and seeing a live show than they are sitting at their phone watching a robot perform.”
Then I guess the sort of the last big question is that “Heartbreak, Thank You” is nearly a year old now, which is crazy but where are we in the grand scheme of what is next? Have we potentially got something new on the way this summer?
“I have been writing my booty off and just kind of really honing into like what this next era of Alyssa is and I'm so excited. I have so many songs that I am so fired up to share with you guys and I really just can't wait, it's gonna be awesome. So, fingers crossed in the next couple months, we'll have something ready to go, but I'm very fired up.”
Are you tempted to tease anything brand new when you're over here for the next couple of weeks?
“I’ll be playing all new stuff. I'm like, we might get some “Heartbreak, Thank You” in there, but I am so excited to just test these new songs over there and share this new little era. I'm like, we're 22, we’re having a good time, you know?”
Well, it's really great that you're coming back especially as it was so last minute and unexpected for you. Is there more panic in terms of packing and getting things together or is it actually easier without having to think about it too much?
“Honestly, I’m like let's go. Just throw the stuff in a suitcase and hope for the best at this point. I'm like, it's fine, it’ll be good, but I feel like the first time I went over there, it was the like travel anxiety of I don't know what to expect because I’d never been overseas. My mom had never been overseas either and so the kind of anxiety around the unknown isn't really there now so it's kind of just exciting and we're just fired up to be back over there.”
Well, have the best time when you come over, I appreciate you taking the time to hang out. Safe travels, enjoy everything and have loads of fun playing those shows with Jon.
“I'm so excited, I cannot wait!”
14.05 - London, UK - Taproom Upminster (Headline Show)
16.05 - Manchester, UK - O2 Apollo
19.05 - Newcastle, UK - O2 City Hall
20.05 - Glasgow, UK - O2 Academy
23.05 - Belfast, UK - Waterfront Hall
The latest EP “Heartbreak, Thank You” from Alyssa Flaherty is out now and available HERE. You can catch her back in the UK opening for Jon Pardi with full dates shown above and ticket information available on her WEBSITE or you can follow along with all that she is up to on INSTAGRAM X TIKTOK & FACEBOOK.
Then I guess the sort of the last big question is that “Heartbreak, Thank You” is nearly a year old now, which is crazy but where are we in the grand scheme of what is next? Have we potentially got something new on the way this summer?
“I have been writing my booty off and just kind of really honing into like what this next era of Alyssa is and I'm so excited. I have so many songs that I am so fired up to share with you guys and I really just can't wait, it's gonna be awesome. So, fingers crossed in the next couple months, we'll have something ready to go, but I'm very fired up.”
Are you tempted to tease anything brand new when you're over here for the next couple of weeks?
“I’ll be playing all new stuff. I'm like, we might get some “Heartbreak, Thank You” in there, but I am so excited to just test these new songs over there and share this new little era. I'm like, we're 22, we’re having a good time, you know?”
Well, it's really great that you're coming back especially as it was so last minute and unexpected for you. Is there more panic in terms of packing and getting things together or is it actually easier without having to think about it too much?
“Honestly, I’m like let's go. Just throw the stuff in a suitcase and hope for the best at this point. I'm like, it's fine, it’ll be good, but I feel like the first time I went over there, it was the like travel anxiety of I don't know what to expect because I’d never been overseas. My mom had never been overseas either and so the kind of anxiety around the unknown isn't really there now so it's kind of just exciting and we're just fired up to be back over there.”
Well, have the best time when you come over, I appreciate you taking the time to hang out. Safe travels, enjoy everything and have loads of fun playing those shows with Jon.
“I'm so excited, I cannot wait!”
14.05 - London, UK - Taproom Upminster (Headline Show)
16.05 - Manchester, UK - O2 Apollo
19.05 - Newcastle, UK - O2 City Hall
20.05 - Glasgow, UK - O2 Academy
23.05 - Belfast, UK - Waterfront Hall
The latest EP “Heartbreak, Thank You” from Alyssa Flaherty is out now and available HERE. You can catch her back in the UK opening for Jon Pardi with full dates shown above and ticket information available on her WEBSITE or you can follow along with all that she is up to on INSTAGRAM X TIKTOK & FACEBOOK.
