The Interviews

5 Questions with Amy Dalley

For those of you who don’t know Amy Dalley - shame on you! She’s the country as can be voice behind songs like “Love’s Got An Attitude (It Is What It Is),” “Men Don’t Change” and “I Would Cry.” Now, she’s gearing up for the release of her new single, “Good Kinda Crazy,” a hilarious up-tempo romp that compares her man to Mick Jagger, a Latin lover, and (most lovingly) a gigolo. We recently caught up with Amy for a quick chat.

Why don’t we start at the beginning? Tell us a little about your road to here. How’d you go from singing an Olivia Newton John song in school to being a major label recording artist?

Yeah, the first time I sang in the school talent show I sang, “I Honestly Love You.” I hated it and loved it at the same time. It was hard to get up in front of all my peers and belt it out, but as soon as I was finished I wanted to immediately do it again... weird how that is. I continued to kind of play around with singing for a while. I sang at local fairs, talent shows, theatre, and (God forbid) a few weddings, until I earned a part in a production show at Dollywood. That is when I KNEW that I really wanted to sing all the time. So, I worked there for few seasons, sang in a couple of bands, waited tables, saved my money until I had enough to move to Nashville and be a star... hmmm, well I am still working and waiting on that last part, but hey, I’m still here. When I moved here I was a waitress who wanted to be a star; then I realized I was mostly just serving food and rarely singing. So, I put a band together and went out on the road. We played for about 4 years... cover songs. [That’s] THE reason that I refuse to do covers in my shows now. Anyway, I eventually landed a publishing deal, began demoing songs, and FINALLY landed a recording deal. Whew... makes me tired just thinkin’ about it! I have been on Curb records for a few years now. I have had three singles out and the debut album will come out this year.

So, “Good Kinda Crazy” is your latest single. What’s the story behind the song? I mean, how’d you end up writing something so fun that name checks Toby Keith AND Mick Jagger?

The story behind this song is one that I really like. When I was dating my now husband he did something really cool. I was shooting the video for “Men Don’t Change” in L.A. The shoot was a long one. When I got back to my hotel room, there was this big, beautiful bouquet of flowers in my room. It was from Jack. So immediately I called him and said, “Thank you! But, you can’t afford to do that!” And, he said (this is so good), “I can’t afford not to.” So, that was the song’s springboard. He is always doing crazy out of the way stuff for me. I think that is the way love should be. You go out of your comfort zone to make somebody feel special and taken care of. From that point, Lee Miller (my co-writer/producer) and I just started thinking of ways to give the character in this song a whacky but loveable personality... and, it’s always fun to name drop.

Fans have heard quite a bit from you, and your album hasn’t even hit stores yet. How are you coping with all the waiting?

Well, I am very excited and anxious for the album to be in the stores. I have big expectations and big dreams in my head that sometimes are hard to put a lid on. I feel like this year is my year and I am really thrilled to have this opportunity. I wish I had gigs everyday. I wish I heard my songs on the radio everyday. I wish my videos played everyday. I wish I was so busy I had to beg for mercy. But, at this point, I have patience and persistence to keep me company.

From where I’m standing, it looks as though your website and MySpace have played a big role in keeping you connected with your fans and getting your music out there. What’s your take?

I think my website and MySpace are essential in keepin’ the connection with fans, ESPECIALLY since I don’t have a song on the radio at this present moment. March 26th [The date “Good Kinda Crazy” is officially released to radio] will be a great day. Hopefully everybody will play the song really loud in their cars and we can start spreading the word that way!

What’s next? What are you plans for the year?

Tour, tour, tour, and tour some more.

Special thanks to Amy and Dreamcatcher Entertainment!