If you are looking to fall in love with a new artist, who is inspiring many people through her music, look no farther then our Swag Spotlight this week, Tera Lynne Fister. She is as real as they come, authentic, a story-teller, and one of those ‘born to be’ a singer type of people. We chatted with her about her blossoming career, her new single, and of course her inner calling to inspire others.

Born in Fenton, Missouri, outside of St. Louis, Fister considers her childhood to be a positive experience. “I kinda lived the American dream, to be honest,” she started, adding later, how much her family has supported her over the years. “My mom always said that I came out of the womb singing. She said that I could sing before I really formed sentences and that I would mimic the radio and the band.”

Growing up, the songstress explored many different types of music. She played drums and guitar and even sang in the choir at church, but some of her earliest memories came from good ole’ country radio. “When I was younger, it was mostly 90s country. I spent a lot of my time with my mom and that was her thing.” She recalls loving artists like Martina McBride and Sara Evans, and then eventually adding artists like Miranda Lambert to her music library.

Although she seemed to inherit her love for country music from her mother, Fister recalls being introduced to artists like Frank Sinatra from her father, musical theatre from her older brother, and even heavy metal from her sister. In high school, the singer even took a liking to punk-rock bands like Fall Out Boy, Foo Fighters, and Paramore. “To this day, I’m still obsessed with everything Hayley Williams,” she added, speaking highly of the female lead singer of Paramore.

Straight after college, Fister decided it was time to make the big move to Nashville. She had been going to Music City once a month, participating in writer’s rounds and making connections in the community, which led her to her decision. “I had just finished a round,” she tells us, “[My friends and I] were standing around at Rippy’s and a guy on stage, pointed me out, and pulled me up on stage and hired me on the spot.”

The singer cut her teeth on Broadway and has spent the last eight years honing her craft. Her newest single, “Scars” is a perfect introduction to her talent, and it is only just the beginning. The new song was created from Fister’s insecurity about the scar on her hand that symbolized a broken past relationship. A conversation with a fellow writer led her to create a song that anyone can relate to. “The fact of the matter was every human, the longer you live, the more stories you have to tell, and absolutely no one gets out unscathed,” she shared of the song, “I felt that while we were writing it, it was a unifying song.

Fister has gone on to create a movement on social media, #ShowMeYourScars, where she encourages fans to share their stories and showcase their imperfections in a beautiful collective response to pain and experiences. “I think that what we’re all striving for is equality. Equality in all fashions,” she shared, “We have to be able to learn from our past to move forward and to grow, and change is growth.”

The songstress is on the verge of releasing her first studio album and promises that fans will continue to get more music as the year continues. Fister will continue to release music that is true to her and her open-book mentality. “I just want to keep it honest. I never want to touch on something that I didn’t experience myself. It has to be honest. It has to be authentic. It has to be genuine. And I won’t sing it if it’s not in every fiber of my being.” We look forward to supporting the rising artist on her one of a kind journey.

To keep up with Tera Lynne Fister follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

“Scars” is now available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released music here on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

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