Who Is Mae Estes? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music
Who is Mae Estes? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about her journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…
Quick Facts:
Full Name – Mae Estes
Birthday – November 15th
Hometown – Hope, AR
Current City – Nashville, TN
Musical Influences – Keith Whitley, The Judds, Lee Ann Womack
Label – Maeniac Records
Current Project – “Run” (*as of date of article: 2/6/23)
The Beginning:
As we kick off 2023, we are excited to introduce you to an artist who you are going to love, Mae Estes. A Nashville transplant, the singer-songwriter’s songs are all heart and honesty. She knows a thing or two about crafting a song that is relatable and innovative.
Growing up in a small town in Arkansas, Estes got the bug for music early. “I grew up rodeoing and started singing at the age of 7 when I told my mom I could out sing LeAnn Rimes on the national anthem,” she shared adding, “I started singing in a rodeo arena and did not even hold a candle to LeAnn.”
Despite only being seven years old, the singer had charisma and a voice for days. “I caught the bug then and I fell in love with country music.” Throughout her childhood, Estes recalls playing around town, as well as, singing at the local classic country music radio station every week. She even wrote her first song at just twelve years old. “I would turn my poetry and my journals into something with some melody,” she shared.
Estes recalls appreciating old-school country music but preferred to listen to powerful female musicians in the genre. She shared a love for artists like Martina McBride and Patty Loveless. “I was heavily influenced by the ladies of the 90s,” she shared, “but Keith Whitley and Lee Ann Womack have always been my biggest influences.”
The Turning Point:
Although she dreamt of moving to Nashville and attending Belmont University, Estes took the sensible route and stayed in Arkansas to pursue her degree armed with scholarships to help her through. Shortly after achieving her degree in Mass Media Communications, the singer hightailed it to Nashville. “In 2015, I made the move to what has been my dream city since I was probably in middle school. The plan has always been to get to Music City.”
While living in Nashville, Estes worked as hard as she could to make a name for herself in music. “I worked a lot of jobs at a time, just trying to pay my rent, writing a lot of songs, playing any shows for people who would listened, and just built the most incredible network,” shared the songstress. ” I truly feel like I have built a team and a family over all this time and now we’re excited to put a stamp on it by releasing that EP coming out next month.”
Estes joins the likes of country artists she’s once admired. “It’s been a crazy journey of learning myself too. I truly feel like I know myself better than I ever have.”
Today:
The singer-songwriter has slowly been releasing music lately, gearing up for her brand new EP, out February 16th, which will feature a new song, amongst songs like, “Die In A Bar.”
“I’m super excited to keep growing and to keep releasing music,” shared Estes. “I felt like I have to create. It was just an outlet for me. Honestly, a form of therapy, I didn’t know what to do with all the feelings I had […] So I had to start getting those out. Nothing is more reassuring that you are exactly in the place you are supposed to be than people relating to the super specific stories [in my music].”
While fans await the upcoming project, they can rejoice in the singer’s new single, “Run,” which comes out at the end of this month. “We decided to do an instant gratification track with “Run” before you get the unheard track with the EP on February 16th,” explained the entertainer. “I wrote [Run] at a time where I was still dating my husband and so there’s a couple of songs on the project that are at different stages in my relationship […] It’s kind of cool to look back song by song and reflect.”
Fans can also anticipate new visuals to go along with the single, “Run.” Estes even got back on a horse for the first time in seven years for the video. “The first thought was let’s go get on a horse because nothing feels as free as getting on the back of the horse and feeling like you can run for miles […] I have had some serious flight or fight characteristics to me and I just think a lot of people struggle with commitment if they take it as seriously as I do.”
2023 is gearing up to be a huge year for the newcomer. Keep your eyes and ears open!
Connect:
Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future Mae Estes releases.
To keep up with Mae Estes, follow her on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
Mae Estes’ music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.
