Rising Stars: Meet Erin O’Dowd

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin O’Dowd. She and her team share her story with us below:

Erin O’Dowd got to her start composing gospel services in her bedroom, with her stuffed animals & a Fisher Price piano. She’d throw concerts and gather the whole neighborhood to watch and play a part.

She started playing piano as soon as she could crawl on the bench, with Twinkle Little Star being her first performance victory. She sang in church and in the school choir, performing dance and singing in all of the musicals at a young age.

Her teenage years led her into a more reclusive phase, where learning guitar in her bedroom and listening to artists like Fiona Apple, Alanis Morrisette, The Beatles, and Willie Nelson.

She initially pursued the fine arts as a career but made a quick synapse back to her first love of music upon discovering the music and activism work of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.

Life led her down a journey as a waitress, and then a bartender while she built confidence and honed her writing skills. That’s the short story. All of these years later, she sees everything that’s happened in her life as a means of preparing for her life’s purpose.

Can you tell us what drew you to Nashville?
Moving roots to Nashville has been such a soul-growth experience for me, It is fertile ground for the kind of person I want to grow into. Everything lined up perfectly to guide me there in 2017.

My music has always been my guiding force in life, my hope, my bright star. Nashville brought me a new lease on life and it always continues to bring endless blessings to me and nourish my life’s work.

The way the city welcomed me made me feel at home right away, a bunch of misfits from all over finding and creating their own tribes right here in Music City. It isn’t like any other place in the world.

Can you tell us more about your creative journey?
I created a beautiful first album release in 2018, with the help of amazing individuals and the best music fans ever. We raised $10,000 via Kickstarter to make it. OLD TOWN was recorded with Grammy nominated John Fullbright on keys and all-star instrumentalist Travis Linville at the helm of production and mixing.

It was a project made in Tulsa, but by the time I released it, I had moved to Nashville and really was splitting my time between the two towns. You could call my current life, A Tale of Two Cities! (minus the French Revolution)

Coming to Nashville was like an absolute dream, I saw 777 all the way there, on license plates, signs, and tattoos on the arms of truck stop shoppers. I truly was following the muse and my heart and my soul told me it was the way to go.

My story has not been the typical in any way. My first week in town, I met John Prine’s publicist at the time. I got a meeting and was signed by the end of the week. While publicity doesn’t necessity mean dollar signs right away, it means opportunities and long term gains.

I was blessed to play BMI’s Key West Songwriter’s Festival that year too. And I got to play The High Watt, where Miley Cyrus was in attendance and gave positive feedback. I’ve had lunch with Emmylou Harris, hung out with Rodney Crowell and talked guitars with James Taylor. This all sounds like a lot of name dropping, I realize, but it’s the experience of connecting with your greatest inspirations that makes it so special to me.

Can you tell us more about your creative process?
Inspiration is my life, and writing songs is how I breathe. I have hundreds of songs just waiting to see the light, and I look forward to finding collaborators to help them shine and speak in new ways.

Co-writing is not something I’ve done much of, but I look forward to delving into it. Music to me is medicine, and my heart heals whenever I tune my instrument to the right pitch. It’s highly important to me that my next batch of songs really comes to earth in a healthy way.

I am confident I will find that path and make that journey, with some synchronistic connections shining light on the way forward, and bringing me so much light and enthusiasm.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
A major health issue led me to a temporary relocation back to my home state of Oklahoma back in 2020. I’ve been working remotely with collaborators from all over the world, with my  team and music business in Nashville leading me forward.

I have deep roots in Tulsa and have been enjoying spending time supporting the community and remaining a presence in the local scene. This has been therapeutic for me.

I have been through hell and back with the worst kind of pain imaginable, during a time where everything was uncertain, when I didn’t know where my next meal would come from or how I’d make it through the day. I was unable to access proper medical care but later found out I had a tumor.

My neighbors in East Nashville brought me dog food, and flea medicine. My music community helped me move and brought me lunch when I couldn’t get out of bed. I really couldn’t believe anybody cared about little old me, but the humility of the experienced helped me to deeply me realize I was worth caring about.

Coming home to Tulsa for a while was a choice I made out of self-responsibility: I needed to reconnect with myself and think of what was best for my physical and financial health.

In all honesty it wasn’t any easier. But I was able to persevere, and in spite of the challenges, make some deep changes to free my spirit in order to make this whole music thing work.

And this whole life thing! We’re all lucky to have made it this far, if you look at the statistics, it is a miracle that you even exist at any given point. That realization sparks major gratitude.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a songwriter, a singer, and a performer. I play the guitar and the piano, and anything else I can get my hands on. I studied the classical harp in music school and can blow a mean harmonica if I’m in the mood. Americana has served as a great catch-all for what I do, although I don’t create to fit into any genre.

My sound is an expression of my heart, which is where I create from. Country music has always felt like home, and the roots and traditional artists of all cultures have inspired me endlessly.

Soul music gives me wings and everything I listen to all comes out into my music! I am most proud of my unique approach and how I don’t limit myself. My ability to harmonize with others is a lot of fun. I love to collaborate.

I really just enjoy making art. It’s my top joys… other than my trusted best friend Prince, who’s also on my album cover! (He’s a dog, by the way.) I love dogs and nature and animals.

Part of my purpose on earth is to draw us back closer to nature and feel a connection with where we walk. This place is sacred and we should treat it as such, all of our actions should honor our Earth. Self-empowerment is another huge theme of my work, as I have had my own journey towards it.

What were you like growing up?
Music. It’s always been music. I grew up a preacher’s kid in a Florida church and was forcibly relocated to the foreign land of the Midwest, at age 11. I was lucky to be a writer and have an outlet because my life changed dramatically at that moment. I didn’t have an easy childhood nor have I had easy adulthood. But what defines me most is that I have never given up. Nor will I ever.

Erin was recently a Top 5 Contestant in this year’s Opening Act competition, hosted by Audacy. The prize is an opening slot to play the Hollywood Bowl and $10,000. She made it through until the Top 5 Round, which she considers a huge accomplishment and sends a huge thank you to everyone who took time to vote.

Upcoming Shows: September 18th at Yazoo Taproom, in Madison, TN. Magnolia Roads Sunday Funday Hoedown. Erin’s set is from 4-5pm.

(Note: There will be live music from multiple artists from 3-8pm! Come hang out!)

Merch Pricing:

• Erin O’Dowd- Old Town CD $14
• Hand Dyed Soft Vintage Tee $24
• Double Rainbow Button Pack $12
• Hand Dyed Tote Bag $24

Follow Erin on Social Media:

• Instagram: Instagram.com/erinejodowd
• Facebook: Facebook.com/erinodowdmusic
• Twitter: Twitter.com/eo_ditty

Explore her music:

• YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/eoditty
• Bandcamp: https://erinodowd.bandcamp.com
• iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Tidal, and more.

Image Credits
Erin O’Dowd, Julianne Clark, Shane McCurdy, Daniel Walker, Phil Clarkin, Courtesy of Woody, Guthrie Center, and A. Russin