Country Music Stars Haley & Michaels On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music Industry
By: Authority Magazine
Tags: Pop Culture

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a bit of your “backstory”?

We grew up three miles apart in Northern California, but never met until we were in Nashville.

Shannon: I grew up performing at a young age and was an opera major at UCLA, while simultaneously pursuing my artist career, writing and performing my own songs at venues in Los Angeles until moving to Nashville.

Ryan: My family owned a music store, and I grew up going to rock concerts with my Uncle. I went to Belmont University for music business in Nashville, wrote country songs and was in a rock band when I met Shannon.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that has happened to you thus far in your music career?

One of the most interesting stories in our career is the time we played a New Years Eve show in the basement of a friend’s friend’s house. We had no expectations, other than to have a good time bringing in the new year with music. It was so low key that we had my little brother come up last minute and play piano with us, and we brought in our own little home practice PA. It turns out there was a legendary radio DJ, Gary Scott Thomas, from our hometown radio station, 95.3 KRTY, who was there. We both grew up listening to him and to that station, and it had always been a huge dream of ours to be played on it one day — to us, it was the ultimate goal. Gary came down to listen to us, and afterwards, he invited us to send our music in. They are now some of our biggest supporters and have become true friends to us. We heard our song on the radio for the first time ever on their station. This sticks out to us as one of our most interesting experiences, because it just goes to show that you truly never know how — or where — your successes are going to come from. The most obvious places are oftentimes not where you catch your breaks. Yet, in the most unexpected places, sometimes the universe takes care of you and rewards you for taking every little step.

What are some of the most exciting projects you’re currently working on?

We’re working on our new album that has been a year in the making. We’re so excited about this new music not only because of our passion for the songs, but because we have made this music and defined our sound with our friends and co-writers. It makes it that much more rewarding and we feel it the music.

Who are the most interesting people you’ve interacted with? What was that like?

We got to meet Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood backstage at one of their concerts, and that was so incredible for us, since they are two of our biggest inspirations. Also, we got to meet Hoda Kotb, Carson Daly and Kathie Lee Gifford when we played our wedding song, “Giving It All (To You)” on The Today Show, and that was a magical experience! Everyone was so down to earth, sincere and kind.

Who inspires you?

People who speak their minds and stand up for what they believe in and put good into the world. Bruce Springsteen and Ralph Waldo Emerson, to name a couple…

Who or what do you aspire to be like one day ?

Some combination of Eckart Tolle and Harry Potter. Or, Oprah and Yoda.

How have you used your success to bring goodness into the world?

We had an amazing opportunity to collaborate with the Me Too Movement founder, Tarana Burke. We wrote a song called “Me Too” with Tom Douglas and Jeff Trott, two of our biggest inspirations as songwriters. Tarana is a featured artist on the song. Getting to record her message about the movement on our song was so powerful for us, and we are proud to be giving 100% of the proceeds of our song to the Me Too Movement. Our hope is that our song can help spread healing to survivors and let them know that they are not alone, along with spreading awareness about this important issue to those who are able to support.

What are 5 things you wish someone had told you when you first started, and why?

#1. Be persistent. Some of the people who were not ready to work with us when we were first starting out are now our some of our biggest supporters. People are very receptive to growth and they ultimately respect passion and persistence. Just because you get a “no” at first doesn’t mean it can’t become a “yes”.

#2. Show up. Some of our favorite shows are shows we almost didn’t play. Some of our favorite songs are songs we almost didn’t show up to write. Unless there’s an obvious reason why it’s not a good idea, if you’re on the fence, show up. We’ve never regretted it and we’ve always been able to take something valuable away from the experience.

#3. Surround yourself with good people and then find YOUR people. This business is ultimately a lifestyle, not a job. We realized that the people we work with are going to be a big part of our lives, a part of our dreams and biggest passion. We have had experiences, as solo artists and as a duo, where we have “sucked it up” because of the business relationship. When we finally stopped doing that, we found that there were amazing people out there who not only were fun to be around but also who “got us” and our music more than ever before. We’ve found that when we work with people who we consider friends, or who we have a deep respect for, it makes us more fulfilled and energized as a whole, and ultimately reflects in our music. Finding “our people” has been one of the most important things we’ve done on our journey, because it really does take a village, and you have to know that you are on the same page as your team. Everyone has to believe it can happen and be passionate in order to succeed.

#4. Sit down to write every day. Even if nothing comes. Even if you don’t come up with anything at all, there is something that happens on a big picture level from sitting down to write as a practice and routine. The goal isn’t to write a whole song, but when we started sitting down to write daily, we found that we would come up with bits and pieces and most importantly, ideas, that ended up being part of some of our favorite songs we’ve written.

#5. Enjoy each success before moving on to the next goal, even just for a moment. There are so many little (or big) successes that happen along the way, and we’ve realized that often times when we reach one goal we move on to the next goal in our heads before we pause to appreciate the goal we’ve just accomplished. We’ve come to realize that this career is a marathon not a sprint,so if you don’t pause to appreciate the successes in the moment you’ll never really enjoy your life. There will always be another goal you want to accomplish. One time when we were on our honeymoon we turned on the radio and heard our wedding song “Giving It All (To You)” playing. Because we were “off duty”, we were really able to take it in how special it was for us to be laying on a beach with a pina colada in our hands, hearing our wedding vows on the radio. It made everything feel so rich and fulfilling. We both look back on that moment and feel a sense of appreciation and gratification that we aren’t always able to feel with other career highlights we’ve experienced. And somehow, it didn’t detract from the next step for us and it only took 3 minutes to appreciate.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman, because we have so much respect for them individually and as a couple, as they are both extremely successful in the entertainment industry, but also seem to be able to prioritize their personal relationship and their family. As a married duo, we would love to hear their advice about how they keep their priorities in line while still managing their demanding schedules. And of course, we’re big fans of both of them, and we’ve heard that they are two of the nicest people you’ll ever meet!

How can our readers follow you online?

You can watch the music video for Haley & Michaels’ latest single, “Me Too” here. Keep up with the us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!