Q: Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?
Amy: I was born and raised in a rural area of West Virginia on a small family farm, basically, up a holler. My family always had music playing in the background. Cable TV was not available so music was our main source of entertainment. I discovered M-TV while visiting my grandparents who lived in the city. Watching artists actually performing the music I had been enjoying is what made me want to pursue my own music. They seemed like they were having fun!
Q: What other artists have you found yourselves listening to lately?
Amy: Jason Isbell is currently my favorite artist. I believe he is quite possibly the greatest lyric writer of our time. I saw him live in a small theater recently and was blown away by his musical talents on guitar and vocals. Etta James is spending a lot of time in my CD player lately as well.
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences, and why the name ‘Saints Of The Holler’?
Amy: John Cougar, Joan Jett and Prince were some of my earliest musical influences followed by my teenage love affair with 80s hair bands. Regarding the band name, many of us in West Virginia live or have lived up a “holler”. Hollers are a great place to grow up and get into all kinds of childhood mischief. And I think we all know we are far from “Saints”, but we’d sure like to be.
Q: You have just released your new EP, “Devil’s Garden”. Is there a story behind it?
Amy: “Devil’s Garden” was recorded during the “Covid Years”. I was invited by our songwriter/guitarist Brian Cottrill to guest-star on lead vocals for his newest musical endeavor. The title track was my first exposure to the project. The song grabbed me immediately as I had lost my husband to the disease of opiate addiction a few years prior and this song so clearly described how he and I felt living with active addiction. The beautiful garden lures victims in with promises of euphoria, freedom from pain, isolation and anxiety. It unexpectedly takes ahold and destroys everything the addict holds dear and often the addict themselves. The song just resonated with me.
Q: Can we expect another EP or even an album from you in the near future?
Amy: There are no immediate plans but I’m optimistic this won’t be the end of the journey for the “Saints of the Holler”….so stay tuned.
Q: What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
Amy: As a vocalist, I key in to the lyrics and the emotion behind the music the most. This album has it all: love, loss, joy, frustration, despair. We can all relate to these things.
Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?
Amy: No doubt, music has always given me more than I have given it. Music has carried me through some of the toughest times in my life. Music has also brought me so many great friends and social opportunities I would never have known otherwise.
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
Amy: Talking with Brian about his take on the song, where his head was at when he wrote it, was a great place to start when deciding how to approach the vocals on the songs. I wanted to stay true to what was in his heart and mind when he wrote the lyrics.
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
Amy: Watching my late husband fight and eventually lose his battle with addiction was the toughest thing I’ve ever experienced
Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
Amy: As I have grown older, I think I have begun to really appreciate the fact that my life is full of music. I am grateful to have been blessed with some level of talent that allows me to be an active part of what I love so much. I’ve learned to relax a bit and enjoy the music as it unfolds and not be so serious. Playing music with family and friends is the best feeling in the world.