Last year, Nashville’s Erin McCarley came to South by Southwest with no expectations, only the hope that some people would listen to her songs. She managed to lose her driver’s license while in Austin but left with a manager and a major label deal. Since then, the singer-songwriter has released her debut, Love, Save the Empty (Universal Republic); had her songs used in Grey’s Anatomy and on the soundtrack for He’s Just Not That Into You; and toured incessantly, while stopping for late-night appearances on Letterman and Leno.
“Last year my eyes were totally clouded, and I had no idea what I was getting into,” the 25-year-old Texas native recalls. “I played one showcase for BMI and a couple of songs for the American Songwriter Showcase the next day. People at the BMI show from the night before brought more people the next day. My mentor, Jody Williams from BMI, goes to me before I go on at the American Songwriter Showcase, ‘Erin, do you realize who’s here?’ I was like, ‘No, and don’t tell me; just let me play this show.’
“The next day I had meetings all day. I just sat in one place at the Four Seasons, and the lawyers I hired just before the Festival rotated people in and out. It was insane. Universal Republic was the one that really jumped out, and so far so good. I’ve gained some respect, and they listen to me. I’ve got creative control.”
This time around, McCarley’s excited about her appearance with the Nashville group known as Ten Out of Tenn. “It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done,” she enthuses. “There’s something really sweet about it when there are 10 friends really supporting each other. They’re all really successful in their own paths, and to see them humble themselves and play the other person’s songs without screaming for attention is really cool.”
This article appears in March 20 • 2009.