Nashville-based songwriter Charlsey Etheridge visited the studio for a conversation and live music with WYSO music director Juliet Fromholt. Etheridge talked about her journey as a songwriter, culminating in her most recent release, Scars of Mine.
Charlsey Etheridge says that music has always been a part of her life. Her father played guitar and bass, her mother wrote songs, and even her grandmother was musician. "You know, there was always music of some sort in my life around me. And, so, I consider myself very fortunate for that. I and they my family has always been supportive of me pursuing that. And I think that's really special because, as you know, I mean, the arts are not like the most stable of career choices. But, they never, ever said a discouraging word, about that aspect of my life. So I'm really thankful for that."
As Etheridge began her career after college, she relocated to Nashville and set about becoming a working musician. She found belonging in the Music City, but also found that she had to realign her own thoughts about her music.
'I had to get to a point where I wasn't doing it for anyone really to notice me, but I was doing it because that's what I had to do. To be myself and to be my most authentic self [I had to] to express myself through music. So I think given that perspective, you just do what you do and anything that comes from that is gravy."
After spending time away from Nashville and several life changes, Etheridge found herself focusing on the batch of songs that would become Scars of Mine. The album brings together personal and family stories, including one told from the perspective of her Etheridge's grandmother.
Scars of Mine is available now on all streaming platforms. For more information on Charlsey Etheridge, visit https://www.charlseyetheridge.com/
