The Ladies
Augus 28, 2019
Alright folks we are going to keep this one short and sweet if we can, and for a head’s up if you want to know more about females who inspire me you can check out my Instagram @juliavos
Now! Let’s hear it for the ladies. Seriously get up off your seat right now and give them a round of applause. I have met a lot of phenomenal women throughout my career and each one has taught me valuable lessons and inspired me in some way.
This journey started with me seeing a couple of my own friends in the industry struggle because they were female. Not just this industry, but many others. These women work tirelessly and are somehow almost always faced with getting the short end of the stick. DISCLOSURE: THIS DOES NOT ALWAYS HAPPEN, and for the men and women out there try to change this, I love you so so much, please keep doing what you are doing because we need a voice.
Today, and every day, I try to be a voice for my friends. To any girl reading this, it doesn’t just go for the Country music industry. We cannot waste time being petty or jealous of other women. Be strong, confident, and supportive. Thank the woman in your life who change it for you. Thank the woman in your life who are better than you. Thank the woman in your life who may need help. The truth is, it is really easy to feel small, and spending time tearing down other gals isn’t going to make you feel better. Take every opportunity to learn from them. They may have faced the same challenges as you, and they may still be learning themselves. I am by no means a feminist expert; I still have a lot of learning to do. We are taking baby steps in the right direction, but we need to do more. I don’t control what gets played on the radio, or who headlines shows, or what you listen to on Spotify…but what I can do is tell you about awesome woman I meet, and why you should get to know them as well. Help me support them, spread their names, and listen to them.
As part of my #womancrushwednesday series on Instagram, I try to cover female artists that have inspired me to be the musician I am today. I had the ABSOLUTE PRIVELAGE of working with 5 other female artists at Project Wild Bootcamp, and wanted to share a moment with them.
It may have only taken 5-10 minutes to learn the tune and film it, but it was the most wholesome thing I had experienced all week. It’s like one of those moments when you’re surrounded by friends and catch yourself smiling because you feel so loved and comfortable. Singing with these ladies I felt supported, loved, silly, happy…the list goes on. It was a moment where we could all look at each other and tell we were thinking, “yep we are in the same boat.” But we were also filled with joy and smiles.
I said this was going to be short and sweet but honestly that’s gone out the window by now, so I might as well tell you why I love each of these ladies.
Mariel Buckley. Instagram @marielbuckley
This gal is A) hilarious…seriously she will make you laugh down to your core, B) compassionate, she listens to and cares about how other think and feel, and C) An AMAZING songwriter. I saw her perform for the first time at bootcamp and her stories came to life…Please don’t ever stop telling them Mariel. Oh also she’s really good at shot gunning a beer so I highly recommend you ask her to do it the next time you see her.
Mariya Stokes. Instagram @mariyastokes
Mariya is fun, cool, hip, chill, really cool, and did I mention how cool she is? She is great to hang out with, write’s groovy tunes that make you want to get up from your seat and dance and wears the coolest pants. Watching her perform is inspiring because you just want to be up on stage with her. She is welcoming and is always sharing amazing messages through her songs. Go listen to her music, have a dance party, and follow her on Instagram just so you can see her amazing style.
Michela Sheedy. Instagram @michelasheedy
Michela has the ability to make you laugh and cry at the same time. She is one of the strongest, bravest girls I know. She will fight to the ends of the earth for something she believes in and will support others at all costs. She is the kind of friend who will listen to you and tell you not to be scared. Not to mention she is a total bad ass…seriously she makes bad look good…(you’ll get that pun if you go listen to her song.)
Lyndsay Butler. Instagram @lyndsaybutler
This girl is full of grace and grit. She has the ability to be kind and tell you straight how it is when you need to hear it. She has such a true country sound and is authentic in her writing and performance. Her songs are full of heartbreak and storytelling, which are good for any time of the day in my books. She is country from the heart, which can be really hard to find these days. Make sure to listen to her stories.
Lauren Mayell. Instagram @laurenmayell
Lauren is unbelievably kind and sweet when you talk to her, but put her on stage and she’s a fire cracker. Her stage presence knocks it out of the park, and you can tell she loves doing what she does. It is so inspiring to see an artist embracing every moment on stage and looking like they are having the time of their lives doing it. She’s a show you want to see!
A special shout out to the gentleman in Project wild (Ryan Lindsay, Ben Chase, Mark Times, Aaron Pollock, Devin Cooper, and Blake Reid) who are all amazing to work with and also huge supporters of us ladies.
With that being said, tell the ladies in your life you love them. Tell them why you love them. Tell the rest of the world you love them. We will keep taking the steps together.
