Interview with Eileen Carey

 Posted by at 7:08 pm on April 12, 2019
Apr 122019
 

Check out our recent interview with Hometown Talent Eileen Carey!

Artist Name: Eileen Carey

Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio / Altadena, California

What project(s) are you currently working on?  

EC: Well, lots of new things. I am about to release a new single called “Meet Me Halfway” in May, and will be shooting the music video next month in April. It is my first co-write with my longtime producer Travis Allen. He has since moved from Los Angeles to Nashville, so I expect to spend more time there this year. 

I also have a number of performance dates coming up and recently opened up for Don McLean at the legendary Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills on the 23rd of March.  On April 18th I will be opening for Albert Lee at the Rose in Pasadena. (My bass player Will MacGregor has played with Albert for years.) When I get back to California from finishing my 5th studio album in Nashville, I will be opening for Wilson Phillips June 8th at the Rose. 

What inspired you to pursue a career in music and when did you know? 

EC: I have always loved music.  I started out singing in choir, school and community productions, and then started playing the drums. Music comes natural to me.  I moved west from Cleveland to study film, and ended up in a few movies (The original Batman, Basic Instinct, and was the attorney in the Ray Charles Super Bowl Diet Pepsi commercial).  However, you have to make a living, so I studied hotel management and worked for the Sheraton organization in Southern California booking entertainment. When it became obvious to me that I could out-perform the acts I was hiring, I decided to sing professionally and never looked back.

If you weren’t pursuing a career in music, what would you be doing for a living?

EC: I have an accounting education, but my other true passion is in the film and television industry. I am a storyteller by nature and my songs are my stories. For my songs, I capture things all around me. I tend to promote a path to self-esteem and write about things that are important to us. Yes, I would have a job in the movie industry. 

What is your favorite downtime activity? 

EC: I have a number of favorite down time activities. I like to hang out with friends and family, and I love kickboxing workouts. My husband and I are very active in the animal rights and rescue community, and we are also both huge sports fans. My greatest passion over the past few years has been writing my blog “The Music Mom.” Having raised two girls, I feel it is imperative that I share what wisdom I have at balancing two careers. I have found the blog to be very centering, and its growth to be very satisfying. Service to others is what it is all about, even as a singer and songwriter.

Who is your biggest celebrity crush? 

EC:  So many good-looking young men. George Clooney, Bradley Cooper, and Matthew McConaughey are my favorites because they are classy and intelligent, in addition to just being good-looking.

Who is your favorite sports team(s)? 

EC: I am a huge Los Angeles Kings hockey fan. I also love Ohio State football and root for all of the Ohio State teams. I like The Philadelphia Eagles in pro football, and The Dodgers for baseball. In basketball I cheer for the Lakers.

What is the last movie that you watched? 

EC: The DreamWorks animation called “How to Train a Dragon.” There are a bunch of movies I want to see after watching the Oscars the other night. 

What is the last album you listened to? 

EC: Sheryl Crow’s “Be Myself,” I’ve been a fan of hers for years. 

If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what would it be? 

EC: Wow! What a horrible thought! If I had to pick one though, it would be a Beatles compilation of hits.

What is the greatest country song of all time? 

EC: It’s hard to answer just one, and even though I covered Patsy’s Cline’s “Walking After Midnight,” for me it would be her song “Crazy.”

What has been your favorite city/town that you’ve visited out on the road? 

EC: Nashville! I also love so many cities in California, like San Diego and San Francisco. In Europe, my favorite city has to be Paris.

What is your favorite meal? 

EC: I’m Irish, so my favorite foods are meat and potatoes. 

Who is your dream duet partner? 

EC: Keith Urban, Ronnie Dunn, and Rob Thomas from Matchbox 20. Rob is an amazing singer. He could sing pretty much anything. 

Who would you like to go on tour with? 

EC: Keith Urban and Sheryl Crow because we like to rock our country-pop, and we write and sing positive songs. Friends of mine who have worked around Keith and his wife Nicole Kidman say great things about them as people.

What is your ultimate career goal(s)? 

EC:  I am always trying to expand my music. I am fine tuning my craft and learning more every day. In the last couple years I have been opening for some of the great music acts of the past. Each of them taught me something that I could use. I guess for a music lifer, my ultimate goal would be to make better music and art, and reach more people with my gift.

How can our readers follow you and your career?