Harper O’Neill, a Dallas-born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter, has rapidly emerged as a compelling voice in contemporary country music. Raised in a musically rich environment, she was influenced by her parents’ diverse tastes, spanning from the Rolling Stones and James Taylor to Carole King and Bonnie Raitt. During her school years, O’Neill showcased her musical versatility by playing the French horn and drums in the marching band. She later attended the University of Texas at Austin, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Advertising, all while performing in local bars on weekends. In 2018, she made the pivotal move to Nashville to fully pursue her passion for music.
O’Neill’s dedication and unique artistry quickly garnered attention. A video of her performing on TikTok caught the eye of former BMI executive Jody Williams, leading to a publishing deal with Jody Williams Songs, a co-venture with Warner Chappell Music, in 2022. Her songwriting prowess was further recognised when she won American Songwriter’s Song of the Year award. In October 2023, O’Neill released her debut album, ‘Dark Bar Daisy,' a project that seamlessly blends country with elements of rock, pop, soul, and indie music. Produced by Jake Gear, the album features intricate arrangements, reflecting O’Neill’s commitment to crafting a distinctive sound. We caught up with her at the C2C festival in London where she had a prime slot of the Spotlight stage on the Sunday evening to talk about her life, career and lots more besides.
Lovely to touch base with you again, Harper. How's the trip been so far?
Man, it's been good…… chaotic but so, so good! (laughing) I've been over here in Europe for a little bit now. We did have a free day in London, which was really nice to have.
I really enjoyed your set at the Indigo this afternoon. (Sunday afternoon at the C2C festival) You really made me laugh when you said to the crowd, ‘I hope you're not here to hear a load of love songs.' Is that your era or this phase of your career right now?
I think that era might be coming to an end. Love songs and happy songs are much harder to write so I'm digging dig into myself and letting some different emotions and feelings rise to the fore right now! (laughing)
You've got this evocative, rich vocal growl that you pull out of nowhere sometimes. Do you have to work hard to keep your voice in shape?
Sleep, water, diet – those things usually help me keep it in shape. The more I commit to those things the more I feel in control of my voice, for sure.
Did you grow up in a musical family and when did you first know that you wanted to do this for a living?
My family loved music, it was always on in the house, we were always cooking to music and living our lives with music in the background or as the soundtrack. My sister has a stunning voice, I would trade voices with her in a heartbeat! (laughing) She just didn't get the bug, though, like I did but we still sing together when we can. When I first came to Nashville I did some demos and I had her come out and sing on some of those but it's usually when I am home that we sing together!
Were your parents always supportive of your musical ambitions or did you get the ‘You've got to get a real job, Harper' talk?
I mean, I did have a real job for a while back there. I got a degree and then worked in financial services and saved up a bunch of money which meant I was able to move out to Nashville very independently. They supported my choice and now that I have got things going a little bit, I think that they are prouder than ever that I achieved this on my own.
You moved to Nashville in 2018. Did you have imposter syndrome when you first moved there because everyone else there is just so talented?
(laughing) I have imposter syndrome right now! I don't know whether that will ever go away for me! (laughing) It's always been part of my journey as an artist but I think that is what pushes you to want to be better and really focus on your craft.
How do you manage to keep your artist intentions pure when living in Nashville, which can be a very generic town, when there might be voices around you there saying ‘look like this,' ‘sing like this,' ‘sound like this song on the radio.' Do you get that pressure there?
I think that pressure is there in any job, no matter what you do. We are all surrounded by people with opinions and so I think that is a question for everybody to sort out in their own right as they grow and evolve in whatever industry that they are in.
You have to work out the answer to questions like, ‘How can I stay true to my intentions?' ‘How can I learn to stay true to myself?' Right? Luckily, I feel like I've surrounded myself with wonderfully open-minded team members and fellow songwriters who encourage me to be who I am and not someone else.
What's the best and the worst things about living in Nashville?
I would the best thing about it is definitely the access to resources, studios, great musicians and then exposure to other art and other songs. You can be anywhere and hear a song that you wish that you had written! That makes you go home and work harder at your own music.
The downside? That it's not Texas. My family is not there and so I definitely miss home. My sister has babies now – maybe someday I'll be able to do what I do and live closer to them? That's kinda a dream of mine…….
The Texas country scene is flourishing right now……..
Yes, it is. Once Texas starts supporting female artists I could maybe move back home! (laughing)
Let's pick up on ‘Dark Bar Daisy' which is a rich listen and an evocative, genre-blurring album. What was your vision for that project?
My vision? The first thing that I knew I wanted was horns! People were discouraging me to put horns on the record but I went ahead and did it anyway! (laughing) That's where it started. I also wanted it to be a blend of genres because the way that I sing, I will never fully escape the Country world or influence because of my Texas roots. I wanted to blend Country music with all of the other musical styles that I love.
The ‘Dark Bar Daisy' phase is coming to an end now with new music coming out from you recently. Tell me about ‘My Love, My Love.'
That song is part of a studio session that I did back in September where I produced three songs that are being rolled into an EP. We just wanted to throw paint at the wall and really escape the confines of any genre rules or expectations.
‘My Love, My Love' has two key changes, no chorus and three verses – we had so much fun writing and producing it. There's some rip-roaring guitar on there too.
It was lovely to hear a couple of new songs in your set earlier. ‘Say My Name if You're Lonely' – your guitarist's bluesy guitar sound in that song was so amazing…..
Ahhhh, thank you. Greg is an amazing player. We've been together for quite a while now. That song came out in November of last year. The last of the three new songs is ‘Manufactured Feelings,' which I also played earlier. That one will be out soon.
How does the the rest of the year look for me in terms of new music and new projects?
I have a couple of songs that I am really in love with right now which will definitely be part of a larger project. I'm writing right now in order to finish out that whole story and hopefully people will be able to hear those songs later in the year.
As a live artist you've played with the likes of Lainey Wilson, Ashley McBryde & Old Crow Medicine show. Which artist that you've played with so far has taught you the most about looking after the fans, the crew and the other supporting artists?
All the female artists I've had an opportunity to open for have really shown me the way forward in so many different ways. Ashley can command a room whilst Lainey is such a good performer. Molly Tuttle is such a fabulous instrumentalist. They've all been so kind in helping me navigate some of the more complicated parts of this job. They all made themselves available, which I was very grateful for.
You're playing the Spotlight stage in the main arena in a couple of hours. Are you nervous? Do you get nervous before live shows these days?
Oh my god, of course I'm nervous! (laughing) I'm terrified! I've done all the prep and practising I can do for it and I'm going to go out there and just give it my best!
Check out more of Harper O'Neill's music right here as she begins to move into her post-‘Dark Bar Daisy' era!
