Rising country artist Mae Estes has been steadily carving out her place in Nashville’s ever-evolving music scene, pairing small-town Arkansas roots with the sharp instincts of a seasoned songwriter. Since making the move to Music City, Estes has built her career the old-school way — writer’s rounds, late-night co-writes and a commitment to storytelling that feels both classic and current. Her self-titled EP, released last year, marked a defining chapter, showcasing a voice that balances grit and vulnerability while introducing listeners to a songwriter unafraid to lean into honesty.
Collaboration has become a cornerstone of Estes’ creative process, whether she’s penning songs alongside fellow writers or stepping into duet territory with artists like Skip Ewing, Alex Hall and Ashland Craft. That spirit of musical partnership continues to shape her evolving sound as she prepares for a major milestone: her first appearance at the C2C: Country to Country festival in London this March. As she brings her Nashville-honed storytelling across the Atlantic, Estes reflects on the journey so far — and the collaborations, risks, and defining moments that have led her to one of country music’s biggest international stages.
Welcome to the UK Mae, it's lovely to have you here!
I'm thrilled, thank you very much, it's been something I've been wanting to do for a very long time. Berlin did me the dirty! (laughing) I could barely lift my head off the pillow with the fever from this flu. It made me feel like I had been in a car wreck.
You are making your UK debut here at C2C this weekend – we are thrilled to have you. How are you feeling about it?
I have been waiting on this for years. I've had a longer journey than many artists. I got my first offer to play C2C three years ago but it would have cost me a whole lot of money to come over here and, as much as I wanted to come I knew that I needed to build something out in Nashville first so that when I did finally come over I would get to hit all the places I want to over there and see all the people I needed to. It took me three years to do that!
Outside of the music, what's exciting you about being over here?
I could spend so much time talking to you about food, culture and the sightseeing! I'm such small town Arkansas that even Nashville creates this kind of small bubble that kinda wraps around you all the time. I love people, I love different cultures. The people over here are so friendly and warm and welcoming and it's great being around different culture and learning about different views of the world we live in. It makes you a better, more well rounded person – that's my favourite part about travel.
They say Nashville is a ten year town – where are you on that journey and how frustrating has that journey been at times?
I am a little over ten years now and it has been unbelievably frustrating at times, I can tell you! (laughing) It depends on the day – maybe at year 2 on my 10 year journey was a benchmark for me. I was right on track, putting in my dues and learning all that I could but then somedays and even some years you think you're not good enough, you're a little bit up and you can't get anyone to listen to you. On those days ten years feels like one hundred and ten years – it's a huge chunk of your life.
The ten year town as been good to me and bad to me, depending on the day. We all hold on to that idea that be doing this we are building something that is going to last rather than something that's here and gone in a flash.
People who do it that why must have more longevity than, say, a good with a song on TikTok from their bedroom?
Yep. I've seen it happen every way it can happen these days though. There are no hard and fast rules anymore like there used to be. There is no one way to success and no two people's stories are the same, that's when you start top get into the mud, when you start comparing other people to yourself.
I love the stories of the guys who were sportsmen and because of injury they couldn't play anymore and pivoted to music! I hear those stories and they blow my mind but then I have to tell myself that that is not my story and not meant for me.It doesn't mean they don't deserve it, it doesn't mean they aren't in the right sport it's just that everyone's journey, no matter how hard it is to see at times, is different and personal to them.
You're journey this year seems to be one of collaborations. Skip Ewing, Alex Hall and Ashland Craft!
I am so excited. Me, Ashland Craft and Ashley McBryde, my fellow Arkansan. We'll claim Ashland, she's from South Carolina but she's such a bad ass, she could be from Arkansas! (laughing) Both of those girls have been dear friends in my circle so to get to do something with them, finally, is incredible.
How did the ‘Yard Sale' collaboration come about?
Ashland called me, we talk frequently, when she's having a hard time she calls me and vice-versa. She had this song on her record last year and wanted to revamp some of the songs on it with some fun collabs. It was a no brainer from me, my bags were packed and I said to her, ‘Just let me know what you need from me!' (laughing) The songs' perfect and we all thought we could authentically sell the story of lighting some guys bags on fire and have a blast doing it at the same time.
What makes you say yes to one collaboration and no to something else? If we could manifest a dream collaboration for you before the end of 2026 who would you choose it to be with?
I think that I'm so flattered to be asked to come onto songs with other people that I'm going to say yes to a lot of things right now. I love to collab, it makes me a better artist and you learn something in the process. It has to be a song that I feel I'm a fit for and that I feel I can do justice to.
Timing is a crucial thing in the process as you don't want to be promoting your own thing and have another thing to get to as well. That might be the only thing that would make me pass on somethinbg.
Something I have been manifesting since I was really little is a collab with one of my classic Country heroes – Vince Gill. It's not an official duet but we got to write a song together and he will be releasing it this year and I got to sing some harmony on it, so that counts in my book! (laughing) It doesn't get better than that.
Ashley made me cry on her recent appearance on Bobby Bones' ‘Bobbycast' podcast talking about her alcoholism…..
Me too. She's just the real deal. She couldn't write the music and sing it the way she does without living that life. I have so much respect for her.
Kenny Chesney low level looks after the artists like Kelsea who are from Knoxville, like him. Bobby Bones tends to do the same for artists from Arkansas – has he figured in your life or career yet?
So I just met Bobby this year and got to do his podcast, right before they switched it to Netflix! (laughing) Just missed that big boat! In the same way that I've been trying to get over here I've been trying to find a connection with Bobby because we graduated from the same school in Arkansas, with the same degree too! Our dads both left young and we have so mnay similarities and connections in our stories that I knew once we got to connect it would all make sense.
He threw my song ‘I Better Go' into rotation on the radio for several months, which so so cool of him. It's my only song that's been played on the radio so far so all credit to Bobby and his team. I'm optimistic that we'll cross paths again soo.
Would it be fair to say that ‘Mr Fix It' has become your signature song?
Especially over here, which is crazy that people I've never met can put their own stories onto a song that I wrote specifically for my story. I think ‘Mr Fix It' came out of left field for me because I feel more authentic when I am writing the cheating songs! (laughing) I grew up listening to Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette and I've been around a lot of cheating, divorce and ugly hard stuff in my life but I do mean every word of ‘Mr Fix It' and thankful that God gave me this precious man to teach me that everything I thought about love was all wrong!
You played a new song at the Big Machine showcase that I thought was great. Is that coming out anytime soon?
It's brand new, just wrote it a few months ago on a retreat. It's called ‘If You Want a Woman,' and it's a kinda simple song, simple to sing to and fun. ‘If you want a woman, you'd better act like a man,' kind of vibe. I mean it when I sing it and I'm optimistic that that one might be making it onto the next project although I have so many song babies that it's hard to know which one will be the ugliest kid that doesn't make the cut this time! (laughing)
The fact that we had the crowd singing along to it at that showcase was a pretty good indication that it should make the next project to me though! We'll see.
Your EP last year walked that fine line between classic Country done in a modern setting with modern vernacular. Is that your USP? Is that what you specialise in?
I think the modernising of it isn't super intentional but I was born in 1993 and it's now 2026 in the middle of the modern commercial Country era. I think there will always be a modern filter on everything because of that. My producer, Paul Sikes, is really great at keeping a fresh sound that merges old and new Country. I am a traditionalist at heart and Nashville brings that kind of modern glamour that I need too.
If I had to ask you to build your Mount Rushmore of your four favourite storytellers – not necessarily artists – you know, I love Tim McGraw but he's not a storyteller, right? Who would you choose?
Hmmmmmm. I'm gonna put Brandy Clark on there. Lori McKenna should be on there too. Don Schlitz is one of my favourite songwriters who told stories and then I'm gonna go all the way back to Roger Miller. That's just off the cuff, I've not answered that before but they alll have unbelievable perspectives in their stories and wonderful ways of delivering them. Their songwriter and artistry can't be separated for me – when they sing their songs it's like they are speaking directly to me.
I hope to cut a lot of Brandy Clark songs one day. I know all her her songs backwards and I'm sure she's had a lot more influence on my own writing that I realise! (laughing)
You use a lot of humour in your writing. What people, shows or things make you laugh?
My favourite show ever is ‘New Girl.' It's a comfort show for me and my husband, we have different sense of humour, which is hilarious as well. He's such a ‘MAN' and men seem to haver this sense of humour that I just don't get! (laughing) ‘New Girl' hits it for both of us……..
Doesn't Nick Miller drive you mad?
I think I am Nick Miller! (laughing) I can't pick a character that is my favourite because they are all so funny in their own ways. Schmidt is freaking funny to me, Winston is a weirdo which is where his magic is! All of it. ‘Friends,' ‘Gossip Girl,' I've been down all those avenues but it's the awkwardness of “New Girl' that gets me every time.
There's a lineage in your sharpness and humour that goes back to artists like Brandy Clark and all the way back to Roger Miller. What is coming up musically for you in 2026?
We are not slowing down, that's not something I do unless I have the flu! I have a lot of new music on the way, that has been the hardest part for me, having to dig through a ten year catalogue of songs that I love ontop of all the songwriters and their work which I have access to now, and that's something I do not taker for granted.
Honestly, a big goal of mine this year is to release a few covers. I just did an acoustic series of covers and I've been doing those female flips some where I'll flip a song like ‘The Moon Over Georgia' where I'll flip it to the female perspective. We might be getting a little nod to the Country I like and putting my own spin on it this year.
And we'll see you again in June on the Garth Brooks bill at Hyde Park!!!!!!
Yesssssssss! Are you kidding me??? Who let that happen? Who let me on there. There are so many of my friends, like Jake Worthington, who are also on the bill! It's going to be soooooooo good. And there will be no flu then either! (laughing)
Check out Mae Estes in all the usual places right now and catch her play live again in the UK at the BST show at Hyde Park headlined by Garth Brooks in late June.
