Nashville’s own Bailey Cole is bringing honesty, glitter, and cinematic pop soul to the stage. Her brand-new single, “My Own Way,” is a powerful reminder about protecting your peace while still celebrating life. And, she’s marking the release with a high-energy performance at Play Nashville! We caught up with Cole to talk about the inspiration behind the track, her debut project Chapter 1, and what fans can expect next.
Nashville Noise: For readers who may be meeting you for the first time, how would you describe your music and the kind of stories you like to tell?
Bailey Cole: My music dives deep into life questions/thoughts/lessons/coming to peace with your past/ moving forward/ all of the things most people like to internalize or keep to themselves. I wanted to talk about all of this in an artistic way.
NN: I love that! You’ve been called a “cinematic pop soul” artist, so what does that mean to you, and how does it shape your sound?
BC: My life has always felt like such a movie, and writing such deep lyrics neededa powerful and dramatic production to match the stories I’m telling. Pop to me means popular, and I write music that I believe anyone can listen to and relate to in some way. Soul is how I found my love for music. To be able to literally feel music is euphoric. My music comes from a place that is meant to also be felt.
NN: I absolutely love your new song, “My Own Way,” and it feels deeply personal. Was this inspired by a personal experience?
BC: Thank you! Yes, it was. The concept of the song comes from a place of trying to help someone that is very close to you whether it be a friend, family member, partner… to help them get out of their dark hole and you feel like you can be the one to help them but ultimately you need to ask yourself is this helping or hurting me? This is my song for having strength even when it’s hard to pull away and to let them figure things out without you battling everything with them. This is my moment that I’m telling myself it’s okay to move forward without them for now and to protect my peace & headspace.
NN: You’ve said this isn’t a bitter breakup song, but one about bravery and self-respect. Why was it important to take that approach?
BC: I wrote this song from a place where I needed this reminder myself. To be strong and keep moving forward when I want to cave and go back to the broken record cycle of trying to help someone you care about that isn’t ready to help themselves yet. I used an affirmation approach in the lyrics so that anytime this song plays, I can be reminded why I wrote it and the message I am telling myself while sharing it with others to help inspire self-respect.
NN: You’ve shared that you grew up around addiction and use music as a tool for healing. How does this song connect to that part of your story?
BC: Addiction in my family is still a current struggle. I wrote this song to embrace the purpose behind it when I am having low moments of feeling like I need to help this person when I have tried all that I can and need to remember it’s okay to break away and keep working on my self growth and healing journey.
NN: This track is not part of your debut project Chapter 1. Tell me about that decision.
BC: “My Own Way” is actually meant to shine it’s own light! I wanted to release this song in the middle of sharing my Chapter 1 story to shake it up and make a song I can dance to. A lot of my songs are pretty heavy sonically and lyrically so I wanted to break away from the heaviness for a second and while the lyrics still give a powerful message, the music makes me want to dance and smile!
NN: You’re also performing at Play Nashville to celebrate tonight (8/22). What can fans expect from that set?
BC: Glitter and channeling my inner 2000s pop star, baby. So excited to dance and celebrate the release of “My Own Way”!
NN: After this release, what’s next for you musically? Can we expect more songs from Chapter 1 soon?
BC: Yes! I have a few live performances coming up that I am super excited about and really bring these songs to life. I will definitely be singing unreleased songs from the project too! My next performance will be Sept. 5 at The Underdog in East Nashville!
Give Cole a follow on Instagram to stay updated on her new music and upcoming shows!
