By Derek Pastore
Staff Writer and daily dad joke teller
Royale Lynn wasn’t where she was meant to be. So she fixed it. Since uprooting her life and moving to Nashville, things are starting to fall in place for this talented singer songwriter from Ontario. Maybe you saw her on tour at a young age, or perhaps you caught her performing on Broadway in Nashville. Either way, she’s hard to forget.
Raised Rowdy: You’re truly a country girl, growing up on a horse farm in Canada. Tell us about how you were raised and what the small town farm life means to you.
Royale Lynn: I absolutely loved my childhood… My parents did everything they could to make sure that I had the best shot at succeeding in life. We didn’t always have a lot, but my mom worked hard to make sure that I had a roof over my head… even if it was on four wheels in my grandparent’s backyard. She taught me that it isn’t about how much you have in life, it’s about making the best with what you’re given. Shortly after that, we moved into a farm house in Aylmer, Ontario and had our horses right outside our back door!
Now, if you lived in the country, you would know that getting anywhere without your license was near impossible. So I would spend my summer months riding the 4-wheeler, hitting golf balls around the farm, or in my room… singing on my karaoke machine.
The small town farm life means everything to me. It made me tough, patient, and appreciate how much hard work goes into being “country”. At the end of the day, my mom is the true reason why I fell in love with the country life. She has spent most of her days out in the paddock with the horses and sitting on the porch with a glass of wine by night…. if anyone knows me, they know to bring a bottle of wine if they’re coming to my house, although I’ve probably got one on the go!
RR: Before your wine drinking days, at a young age, you were enrolling in singing competitions, talent shows, and even playing at coffee houses. Tell us about a certain tribute band that you were selected for.
RL: Haha! Yes! Everyone always makes fun of me, but when I was 15 I auditioned with about 100 girls from surrounding counties for the chance to be “Hannah Montana”. To my surprise, I was named Hannah after the 1st of 3 auditions… I spent the next 6 months playing venues, fairs, and even the London City
Music Hall! I wore a blonde wig and half way through the show, I would take off the wig and become
Miley Cyrus for tracks such as “See You Again” and “The Climb”. It helped make me really comfortable in front of an audience and a band at a young age. Before the Hannah gig, I had always suffered from stage fright… look at me now! haha.
RR: How long was it before you started writing your own songs?
RL: I was probably 11 or 12. I began writing around the time that I started guitar lessons. I used the new chords I was being taught to write new songs. I don’t think my teacher was too excited to see I hadn’t learned what she wanted me to!
RR: When did you feel inspired to pursue music as a career, and decide to move to Nashville?
RL: I have always had this “big dream” of becoming a singer and touring, but my parents told me, “college first, then you can do whatever you want.” After three years at the University of Ottawa, I dropped out, packed my car, and set off for Nashville. Dropping out was one of the best things I have ever done.
That was three years ago, and after a lot of traveling back and forth to Canada, I finally decided to put everything I had into acquiring a visa and moving to Nashville, a place that already felt like home to me.
I’ve worked so hard to be here, jumped through thousands of hoops, and I wake up every day, thankful to be pursuing my dreams.
RR: So you made the move and it was time to work. How did you land the gigs on Broadway at Tootsies World Famous Orchid Lounge and at Rippy’s?
RL: This is actually a funny story, I was going to sign my visa with a publishing company down here but that fell through! Now, if you know me.. I was not just going to go back to Canada and settle for whatever minimum wage job I could find. I flew here and went knocking on every door. After a lot of hard work, I finally found myself auditioning at “Tootsie’s World Famous Orchid Lounge”. I had never played more than 3 cover songs in a row in my life, but I was up for the challenge if it meant I could live here in
Nashville. It has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. It has helped me improve my stage presence, crowd interaction, and has made me a better guitarist and singer! I am so thankful that our paths crossed, I owe a lot to my Tootsie’s family!
RR: So as a writer, you’ve written hundreds of songs. What songs have been released that you were a co-writer on?
RL: As a writer, when I am upset, excited, or have other strong emotions going on, I tend to use that inspiration to write songs.. One of those powerful emotional moments inspired a song called “Loving on Somebody Else,” that I wrote with my good friend, David Evans. David is cutting the song and will be releasing it this fall. Both singles that I have out on iTunes are also really special to me because I was a cowriter on those as well.
I love writing songs for other people as well. I have a few songs that are being pitched to some different
Nashville artists. One particularly special one is called “Wish You’d Met Me Now.” This song is my heart. It is every emotion I have felt in the last year condensed into 3 minutes and 20 seconds. This song is probably my most prized co-written song that I have been a part of. I will definitely be putting out my version of this song at some point in time!
RR: Speaking of putting out your own version, in 2017 as an artist, you released “Southern Comfort” and “Old You”. How did you decide on these two, who did you work with on these releases, and can we expect more from you as an artist?
RL: These two tracks were so much fun to write and sing on! “Southern Comfort” was written by Adam
Bruno and myself a few years ago. I have always loved how this song gets people so excited. My little cousins sing it to me on the regular haha! I chose it at the time because it’s light hearted, fun, and upbeat!
Now “Old You” I wrote after my ex and I broke up. It was messy, as any break up is… except he didn’t know that he took my trailer and my heart with him… this song was all the emotions of living in his town, with nowhere to run because I had moved there for him. So I sat down with Canadian Artist, Shawn
Austin, for a writing session. After explaining to him what I was going through, we came out of the write with this track!
I will be releasing another single in the fall! You heard it here first. I have been writing like crazy over the past year to find the perfect songs for my next project! Stay tuned!!
RR: We’re looking forward to that! What artists did you find inspiration from, and who do you listen to most today?
RL: This question is easy! Miranda Lambert and Kacey Musgraves. These two women are strong, independent and not afraid to tell it how it is. I have faith that one day we will all have our trailers in a row! That being said, one of my main goals in life is to write with both of these phenomenal ladies.
RR: You had some big news a few weeks ago. Congratulations on your recent endorsement by the footwear and clothing brand Ariat International, Inc! How did this come to fruition?
RL: Thank you! When I got the call about Ariat, my jaw hit the floor. I have always supported Ariat through social media and actually wearing the brand. Last month, I set some important goals for myself. I committed to doing three things a day that would further my music career in one form or another. One of the goals from my list that I really dug into was developing a professional relationship with Ariat! I am so happy to be representing such an amazing company!!
RR: I also have goals… finding the best food and drinks. What is your go to meal and go to drink, both in Nashville and at home in Ontario?
RL: Ooo, this is easy too! I am IN LOVE with McDougal’s Chicken. I always tell people that my perfect date is at McDougal’s! One of my favorite Canadian restaurants is East Side Mario’s. With unlimited bread and salad before your mains, who wouldn’t love it!? I know this is cliché but my go to drink here is the same everywhere.. Coors Light. If I have a 6 pack and a tailgate to drink them on, I am one happy camper!
So many good things are about to come to this girl! Big thanks Royale, for taking the time to share some fun stories and let our audience get to know you. Keep up with Royale as her star shines brighter by the day. With new music in the coming months and live performances that never disappoint, find her schedule on her socials here:
Follow Royale Lynn on Instagram
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