Interviews

Pop Duo Wild Fire Taking it Global

December 18, 2019

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As seen in Guitar Girl Magazine’s Summer 2019 – Special Pop Edition

Teenage pop-country sister duo, Wild Fire, are prepared to ignite the music scene with their refreshingly positive and insightful lyrics. Though in the early years of what is sure to be an extensive music career, these sisters have already begun exposing the world to their immense talent and inspiring determination.

Guitar Girl Magazine got the scoop from Wild Fire on their recently released six-song EP, Been There, Wild Fire also divulged details regarding their songwriting process, musical inspirations, and commendable ambassadorship with the Global Country Music Association where they are advocates for equality and fairness towards female artists within the music industry.

Been There was recently released which is a six-song EP that has quite a team behind it. First, tell us about the inspiration and songwriting process for the EP?

When we write songs, we always start with a basic idea and then compare the idea to other experiences we have had ourselves, or experiences our co-writers have had. We also don’t limit ourselves to sitting in a room and writing. Many times we will go for a walk and record ideas into our phone. We have found this opens up new creative avenues for us. We spent a little over a year writing a large number of songs leading up to the production and recording process of our new EP. It was really difficult to choose six songs, as there were so many good songs to choose from.

Once we started the song selection process, we began to see a theme emerge. All of the songs we chose were about experiences that we ourselves had or someone around us. We also noticed there were some great lessons within the songs. That was intentional. We always write from the perspective of making the song appeal to many different situations and individuals. We also make a conscious effort to try and help others through our music by way of advice, or simply focusing on the positive side of the situation. The songs chosen lined up perfectly with those intentions. That is how we came up with the title “Been There.” Although we are young, we have been through or witnessed many experiences that we can draw lessons from and pass them on through our music.

Next, the EP was produced by Nash Overstreet. How did that collaboration develop?

Our A&R company, Birch Street Music, suggested that we should consider multi-platinum producer Nash Overstreet (Britney Spears, Meghan Trainor, Rachel Platten) for our new EP. We were looking to redefine our sound and needed someone with a great vision and understanding of where we wanted to go musically. Nash had that vision. He is a brilliant producer that has tremendous experience in the music industry and remarkable intuition. We held several meetings and knew right away that he was the one we should work with. We are thrilled with how it turned out!

Being fairly new to the recording process, what was one of the most important lessons you learned from this experience?

One of the most important lessons we learned was to really take care of your body over the course of the recording process. It is imperative to get enough sleep, eat right, and exercise. This will directly impact the level of energy you have in the studio.

What’s one of your favorite songs from the EP that you like to perform?

We both love to perform “Flaunt.” We love the bold statement the song makes–to never let someone take advantage of you under any circumstances. You should always respect yourself and stand your ground.

I read in an interview that you are “pushing country to the edge and embracing elements of our favorite pop artists.” What led you to county music, and who are some of your favorite pop artists?

Taylor Swift definitely led us to country music from a very young age. We grew up listening to country music. It was always playing at home, and we really connected with the story-telling aspect of the genre. As we evolved musically, we began listening to many different genres and fell in love with pop. We decided to combine the two, with a heavy emphasis on pop. Some of our favorite pop artists include Lennon Stella, Billie Eilish, Tame Impala, Bea Miller, Olivia O’Brien, Madison Beer, and Lauv.

Having a love for musical theatre and dance at a very young age, your parents were very supportive of your interests. What music inspired you, and when did you decide to start playing guitar?

Taylor Swift was a huge inspiration, especially her song “Love Story.” We used to dance around the living room singing that song over and over again. We started playing guitar three years ago.

What guitars do you play?

As far as acoustic guitars, we both play a Taylor 414ce. Our electric guitars include a G&L Legacy and PRS Custom 24.

When did you decide you wanted to pursue music as a career and create the duo Wild Fire? And how did you choose the name?

In 2016, after doing musical theater for many years, we decided to enter a singing competition called “Rodeo Rockstar” put on by the Houston Rodeo. That year we made it all the way to the semi-finals and the following year the finals. We were among the youngest competitors in the competition and were interviewed by our local Fox News channel. It was at that point in time, after the first competition, that we decided to pursue music as a career and formed our duo. We realized how well our voices blended together and how much we enjoyed sharing the stage. Kelli actually came up with the name Wild Fire when we were sharing ideas for a name. We felt that it was a bold name that represented us well. We want our music and our message to spread like a Wild Fire across the globe.

The two of you are very active on social media interacting with fans. What do you want fans to know most about Wild Fire?

We want them to know that our mission is to inspire people. When they listen to our music, we want them to feel empowered, and to know that they can achieve incredible things in life if they put their mind to it.

So cute your Assumptions About Us YouTube video. Will there be more of those?

Definitely. We love doing personality videos. We know that our fans want to get to know us better and this is one of the ways we can connect with them. We also host weekly Instagram Live’s where we play a few songs and bring fans on to talk with us. Engaging with our fans on a personal level is a big part of who we are and what we do. It is extremely important to us.

A huge topic for women in country music that’s been going on for a while now is the lack of radio airplay. With your recent role as Ambassadors for the Global Country Music Association, which by the way is an honor and congratulations, what are your plans as advocates to get the message out?

Thank you! We are honored to be GMCA Ambassadors and will do everything possible to be advocates for women artists. The GCMA plans to have us deliver speeches at musical venues and discuss this topic from the perspective of young artists in the industry. We are super excited about this!

With what you’ve experienced so far, what’s your advice to young women wanting to pursue a career in music?

Don’t let anything hold you back from pursuing your passion. Yes, there are challenges for women in the industry. However, there is an increasing awareness of this issue, as evidenced by the Grammys this year. Artists such as Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris, Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, and many more are championing the cause to promote fairness and equality for females.

A few fun questions:

Kasey Musgraves had a crazy fan experience recently — a shoey request! Yes or No?
We agree with Kacey. No shoey! She stood her ground, and we would do the same.

Top 3 songs on your playlist?