Big City Cowgirl is a songwriter, vocalist, and entertainer who was born on Long Island and raised in Brooklyn, New York. You might ask, how did a girl from New York develop a love and appreciation for Country Music? Her passion for Country Music was instilled in her through her mother, who has always been a huge Country Music fan. Big City Cowgirl grew up with it and has always had country music in her heart.
Big City Cowgirl states, “Country Music is meaningful. It is pure and real.” Her biggest desire is for her songs to resonate with people. “Music is empowering and I want to reach people on all levels. Nothing is more important than connecting with others. It will please me to know that I can touch even one person in a special way through my music.”
Big City Cowgirl has always had an intense connection to music. She notes that, “Music speaks to me. It is a dear friend. Writing songs is cathartic and gives me a voice for myself and others.” Her brand of music has its roots in all types of genres and she describes it as “honest” and “from the heart.”
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
Big City Cowgirl: I was raised in Brooklyn, New York. My parents got me interested in music. It was really a progression for me. During Elementary School, I sang in the school choir. I also had insomnia and would be up all night writing song lyrics and humming melodies. When I got to high school, I learned to play guitar and keyboards. I wasn’t very good, but at least I learned how to get out the music that I was hearing in my head. I also met a musician who got me into the studio. That fueled my desire to become an artist because when he and I would play together and write original songs, it was thrilling. It made me feel so great that I wanted to continue to feel that way. I guess you could say I was high on music.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with your stage name? What was your inspiration behind it?
Big City Cowgirl: I came up with “Big City Cowgirl” because I wanted a name that captured my music’s vibe and was reflective of the duality of me being a city girl who is writing country music. I figured that “Big City Cowgirl” covered the city and country aspects of me and my music.
Exposed Vocals: Can you give other artists some tips?
Big City Cowgirl: Stay focused. Never give up on your dreams. Even if you can’t make music as a living, it will always be a part of you so give it the respect it deserves. Be who you are and the rest will follow. Stay positive, stay strong, and count your blessings.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration?
Big City Cowgirl: Gosh. Songwriting inspiration comes from everywhere for me. People, places, things. I could get an idea while I’m riding the subway, looking at a full moon, talking with my little girl, or watching a movie.
Exposed Vocals: What is your usual songwriting process?
Big City Cowgirl: I jot down my ideas all day long as they come to me. But the real songwriting is done in the evenings. I take my ideas, sit in my dining room – where I have my guitar, idea journals, and my iPad – and work on my ideas and turn them into songs. After I feel comfortable with the way a song has evolved, I record the song as a raw demo onto my iPad. Then I’m able to take the song to the studio with whom I work – right now Dare Studios of Long Island – and tell them how I would like the song to be – tempo, vibe, instrumentation, etc. After that my producer and I, and right now I’m working with Mike Epstein – produce the song together.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
Big City Cowgirl: I use as many platforms as possible. My website is bigcitycowgirl.com. Big City Cowgirl music can be found on bigcitycowgirl.com, SoundCloud, ReverbNation, iTunes, Amazon, YouTube Music Key, Spotify, Googleplay, Beats/Media.Net, Tidal, Deezer, Rdio, Shazam, Apple Music, and Microsoft Groove. My videos are playing on YouTube, bigcitycowgirl.com, ReverbNation, and Roku.com. You can like my page on https://facebook.com/BCCG72/, follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/BigCity_Cowgirl, and become a fan of mine on https://www.reverbnation.com/bigcitycowgirl/.
Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?
Big City Cowgirl: You could find everything and anything on there. Even though I favor country music, I have listened to all types of music which have helped me to develop into the artist I am. I think that any artist would get insulted if I claimed that their work was embarrassing so I’m going to stand mute on that one.
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
Big City Cowgirl: Wow. That would be great. I’d spend more time with my daughter and I would focus on my songwriting and putting together an amazing full length Big City Cowgirl CD with all new songs.
Exposed Vocals: What are you working with now?
Big City Cowgirl: Right now I am working on writing more songs and getting a band together so that I can start to play gigs. It’s been a struggle finding musicians who want to play country music on Long Island. Country Music is taking the world by storm and more and more people are listening to, and wanting to play, country music. I know I’m going to find an amazing band to work with me soon.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music?
Big City Cowgirl: I try to do my research. I knock on a million doors whether in person, by way of email, or online. I look for promotion opportunities and pitch opportunities. I keep up with social media and respond to fans immediately.
Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?
Big City Cowgirl: I’d wanna play at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee because it’s legendary. Need I say more? In terms of artists who have passed, I’d wanna play with Johnny Cash because he was an enigma as a songwriter and performer. In terms of artists who are alive, I’d wanna play with Dolly Parton. She is so talented and bubbly and just seems like a fun person with whom to do a show.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
Big City Cowgirl: Well, I’m a lawyer, a wife, and a mother. So when I’m not doing music, I’m taking care of my family and helping people to manage difficult situations through the practice of law. However, if I could do anything, and it couldn’t be music, I would spending my life helping animals in some way.
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
Big City Cowgirl: I gotta tell you its hard. I took off some time to get myself settled in my personal life because all of that stuff is incredibly important. Right now, I have a long commute, a full-time job, and a family. But I am blessed. My family, friends, and boss all support my musical aspirations. I find time for my music when I can because it is very important to me. I try to make time every day. I make sure that I devote time to songwriting, practicing my vocals, and keeping up with my fans through social media. But like I said, it’s worth it, but it ain’t easy.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?
Big City Cowgirl: My music isn’t your average cookie cutter type of country music so I’m hoping to release more of my own brand of country music songs and videos this year.