We spoke with Eileen Carey about ” This Is Where” and more!

Q: Hi! So, take me back — what’s the earliest moment you remember thinking, “okay, music is actually what I want to do with my life”?
EC: I was born and raised in a suburb of Cleveland Ohio to a hard-working middle class American family. As a kid I fooled around playing drums. I would sing in lots of school shows as well. Music was always my first love. My musical journey began when my father gifted me a drum set after noticing my constant rhythm tapping. It was a magical moment.
I moved to California initially to pursue acting and I was booking entertainment for a hotel chain and realized I could do as good as the people I was booking. So, I started recording songs and cut a couple in the studio. One was my take on Patsy Cline’s hit “Walking After Midnight.” which was the winning track in a Nashville radio syndicated fan contest where it won out over Martina McBride. The other track was “That Town,” a nostalgic look back on my youth spent in Ohio. “That Town” soon took off on Adult Contemporary radio. These first two songs convinced me that I really did have the goods to succeed in the music industry.

Q: You’ve got this West Coast pop-country thing going on that feels pretty distinctly yours. Was that a sound you set out to build, or did it just kind of… happen?
EC: It just kind of happened. Started out as a pop singer but was making it on country radio and began writing and recording a hybrid form of country-pop-rock. Truth is I just write, sing and record what I feel, and I guess the crossover feel is a natural combination of things. Spent a lot of time in Nashville but I have been a Southern Californian for years and my sound just sort of crossed over. My music is heavily influenced by rock and pop as I grew up listening to Martha Davis and Chrissi Hynde, Beatles… The West Coast Pop Country tag was created in the press some years ago. I think it has influenced my two awards as Crossover Artist of the Year at The New Music Awards in 2022 and 2023.

Q: Let’s talk about “This Is Where.” Breakup songs are everywhere, but this one feels different — it’s almost hopeful. Where were you emotionally when you were writing it?

EC: Writing! I ALWAYS LOOK FOR A BETTER OUTCOME! Lily and I talked about a lot of things and we wanted something different. Something more loving and appreciative of a past relationship. This is a song about two people who truly deserved their love for each other so much that they let go knowing that they had different destinies to reach.

Q: There’s this idea in the song about two people outgrowing each other — which is honestly harder to write about than straight-up heartbreak. How do you even get to that place of clarity in a song?
EC: I like to think that emotional clarity is one of my regular themes. I have a long history of pointing out the benefits of self-esteem and positive outcomes from it. Recent releases like It is easier for me to write song with a better outcome. It just not my nature to spread negativity.

Q: Your live shows have a reputation — line dancing, singalongs, people standing on their feet. When did you realize your shows were going in that direction?
EC: I have so much fun on stage that it feels like it has always been like that. I have always had a very loyal and consistent following. Audience seem to respond to the sing along melodies, up-tempo pop and country rhythm, and truly I believe the subject matter of my songs and the great band that supports me create a very dynamic live set. I like to talk to people in the crowd from the stage sometimes. Honesty. Eye to eye real themes, I am personal with my fans on the stage, and as I have always said the stage is the place I am most comfortable in life, so I guess my joy translates.

“Eileen Carey is a powerhouse performer who can bring a crowd of complete strangers together with her infectious energy and irresistibly catchy country music. While she brings to the stage that bustling folk charisma so commonly associated with country, she also delivers hard-hitting hooks and effervescent melodies that land in the realm of pop. She’s an effortless crossover artist who could command any crowd with her intimate anecdotes and brazen vocals.” – Eileen Carey Shines as an Infectious Beacon of Passion at the Whiskey a Go Go in Los Angeles – // MELODIC Magazine

Q: You’ve shared stages with Don McLean, Rita Coolidge, Jefferson Starship… that’s a wild list. Is there a moment from one of those shows that just lives in your head rent-free?

EC: I think that every artist and performance lives in my head rent free. They are all so unique! They all have their own personalities. Frankly, I pay very close attention to them. They are all my teachers.

Q: You’ve topped charts as an independent artist, which is genuinely hard to do. What does staying indie look like from the inside — is it freeing, stressful, both?
EC: Both! I had no choice. Interesting story, years back reaching 28 and shopping my music an A&R executive in Nashville flatly told me my music was good but that I was too old. That person became one of my best fans since! But I found that I was fortunate to be an Indie in an era of a growing Indie market. As it turned out it allowed me the freedom to grow. To control my own destiny. Be true to oneself. And to trust my instincts in what I record and release which has led to people becoming aware of my music.

Q: You’re a mom, you run a blog about motherhood and wellness, you’re a beauty ambassador — how do all those pieces fit together for you? Does it feel like one life or like you’re juggling a few different versions of yourself?
EC: No, it is all a part of me. Truth is many of my earlier releases were written by what I saw my daughters going through. Many of them are what I observe with women in our industry trying to live, have a family, children. I try to give back what I have learned, particularly to young women raising children, in the entertainment business. Women with a career. It also allows me a chance to recall what a wonder having children and a career in music & entertainment can be. Also, I was fortunate that I had the support of my family from day one! My husband and children are still my biggest fans
I spent years training for stage with a very strict kickboxing workout. Was a member of Pasadena Classic Kick Boxing in Pasadena, California. Animals are my passion they take off off a huge amount of stress! Always been interested in health and physical wellness, and with some exposure business opportunity led to beauty endorsements.

Q: You just picked up Entertainer of the Year and AC Breakthrough Artist — over 25 career awards total. At what point does recognition like that actually start to sink in?
EC: I don’t know if it has sunk in at all. I always feel like I must prove myself every new show, writing session, recording… What has sunk in is my ability to reach people and that it is a responsibility as well as a blessing.

Q: A lot of your music has this empowerment thread running through it. Is that something you consciously bring to songwriting, or does it just naturally come out of who you are?

EC: Empowerment is what I talk about in many of my songs, so the answer is yes, and it comes natural to me. Songs like “Faith,” to “On the Rise” to name a couple.

Q: Your fanbase is growing internationally now — has it been surprising to hear your music connecting with people in places you’ve never even been?

EC: Not surprised! I am grateful that my music is appreciated by international audiences. It took some years to get my brand to where it is now in the states and in the world but in the past year my international fanbase has noticeably increased. Music transcends language and geography.

Q: Okay, looking at the rest of this year “This Is Where” is out, the momentum’s building — what actually is on the horizon for you? Are we talking more music, more touring, something else we should be watching for?
EC: I got this kick-butt band, so I am playing and working on new dates as well. Upcoming:
San Diego Fair in Del Mar, on June 18, on The Paddock Stage 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM PST, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar, CA 92014, 858 755 1161 San Diego County Fair; Thomas Nicholas Band at The Whisky A Go Go, Thursday, July 8, 2026, 8 PM PST 8901 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90029 (All Ages) All Events at Whisky a Go Go | Live Music & Shows; LBC Pirate Invasion Long Beach, Saturday July 11, 2026, 6:30 pm – 7:15 PST Shoreline Park, 200 Aquarian Way, Long Beach, CA 90802, 832 632 8050 http://www.tjkProductionsGroup.com; Yachty by Nature @ The Whisky A Go Go, August 22, 9:30 Pm All Events at Whisky a Go Go | Live Music & Shows; Danny Seraphine’s Chicago Legacy @ Canyon Agoura Hills, Agoura Hills, CA, Acoustic Trio November 7, 2026, 7:45 – 8:30 Canyon Club – Agoura Hills – Box Office Ticket Sales

Also, going into MooseCat Recording in Los Angeles in July to cut a 2-3 tune full band live performance video. My producer Travis Allen is coming out to video and record a couple live shows as well; and in the process of booking Nashville for the Fall. I am always writing and recording new music as well, so stay tuned!