Southern Halo on How a Dream Inspires & Propels Their New Album "Just Like the Movies"

Country music siblings Southern Halo will be releasing their brand new concept-driven, dream-inspired JUST LIKE IN THE MOVIES on April 27. This 14-track package, produced by Catt Gravitt and Gerald O'Brien, mirrors the emotional and musical growth of Natalia, Hannah and Christina Morris, the three sisters from the Mississippi Delta who form Southern Halo. 

Inspired by a dream of Natalia's, JUST LIKE IN THE MOVIES features 10 songs written or co-written by the lead vocalist/guitarist, and four titles from Music City's hottest tunesmiths. The catchy ode to the glories of Southern womanhood, "Southern Halo," kicks off the project and marks the first "scene" of this movie-made-music.  A co-write with Roxie Dean, the strong, multi-layered vocals and sing-along chorus make this a natural choice for the first "instant gratification track" offered with each  iTunes and Amazon pre-order of the CD.  The disc is the second outing for the trio with SESAC's 2012 Writer of the Year Catt Gravitt (Kelly Clarkson, Jake Owen) and Gerald O'Brien (Martina McBride, Trace Adkins) at the helm.

Q: Thank you ladies for doing this interview with us. Let's start with yourselves,who is Southern Halo? And why do you call yourselves Southern Halo?

Southern Halo is a country/pop sister trio based out of the Mississippi Delta. Growing up, we were always called the "angels of the south" by close friends and family, so when we formed our own band, the name just fit so naturally!

Q: How did the three of you start singing together?

We each took to our own instruments at different ages. Natalia started playing the piano at just six years old and later taught herself how to play guitar after discovering an old Taylor guitar in our Dad's closet. We naturally began to sing in harmony together to many of our favorite songs while Natalia played the guitar and piano. This eventually led to Christina and Hannah wanting to learn an instrument as well. Christina took to the drums instantly since she was always beating on things as a little girl, and Hannah gravitated to the bass guitar because of her laid back personality. We blended our instruments and harmony together and just instantly ran with it after discovering how much fun it was!

Q: Your previous album was very successful, did you feel the pressure in making this new album?

NATALIA-Well thank you! We had a blast with our very first album. However, instead of feeling pressured when it came time to focus on this new album, I felt more inspired and even more ambitious. CHRISTINA-We have all gained so much knowledge and experience from creating our first album and all of the journeys it led to. I personally feel like the creative process on this project was more enhanced between the three of us.

HANNAH-Instead of feeling pressured, I was ready for the ride. I love working with such inspiring partners like my big sisters, and I trust that we are ready to tackle any obstacle in life. We love this amazing journey that music takes us on, and look forward to the next destination.

Q: Did you approach the making of "Just Like in the Movies" any different from your previous album? If so, how?

Yes, we definitely approached the making of "Just Like In The Movies" in a completely different way from our previous album. I (Natalia) had a crazy dream about the story of Southern Halo, and it was SO real life-like that I had to wake the girls up and tell them about it. After describing my dream to my sisters, they insisted that we write it down because it was so vivid and storylike. We ended up writing what eventually turned into a script and had later developed the wild idea to make our this album the soundtrack to this "movie" we had written. We knew we wanted 14 songs, so we let the story determine the inspiration, energy levels, and tones to each song on the album.

Q: Why did you entitle the record "Just Like in the Movies"?

Interestingly, a songwriter friend of ours (Catt Gravitt and Jana Kramer) had written a song called "Just Like in the Movies." Since my dream was just likea movie, we figured it would be cool to include that song as the last one on the album. It made the perfect name for the album!

Q: I really love the new single "Anything is Possible." How did the song come about?

We're so glad you love the new single! "Anything Is Possible" was written by our good friend, Catt Gravitt, and famous Swedish songwriter, Carl Falk. We were approaching our deadline to record the album and still needed one song to better describe a specific "scene" to our movie. Catt knew just the song that we needed and sent us "Anything Is Possible" to try out. We instantly fell in love with the song. It has an amazing feel good vibe and catchy chorus that leaves you feeling super hopeful and confident. We wanted our fans to feel the same way we felt when we heard it for the first time, so it was just an instant fit!

Q: What would you say to our readers who may feel disappointed and do not feel that anything is possible?

We all agree on the following: We've noticed going through time that life is a rollercoaster with highs and lows. For every low, there is always a learning experience and eventually another high. Our song "Anything Is Possible" is a great reminder that you need to hang on for the ride!

Q: There are many songs on the record that truly hit an emotional nerve and really resonate with people emotionally. If you were to name a couple of songs that you feel strongly about, which would they be? And why?

NATALIA-Oh man, that's a hard one! I love all of the songs equally on this album. They all have their special inspirations and messages. However, I do have to say that "Missing Mississippi" and "It's Always Been You" are two I am very emotional about. I wrote "Missing Mississippi" on my very first night alone in Nashville. This song means so much to me because it can relate to anyone who is feeling scared of taking on a new journey in life and afraid of leaving home. "It's Always Been You" is particularly a sentimental song for me because it reflects what I felt about my real boyfriend in the dream that I had.

CHRISTINA-A few songs on the album that I feel strongly about are "Famous"and "Hey Boy." "Famous" gives a cool, Tom Petty feel and soft rock vibe. Also, there is a twist to the title of the song that I think is really cool. I also really love "Hey Boy" because as a drummer, I like a little bit of payback every now and then!

HANNAH- "I Think Too Much" and "Tom Girl" are my current two favorite songs on the album. "I Think Too Much" totally nails how I think, and likely how a lot of other teenagers like me think. I also love "Tom Girl" because it's the perfect song about a girly-girl who isn't afraid of a little mud. We are DEFINITELY "tom girls"!

Q: Many of the songs on the new record speak of chasing our dreams. What's your dream for Southern Halo?

NATALIA- My dream is to continue growing our band Southern Halo into a successful business; thereby making it affordable to continue to share our love and music with our fans!

CHRISTINA-Obviously building Southern Halo to a point where we can financially sustain ourselves and open doors to exciting and new opportunities along the way!

HANNAH- We have a great time working together as a family, so continuing to build a career around our band would be awesome!! 

Stay Social with Southern Halo: 

Website:  www.southernhalo.net

FB: https://www.facebook.com/SouthernHalo

Twitter: @3halos   https://twitter.com/3halos

Instagram:  officialsouthernhalo

YouTube: southernhalorocks

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/2az4Pcio1xkwpvaFIM19ZB

 

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