Page 11 - ION Indie Magazine MarchApril 2023

TB: After Five Little Princesses, you switched over from doing pop music to country. Why
the change in genre?

PT: After the 5LPs, I continued on with pop music as a solo artist and I did that for a couple years
until it got to the point where I felt like I was trying to be something I’m not. It felt like this inner
battle of wanting to start fresh and continuing on the path that I was on. Once I turned 16, I put
my foot down and had this realization moment that if I want to be doing music for the rest of my
life, then I need to be happy with the music I’m creating. Since that moment, I feel like I’ve had
this weight lifted off my shoulders where I get to be exactly who I am.

TB: You were on season 16 of ‘The Voice’ working with Kelly Clarkson. What were you able
to take away from that experience that helps you still today in your music career?

PT: ‘The Voice’ was one of the most incredible experiences! I was a 16-year-old pop artist when
I went on the show and left as a country artist with an all-new confidence. I learned so much about
myself, not only as an artist, but who I am aside from music. I got to work with so many incredible
musicians that played on the show as well as the whole production staff. The contestants became
some of my best friends and I got to work with my idol Kelly Clarkson! My entire time there felt like
a dream. I remember I was working with Kelly for a song I did called ‘Nothing Breaks Like A Heart.’
It was only supposed to be a 30-minute coaching session that ended up being two hours because
we talked so much and she gave me so many words of wisdom. Some of those words were the
reason why I made the switch to country music, and I am forever thankful for her; her kindness
and her genuineness.

TB: You have been able to open for Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, and Carly Pearce. What if
anything have you been able to learn about doing Iive shows in front of big crowds?

PT: It’s so crazy to think that I have been so fortunate to open up for Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton,
Carly Pearce, and so many other incredible artists. I’ve looked up to these artists for so long and
the impact they have made on everybody in the crowd. To know that I get to play in front of these
same people is just an insane feeling. I’ve learned that no matter how many times you do a show
that a feeling will always stay the same!

TB: You had a video go viral of a re-imagined cover of Zach Bryan’s hit ‘Something In the
Orange.’ How did that come about, and did you ever think it would get as big as it has?

PT: I was about to fly home from Nashville when Zach Bryan released his ‘American Heartbreak’
album. So, I downloaded it and played almost every song on the flight back, but something about
‘Something In The Orange’ really stuck out to me. I thought it would be interesting to do the girl's
perspective of whom he’s singing about. So I wrote it the next day and posted the chorus on
TikTok and all of a sudden it blew up. A lot of people could relate to the girl's perspective and
were asking for the full song, so I wrote, recorded, mixed (I literally watched a mixing for dummies
video), and released the song on YouTube and all streaming platforms. The response was
absolutely crazy, I never expected for a simple little cover video to turn out the way it did, but I’m
so grateful for it!