Lacie James: A Voice That Carries the Heart of Home 🔊 WhatsMusic.de

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Lacie James: A Voice That Carries the Heart of Home

written by Lacie James and WhatsMusic.de

One of my favorite fan questions I’ve ever gotten was: “How do you go from singing plain to suddenly sounding like you’ve got an accent? And how on earth did you rhyme ‘point’ with ‘restaurant’?” It made me laugh, but it also made me realize how much of myself is woven into little details like that.

I was born in Tennessee, and my dad moved us back and forth between Tennessee and Georgia until I was about nine years old. Then we picked up and headed west to Arizona, and that’s where I’ve been ever since — right here in Scottsdale. But my heartstrings were pulled the most when I was younger, spending time with my Mawmaw. She grew up in McClellanville, South Carolina, around the sound of Gullah Geechee voices. I remember just listening to her, soaking up her way of speaking, the music in her words. She’d pronounce “restaurant” in this way that somehow matched “point.” It stuck with me. When I put it in a song, it wasn’t just clever rhyming — it was my way of keeping her close, like a little love letter to her memory.

Music has always been there for me. I don’t really remember a time when I wasn’t singing. Country is home base for me — it’s the soil I grew up out of — but I’ve always been drawn to the ache of the blues and the raw energy of rock, too. I like to think what I make now is a blend of all those roads I’ve traveled, and all the voices I’ve carried with me.

Thanks to Luna Records, I finally had the chance to take these songs that lived in my notebooks and in my head and turn them into something real. Recording them felt like pulling pieces of my life together and setting them free. My hope is that when you listen, you hear a little bit of your own story in mine — the places you’ve been, the people you’ve loved, the parts of yourself you’re still figuring out.

At the end of the day, I just want these songs to feel like a conversation between old friends — the kind that lingers with you long after you’ve said goodbye.

Interview with Lacie James

Tell us about yourself, who are you and where do you come from?

“Well, I was born in Tennessee, spent a good bit of time bouncing between there and Georgia when I was little, and then my family settled in Arizona when I was nine. So I guess you could say I’ve got a little Southern in my roots and a little desert in my soul. I grew up around my Mawmaw, who had this beautiful way of speaking that stuck with me and even shows up in how I sing sometimes. Music’s always been a part of me — mostly country at heart, but I’ve got a soft spot for blues and rock too. That mix pretty much makes me who I am today.”

How was your passion for music born? Who are your idols?

“I don’t even remember a time when music wasn’t part of me. I was that kid always humming, always trying to turn little moments into songs. The first real one I ever wrote was called He Doesn’t Know — of course it was about heartbreak, because that feeling just kind of stuck with me even when I was young. As far as idols, Dolly will always be up there for me — she’s the definition of heart and storytelling. And then I really admire artists like Ariana Grande, who can play with her voice in so many ways but still sound like herself. I try to do a little of that too — letting my voice bend depending on the song but still keeping it true to me.”

What kind of music do you do?

“At the heart of it, I’m a country artist — that’s where my roots are and where I feel most at home. But I can’t help pulling in pieces of blues and rock too. Sometimes a song wants that grit, sometimes it wants a little edge, and sometimes it just wants to sit in that sweet, simple country space. I like letting the story decide how it should sound.”

What is the most important song for you? What message do you want to convey to the listener?

“I think the first song I ever wrote, He Doesn’t Know, will always stick with me because it was the first time I realized music could carry heartbreak in a way words alone couldn’t. That one opened the door for me. These days, the most important songs are the ones that make people feel less alone — whether it’s heartbreak, hope, or just trying to make sense of life. What I want more than anything is for folks to feel understood, like I’m sitting across from them saying, ‘Yeah, I’ve been there too.’”

Why should a listener who doesn’t know you listen to your music?

“I’d say give it a listen if you want songs that feel honest. I write about heartbreak, hope, and the messy in-betweens, because that’s real life. My sound’s country at the core, but I pull in little touches of blues and rock, so there’s a mix of sweet and soulful in there too. Even if you don’t know me yet, I think you’ll find a piece of yourself in the stories I sing.”

What are your future projects? Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

“Right now I’m just focused on writing and recording more songs — building a catalog I’m proud of. I don’t have tour plans at the moment, but I’d love to get out on the road when the time’s right. Five years from now? Hopefully I’ll still be making music that feels honest and finding more people who connect with it. I’d love to collaborate with artists I admire, maybe even surprise folks with a duet or two. Mostly, I just hope I’m still growing — as a songwriter, as a singer, and as a person.”

Tell our readers a funny episode that happened in your career as an artist.

“One that still makes me laugh happened during a small show early on. I was right in the middle of a slow, emotional song when a little kid in the front row yelled out, ‘Are you done yet?’ The whole crowd cracked up, and so did I. It reminded me not to take myself too seriously — sometimes you just have to roll with the moment and keep singing.”

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