Indie 5-0: 5 Questions with Christie Huff - MIC'D UP MAGAZINE
Christie Huff is an inspiring new artist, who has recently released her newest musical endeavor,Roll the Dice. Mixing genres of Rock, Country and a dash of Pop sensibility, she brings to the table a refreshing sound for your years. Throughout her music career she has garnered quite a bit of attention, as she has even performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade three times!
Growing up in Arizona, but currently living in Los Angeles, Huff takes on the world one song at a time, creating a true labor of love. With Roll the Dice in tow, Huff releases her most ambitious endeavor to date, as she pours her heart and soul into her music. We had the chance to catch up with Christie Huff for an insightful interview regarding her music and beyond, which you can read below.
1. You grew up in Arizona - do you think your home state has influenced your sound? How so?
Yes I think growing up in Arizona has influenced my sound! I have more of a country/pop sound and I think that came from my western roots in Arizona. It has also effected my writing. I am a very visual writer, and the scenery of the Arizona desert has definitely influenced my writing and lyrics. In my song “Roll The Dice” I have a line that says “You prickly pear under disguise..”, the prickly pear cactus is only found in Arizona.
2. Your bio says you’ve been in the Macy’s Parade three times - were you singing? How did that happen?
Yes I was in the Macy’s Parade three times performing with a musical theater group called Camp Broadway. In this group we were the opening performance that began the parade, singing and dancing. I was in the parade ages 10, 11, and 12. My little sister and I auditioned for the parade at the summer camp we’d go to every year called Camp Broadway. This was such a great opportunity and re-enforced my love for performing even more.
3. It’s been a few years since you released your last album. How do you think your sound has changed? How have the last two years helped you grow as an artist?
These last two years, since releasing my first album, have been two really important years for me. I’ve grown more as a person and as a musician these last two years than I have my whole life. My sound and lyrics have matured greatly because of the experiences I have had. These last two years I’ve been living in LA pursuing music full time, I have had the opportunity to really dive into music creatively and have worked hard to strengthen my ability to write and perform. These last two years have really helped me grow because I am working every day to better perfect my abilities. That’s what is so great about music and releasing albums, you are always learning and growing and gaining life experiences. So it comes across in your songs, I look forward to these next years to come because I know the more I’ll learn and mature, the more advanced my music will get.
4. You’re living in LA now - what’s it like, living in La-La Land? Has it helped your career, and your writing?
I love living in LA! It has definitely helped my career and writing. It’s helped my career because it’s given me opportunities in the music industry that I would never get anywhere else. I would have never found a team of people to help take me to the next level in my career if I had never come to LA. There’s also something special about living in a creative melting pot, it has definitely allowed my imagination to flourish and that has helped tremendously in my songwriting. There is never a dull moment in LA!
5. What advice would you give to other aspiring artists with dyslexia? What helped you overcome that challenge?
Advice I would give other aspiring artists with dyslexia is to not let your disability define you or keep you from accomplishing your dreams. Stick to your passions and work hard on strengthening your art. For me, what helped me overcome that challenge was focusing on my talents. So I turned to singing, writing songs, and in high school running for Student Council. I tried to find other ways to be successful, and that is what ultimately lead me to pursuing music as a career. I of course still strived to do well in school, but I was always happiest and most confident when I worked on perfecting my talents.
