Produced by a Girl interviewed Tracy front woman from Once Great Estate!
1. I was inspired to write “Austin” after visiting the city during the most recent SXSW Festival. It was my first time in Texas, and the city made quite an impression on me. My favorite experience was getting to visit Willie Nelson’s Luck Ranch, and see his rescued mustang horses. I wrote the song two days after I returned to Florida.
2. I came up with the band name one day five years ago while walking on my family land in north Florida. I recalled howmanicured the property looked when I was a child, compared to how it looks now in it’s more natural state. There was real beauty in the return to nature, and how it had become more inviting to wildlife.
3. In addition to my Americana band Once Great Estate, I also create instrumental ambient music and ambient folk under the name Tracy Chow. Last year I got contacted by a European label called The Slow Music Movement to submit a song for their “Future Folk” compilation. The compilation ended up being really exceptional, and was voted one of the top ten folk releases by The Guardian Magazine for 2021. The album was among some other very good releases, like Rhiannon Giddens, who is a hero of mine. I’m also an avid Guardian reader so it was cool to be mentioned by them.
4.We survived the pandemic by challenging ourselves to try new things, like remote songwriting and recording. I would record demos at home and share them online with the band. We were able to send files back and forth, andstay engaged and creative. We also used that time in lockdown to record our debut album, “Even the Undertaker”. It took a while because we were trying to be safe and only go in the studio one person at a time, but it all worked out great.
6.Typically whatever it is that has inspired me will present itself like a mini movie in my head. I can visualize the story unfolding, and try to come up with a poetic way of sharing the experience. A lot of times I will be purposefully vague so it leaves things open to different interpretation. I feel like more people will be able to relate to what I’m saying that way.
10.The best way to interact with me or the band is through our various online places, either via our website, Instagram, Facebook, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, or YouTube.
11.My favorite part about being a musician is the surprises and ideas that come about when you work with other musicians. Additionally, it’s nice to be able to express myself in a way that is often more comfortable than regular conversation. Also the realization that you are leaving a footprint of what you create behind for others to discover.
13.The best advice I have for any artist is to find your audience. Not everything is going to appeal to everyone. Take the time to find your people, and don’t’ get discouraged because it is a journey.
15.We are currently writing and fleshing out the best collection of songs for our second album. Our debut album was primarily an acoustic record, and this next one is going to be more electric.
16.To me, Produced By a Girl means that whatever the creative endeavor is, it will come from a unique female perspective. In the modern world being a “girl” can be presented in so many different ways. I think that the fluid nature of identities is broadened and often blurred in a way that can really make some exciting art.
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