Phoenix-born and Nashville-based country singer Chelsea Bain puts a lot of emotion into her music.
“My goal is always to make somebody feel a deep emotion that makes them react… makes them cry or makes them jump around or even just dance to it a little bit, just so they feel something,” she says.
Her punchy, personality-driven songs are influenced by “a lot of really confident, powerful women” that range from Shania Twain to Joan Jett.
Bain says beyond talent, what makes a good musician is “people who don’t care what other people think, they just create.” Bain is unapologetic and authentic when it comes to her sound.
“Whenever I sit down in a writing session with people I’ve never written with, I always say, ‘I hope you guys are ready to get a little weird,’ because I never know what’s going to fly out of my mouth and I don’t refrain from saying anything,” she says. “I just want to make good music and I don’t want anybody to tell me how to do that.”
She describes her live shows as “very energetic.” “Every time I go on stage, I tell myself, ‘Just lose yourself in the music,’” she says. “Every song I play, I try to relive it as I’m playing that song and dive back into whatever experience made me write it. I’ve even cried on stage.”
The singer says she loves the storytelling aspects of country music. “Great country songs make you feel like you’re reading out of that person’s journal.”
Recently, however, she’s transitioned from country to rock. “Vocally, I’ve always been a rock singer,” she admits. “I love country… but there’s so much more I want to do.”
Though she moved to Nashville a decade ago to pursue her musical career, she still has love for the Valley and visits often.
“I love Arizona,” she says. “I’m so proud of where I’m from. My heart is so happy when I come home.”
Bain recently released a song called “Shot of Whiskey,” a high-octane track that rings true to the singer’s roots. “I feel like I am basically like a shot of whiskey,” she says. “I have bright colors in my hair, I’m loud, I don’t know when to stop talking. And I love whiskey.”
In fact, Bain is a self-proclaimed “booze snob.” While her drink of choice is tequila – she drinks it neat, no fruit – she also enjoys making gin- and whiskey-based cocktails at home. We recently caught up with the songstress at her family’s home in Scottsdale to see how she concocts her favorite holiday drinks. Here are some highlights:
1. Old Fashioned
Bain says she’s not a huge fan of super sweet drinks, so an Old Fashioned is one of her faves. She says she makes a very strong, simple version of the beverage with orange bitters and a citrus rind. “You really taste the whiskey in it,” she says.
2. Gin Basil Smash
One of Bain’s friends taught her how to make this tipple, which she says is “the most refreshing drink I’ve ever drank in my entire life.” It’s made by muddling together a handful of basil and half a lemon, adding gin, ice and simple syrup, shaking well and sifting into a glass.
3. Prosecco-Pomegranate Cocktail
Bain found the recipe for this seasonal sipper on Pinterest. It includes Prosecco, pomegranate juice, Cointreau, pomegranate seeds and raspberries. “And it has a candy cane frosted rim,” she says.
To learn more, visit chelseabainmusic.com.
Photos by Christie Knight
