Growing up in the music business, Amanda Hunt-Taylor knew at the age of three what she wanted to do forever, even with a few unforseen obstacles.
DM) How did you get started in music?
AH) I grew up in the music business. My mom and dad designed costumes for the entertainers. My dad was a songwriter as well. I knew at the age of three what I would do forever. It's the only world I knew about from a very young age.
DM) Did your dad write anything we would know?
AH) Yeah, maybe. It was in the country charts in the late
`70s. It was a top ten hit for Freddie Hart off his Easy Lovin
album the song was called "Fingerprints."
DM) And have you ever performed any of your dad's songs?
AH) Well, when he would get really, really drunk he'd hand
me his guitar and tell me to play his songs for him. He loved
it when I sang to him. My dad was an alcoholic.
DM) That must have been very tough to deal with growing up.
AH) It's all I ever knew. I never knew how to live any other
way. The song on my CD "Somebody Say Its Okay" is about
my childhood... I still can't perform that song out ... its too
hard ... I'm afraid I'll cry. I get very emotional when I sing.
DM) Usually a traumatic event keeps people away from things
associated with it. I find it interesting that you sing even
though it was the source of some upset when you were growing
up.
AH) It's where I pull from. Sometimes my mom apologizes for
it all and I tell her that if I never read another book or watched
another movie I have enough stories in me from my own childhood
experiences to write songs for the rest of my life. Hence, I
am very, very prolific. I wrote about 70 songs this past year
... only five I think are really cool, but ya know, I have
to get it out. That's my only way of handling all those emotions.
DM) Has a fan ever approached you with a similar experience
who could directly relate to your songs?
AH) Oh man, yes, yes. Especially "Somebody Say Its Okay."
I've had more response from that than any of the other songs
on my CD. Matter of fact, the next CD will dig much, much deeper
than this one did. I am ready to share more.
DM) For our readers who haven't heard that one, what does
it talk about?
AH) It's about a scared little girl. One of the lines in the
first verse is "When I needed safe arms to hold me at night
... momma's always would but they held me too tight."
Its about living a life you know isn't right, but you don't know
any other life. You just know you shouldn't feel this sad all
the time. So sad. And I use to want someone to tell me it was
okay, but they never did.
DM) I'm sorry that has happened to you. It sounds horrible.
AH) Well, (laughs) it was hell on my husband. Can you imagine
how long it took him to win my trust? I was so hard on him. But
he did and he is wonderful and beautiful and truly is my angel,
sent straight to me from whatever is out there. I look at him
and feel so blessed. In nights of darkness ... and I still
have many ... he holds me and tells me its okay. Quite a job
he has, huh? God, what a man. A real man.
DM) How did you ever get through the beginning of your relationship
with him?
AH) I don't know ... love ... meant to be. My first
big hit "Your Love Amazes Me," was inspired by him.
So it was kind of symbolic for both of us and validating that
we were meant to be.
DM) Tell me more about the song.
AH) Well, he asked me to marry him on bended-knee in Panama
City Beach
Florida and of course I said 'yes!' And I came back home and
started working on this simple little title "Your Love Amazes
Me" because it did. And for three months I worked on it,
but couldn't get any farther with it. All I had was a verse melody
and the hook. I took it to a few co-writers because I was stuck
and one, Chuck (Jones), said he loved what I had and we finished
it. The rest is history. The song did come from an emotional
place. A real place. It wasn't just conjured up or made up. It
was
DM) How did you meet Chuck?
AH) Just through the grapevine. I had been writing professionally
for years at that point and had met a lot of writers. I just
took a chance on getting with him and we worked ... it worked!
Pretty cool.
DM) Have any of your songs been performed by others?
AH) Yep
DM) Like who?
AH) Tanya Tucker, Michael English, Janis Ian, Ricochett, Doug
Supernaw, Mandy Barnett and many independent artists that no
one will ever hear of... and lets see, me (chuckles).
DM) Janis Ian has performed one of your songs?
AH) Yeah, we wrote the song together, called "No One Else
Like You." It's on her Revenge album. I also sang backgrounds
on that album with her. She rocks. I really, really love Janis.
She's so cool.
DM) How did you meet up with her?
AH) She saw me at a gig and approached me about writing. I was
thrilled and of course said, 'Yes!'
DM) So things really must have soared for you after that.
AH) No, not really. "Your Love Amazes Me" was when
things soared. I won lots of awards via that song.
AH) John Berry was even Grammy nominated for his vocal performance
on the song. Its been cut over 20 times by several artists. More
show up on my BMI statement seems like every year. It's my baby.
DM) So how many CDs does it appear on?
AH) I don't know (laughs), I mean, my sister just picked up a
CD via MCA records, and she called me and said, 'Do you know
about this cut'. It's the title of the CD and it's the last cut
on there, but I've never seen it on my statement. You know (laughs)
that's the business, so I'm not sure. It's been in soap operas
and just all kinds of things. I lose money left and right on
that song, unfortunately. The publishers who own the copyright
don't take care of it like they should. Oh well. I will say,
that's one of the reasons I asked out of my professional full
time writing deal about 2 years ago. I walked away from lots
of money because I don't want to give away my copyrights anymore.
DM) How many CDs have you sold so far?
AH) Well, in country it went platinum, not a lot, its country
remember. Michael English's version in Adult contemporary went
top ten. It didn't even make gold
DM) How many copies does that come to for your CD?
AH) About 500 now.
DM) Wait a minute. I'm confused, your CD sold 500 copies but
20 artists have recorded one of the songs?
AH) Yes, "Your love amazes Me" but I'm just another
artist that has nothing to do with my sales. I mean... just because
I put it on MY CD... doesn't mean its gonna sale like John Berry's
or Michael English ... its just a song that I wrote and put on
my CD ya know
DM) So how many copies did Michael English or John Berry sell?
AH) Michael English was a top ten hit in adult contemporary
but didn't even sale enough to make GOLD and John Berry went
Platinum which is over a million in sales. Air play and sales
are TWO different things... entirely. That's why country is losing
its a-- right now... they are getting airplay but NOT selling
records. Not good
DM) I just find it amazing that one person who recorded your
song hit a million in sales.... I would have expected that you
would have sold a few hundred thousand already.
AH) Well, now you have to remember we don't have the money to
push my CD like they did for a John Berry. Do you know how much
money it takes to promote? Man. I don't have that cash.
DM) Is your album available on line?
AH) We're about to land national distribution. But can't say
who until its finalized and yes, at CDBaby.com or Amazon.com!
I also have it on consignment in Towers in Boston MA and here
in Nashville. Also all the Media Plays in Nashville... Grass
Roots... grass roots... I am back to struggling again and its
just flipping hard, but I don't wanna write in a box anymore...
so, I am happy with where we are.
DM) How have the on line sales been?
AH) Slow but good.
DM) When did this album come out?
AH) March of 99
DM) Have any of the people you've recorded with Janis Ian, etc,
lent their support?
AH) Oh yes, advice, advice, advice. Janis has helped me in how
to sell my CD's at live venues. How to set up my booth and all
that.
