January 2017
Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, and Pharrell all turned for her on "The Voice" - If you haven’t heard about Angie Keilhauer until right now – pick up your phone, open Spotify and thank us later. This hard working Americana Country singer just moved into Encinitas and has rapidly begun to make a name for herself in San Diego (Winner of the 2016 Del Mar Fair Songwriter Contest). We invite you to learn more about how she started out, what kind of music she listens to, and some of her biggest successes to date. Angie also gives some great advice to aspiring musicians - full interview below!
Video of her Blind Audition on "The Voice"
Who were you listening to before sitting down to answer all these questions?
The Doors! My girlfriend just bought their vinyl; felt like going through a time machine in my living room.
Prince or Michael Jackson?
Michael Jackson
Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles?
Ray Charles! I'm from GA after all.
Tupac or Biggie?
Tupac
Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera?
Christina Aguilera.
Who would you ask us to choose between?
Eric Clapton or Led Zeppelin? - We would have to go with Clapton : )
First musical memory as a kid?
When I was a kid I begged my mom for vocal lessons, but they were pretty expensive and we have a big family. My mom had bought my older sister violin lessons with the rule that she had to get up three times a week before school and practice. Finally my mom gave in, of course with the same rule. So she would wake up before me at 5am, make me go downstairs, and run my scales. I hated it so much, but slowly I saw how much better I was getting. At the time, I wasn’t so grateful haha, but now looking back- that was a big lesson.
How old were you when you started playing music & who got you started?
I have always been a singer since I can remember. I would shut off the TV in the living room and make the whole family listen to a new song I wrote (that was always very popular lol). In the end I was obsessed with great vocalists and storytelling. My mom always loved Dolly Parton and I begged my Dad to buy me Christina Aguilera's first album. I would listen to those songs over and over, repeating the runs until I could finally come close. As long as I can remember I just absolutely loved singing.
First song you ever wrote - What was it about? Still play it today?!
Hmm I think the first song I ever wrote, that I can remember, was about mayonnaise believe it or not. I don't actually play that one regularly haha. For some reason my middle school friends still to this day remember that song and consider it my first break.
Most proud achievements / awards as a musician?
My latest EP 'Wild' just won the Independent Music Award in the Country/ Roots genre! This was a really big moment for me because after coming off of The Voice last season, I decided to go all in and fund the record. The 7-track EP is all written by me, telling real stories of being on the road since the last album. It was the first time I recorded with a full band at a really high end studio in Nashville. Every dime I made touring for two years was in the hopes that I could one day make this happen. The day it was released on June 24th it hit #5 in its genre on iTunes. When I heard I won the IMA award it was really like coming full circle, like this humongous risk I took with all my savings and credit cards actually didn't seem so crazy. It was an incredible moment.
Where is your "creative space"?
The car! I have to drive so much and feeling the world's constant movement around me is the best way for me to focus. I love writing songs in the car. I also love journaling- usually once a day when I can. Going back into my journal entries is where I find a lot of the most important lines to my songs.
Name 3 musicians / groups that you will listen to for the rest of your life:
Eric Clapton, Janis Joplin, Kip Moore
Any local / up-and-coming musicians that more people need to know about?
I'm just getting into the local scene in Encinitas since moving here in September. I discovered a guy named Michael LeClerc that has a killer singer-songwriter vibe. Also, a band called Grim Slippers is probably one of the coolest fusions of rock and funk I've heard in a long time, really fun to listen and jam to. I'm a huge fan!!
Best gig you ever played?
The Voice was pretty epic, but there were only about 200 people in the live audience, and none of them really knew who I was or what my original music was like. A few months later, when I released my EP in my hometown, I played for about 300 people, all who knew every word to my new songs and sang along. Even now when I think about it I get a little teary eyed - hands down one of the coolest moments in my career.
Any advice to your younger self or other musicians starting out?
This is a tough industry. If you look at my bio, you'll see a couple of huge breakout moments. You'll see my first cruise ship contract as a musician, a viral YouTube video, an audition on a major singing show. What you won't see is the two years of emailing it took to get that first contract, the hundreds of videos made before the one that went viral, the number of failed auditions before the one I got through. This is a TOUGH industry. Take every single opportunity and don't let failure be a reason to stop trying. Let it be a reason to get better, to be humble, and to be proud of the art you make. This industry is 100% created by everyday people that obsess about music as much as you do, true fans. Find those people, connect with them, and hold them close to your heart. Never stop making music.
Want to catch her live >> Angie's Calendar