BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Emily O’Neal, a 2019 Union County High School graduate, recently released her debut album: “Bird’s Eye View.”
The Nashville resident graduated from Middle Tennessee State in 2023 and is the daughter of Starke Realtor Susan O’Neal and former New River Solid Waste Executive Director Darrell O’Neal.
O’Neal’s career reached two milestones recently, opening for pop singer Olivia O’Brien and playing to a sold-out crowd at Nashville’s iconic Bluebird Café.
The UCHS grad was among four recipients of the BMI Foundation’s 24th annual John Lennon Scholarships in 2021.
O’Neal said “Bird’s Eye View” features 10 singles ranging from pop to rock.
“I really wanted it to be diverse and have something for everybody,” she said. “There are a few songs about relationships — the ups and downs of those — but also about my background of growing up shy, kind of an introverted person, and that experience of coming out of your shell.”
O’Neal said competition for attention in Music City is fierce, but the camaraderie among aspiring musicians is energizing.
“The beauty of being in Nashville is having a community of people who are all trying to do it like you, so you don’t feel alone,” she said. “The fun part is the community, but it obviously is difficult. There’s a lot of competition in Nashville, and it is hard when you see so many talented people here, but overall, it’s a pretty good experience because you’re doing what you love.”
O’Neal wrote nine songs on the album and collaborated with a co-writer on the 10th.
“Some songs I write in an hour, and they’re completely done,” she said of her creative process. “Others I’ll revisit two months, three months or six months later and exchange melodies, so it really is different every time. Sometimes I use a guitar, sometimes I’m on piano, sometimes people will send me tracks, and I’ll write to those, so that’s what keeps it interesting. It’s different every time.”
O’Neal said she doesn’t know what her next milestone will be. She is focused on performing more shows, producing more music and expanding her network throughout the industry.
“I will say in my experience from whom I’ve talked to in the industry that social media is kind of the most important thing to have as an artist,” she said, adding that labels and agents want to see performers who have grown a sustainable audience on their own.
“They definitely want someone who has that drive on their own,” she said, “and someone who can put people in the seats.”
O’Neal said her platform of choice now is Instagram, but she also has a presence on Facebook and TikTok.
She added that one interesting trend in the music business now is the re-emergence of vinyl records, adding that she will have copies of her new album in the resurrected format when she performs at Starke’s The Downtown Grill on Saturday, Aug. 3.
“In the past few years, vinyl sales have actually gone up, and I think that for the first time in twenty years or something, vinyl sales outsold CD sales, which is crazy,” she said. “It’s super popular in Nashville.”
O’Neal said the rising popularity of LPs may be due to the fact that people want to own their music and not remain dependent on streaming services like Apple Music or Spotify.
O’Neal said she will perform all 10 songs on her new album during the show at The Downtown Grill, which begins at 7 p.m. She added that the show would likely include a few covers and some of her older songs as well.
