North of the Nashville city lights lies a ranch where a young girl named Royale Lynn grew up to be sure of three things: her horse, her music and her dreams. Summers spent on her ranch in rural Ontario caused Royale Lynn to lean on her guitar. She doesn’t remember a time she didn’t ride or sing. With vocal and guitar lessons since the age of ten set with the musical influences of George Straight and Cody Johnson it was just a matter of time until Royale Lynn became Queen of the Western World. Read on to hear the tale of her journey of moving countries, stepping foot in Music City and never loosing sight of who she is and will become.
A Runaway Rebel…
“The minute I set foot in Nashville I knew that’s what I was supposed to do,” tells Royale Lynn. A step that had been years in the making since she was a young girl. A love of singing sent her on a musical journey. Taking every music class she could and performing in plays, Royale Lynn decided to attend university for musical theater. Realizing this wasn’t her path she made a big decision to not wait on her dreams.
“I dropped out of university and packed up my car and drove here (Nashville). It was one of the best things I’ve ever done. I just decided I wanted to go and there’s no sense in waiting around for your dream to happen,” says Royale Lynn.
Lonestar Living…
The journey from Canada to Tennessee wasn’t easy, but there was no stopping Royale Lynn with the start of her dreams waiting for her there. “I couldn’t just move countries, so I had to find a sponsor and know what I was going to do. It’s been challenging and I have family I wish I could see, but I love living here,” says Royale Lynn, “I had some pretty awesome stuff happen within the first week of being here and I knew this is where I’m supposed to be.”
Loading the Pistol…
“I come and go in a cloud of smoke like a modern day John Wayne,” sings Royale Lynn of her western influence. “I’m very western country music. Very John Wayne, tumbleweed music. I got there by trying to expand the box of western music as much as I can.” As a woman she will still insist she is a cowboy with the life she was born into. “Country music to me is being born and raised on a farm and you know the hardship of working a farm. Riding horses is not easy; we were barrel racing back home.”
Royale Lynn finds herself longing for time with horses after moving to the city for her music career. “I volunteer at a therapeutic horse center in Nashville because I need it once a week to refresh my song ideas and inspiration because I miss being home on the farm. My mom always taught me to sing what I know and growing up on a horse farm, it’s all I know. The farm atmosphere is amazing,” says Royale Lynn.
Running Untethered…
Royale Lynn just released two singles “No Saddle” and “Alcatraz”.
“I wanted to debut my first single, ‘No Saddle’, as like an autobiography. The song goes through the emotions of leaving home and being on your own. I do a lot by myself and moved countries; it made me who I am now,” tells Royale Lynn, “I’ve navigated it in a way that’s made me a better artist and songwriter. I know people will like your music or they won’t. I’m just doing me right now and people seem to like it. It’s humbling to see people relate to a song about being a drifter and a tumbleweed essentially.”
‘“Alcatraz” is my heartbreak love song. I feel like every artist has one if they’ve ever been in love. We may not be together, but we’re never going to be able to get those memories out of our heads. I feel like that puts you in prison almost if you’re not over something. Sometimes you’re drowning and there’s no one to save you because it’s all in your head,” describes Royale Lynn, ‘Alcatraz’ spoke of a heartbreak I had to deal with that was so hard to get over, it felt like I was somewhere I would never get out of.”
No Lasso Holding her…
Getting into the writing room with some of her best friends to create a song is one of Royale Lynn’s favorite things. “When you create something, are done with a write and are still humming it; that’s one of my all time favorite things. Seeing the potential in the song itself is amazing,” says Royale Lynn.
She knew “No Saddle” was special when it was written. “We didn’t know what we were going to write that day and got something so pure and original. It’s a fantastic feeling to know you can create something other people will identify with,” says Royale Lynn. “Seeing the writing process straight through until the moment it is out on iTunes is a huge moment and it doesn’t happen all at once. When you final put it out there and the world hears it, I think that is the greatest part of creating songs.”
Roaming Free…
Playing in downtown Nashville, Royale Lynn sees a lot of people come and go. What is special is when someone experiences a connection to her music. “Anytime I gain a true follower who follows along even when they leave Nashville straight through until the next time they come back and see me,” shares Royale Lynn, “They didn’t come to find you, but they did. I have fans who come back to shows a year later. Building a fan base is so memorable to me. To see familiar faces in the crowd is humbling.”
A Tumbleweed Tumbling…
With years spent in Nashville, Royale Lynn remembers back to the best advice she was given when she first arrived. “‘You need to find what you want to say.’ That’s something someone told me the first week I was here, ‘Who are you and what do you want to say to your audience?’ It took me a long time, I’ve come a long way in the past five years and I’ve been song writing since I was ten years old. To find exactly what you want to say to the world, this is me, is one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever gotten,” says Royale Lynn.
Even when she writes a song she loves, Royale Lynn still has to decide if it is truly her. “You can write three to four times a week and you have to pick out the songs that best represent you. If I can tell any advice, it’s to think outside the box and be original. You’re going to get no’s in the music industry. I’ve had a bunch of doors that couldn’t be opened because of the type of music I did or did not do. Being true and original is how you’re going to get noticed,” says Royale Lynn.
Riding The Road Not Traveled…
Royale Lynn had plans to release music in the fall and is excited for what the future holds. “I’m super excited about that and for 2020. We’re going to get out on the road a little bit more and I think with these next songs that are going to be released, some good things are coming, I know it,” says Royale Lynn.
Visit royalelynnmusic.com to learn more about her and support her music. Follow her on social media and listen to her new singles on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music.
Photo Credit to Royal Lynn Facebook & Instagram
Farm Girl With Curls 