I am SO excited to turn my blog site over to Hayley and Sara today, of the amazing duo, STEEL BLOSSOMS! I had the pleasure of hearing these girls live at Love & War in Texas when they were opening for the artist I went to see. I had never heard of them and they blew me away! So, I’ll turn it over to these multi-talented young ladies and let them tell you about themselves! Take it away, Sara and Hayley!
Hello! It’s nice to virtually meet all of you and I hope you’re surviving this strange time in the world. Let us first introduce ourselves. You’ll be hearing from us both, Hayley Amour and Sara Zebley, as we make up the female fronted, Nashville-based duo, Steel Blossoms.
A LITTLE BACKSTORY:
We met about 12 years ago at a music festival in Pittsburgh, PA near where both of us grew up, but it wasn’t until 3 years later when we joined a band together that we actually became friends and started singing full time with each other. It was instant chemistry on stage and off. We were both on the path to being elementary teachers for life when we convinced each other to give it all up to move to Nashville in 2014. It’s been a hell of a ride ever since.
Moving to Nashville was an opportunity to make music a full time career instead of a hobby and we quickly began performing regularly on Broadway 4 hours a day, 7 days a week. About a year in, we discovered that traveling the country was going to be key in expanding our following so we started performing “house concerts,” a unique experience that has gained us lifelong relationships with fans who have turned into friends. Seriously, you’ll question ever going to a regular concert again after attending an intimate house concert- it’s that fun!!
Fast forward a few years later… In January 2019, we signed a record deal with emerging Americana label, Billy Jam Records, under the direction of hit songwriter Jerry Salley. That was huge for us, as it gave us a boost in the industry and a team to rely on for some of the legwork it takes to promote an album. We’ve been so lucky to have since hired a band of phenomenal musicians (who are literally our best friends now), buy a van (her name is Blonde Betty White), and tour the country telling the stories behind our original songs.
AN EVEN BIGGER BREAK:
I remember us saying to each other “How in the world will 2020 ever top 2019? So many amazing things happened in 2019 and there’s no way we’ll outdo it!” And then we got a phone call that changed everything. We may have both blacked out during the conversation in disbelief, but at the end of that 5 minutes, we were the opening act for Alan Jackson’s 2020 tour. WHAT?! Crazy, right? We screamed, cried, called our families and swore them to secrecy, cried some more, questioned whether it was a dream, then got to work preparing for one of the biggest moments of our career.
OUR FIRST STADIUM/ARENA TOUR:
January 10 and 11, 2020 was the first weekend of the Alan Jackson tour and we were beyond excited that the very first show was in Cincinnati, OH, equal distance between our Nashville friends and our Pennsylvania friends and family. It was one of those surreal weekends that we struggle to put into words. Let’s try though.
First of all, we got to ride a tour bus for the very first time (not as glamorous as one would think- those bunks are tiny!!). We rode the bus with a lot of the sound engineers and techs from the show and that alone was such a neat experience to see what behind the scenes work goes into making the performance night run smoothly. Alan Jackson’s band was particularly welcoming and genuine, which was not taken for granted on our parts. We got to watch their sound check and hang out with some of the musicians throughout the evening. Alan’s fiddle player, Ryan, is from our hometown- small world! Hearing some of our favorite songs in person from AJ was also nothing short of amazing. Imagine hearing “Remember When” and “Little Bitty” from a few rows back in an empty arena before 13,000 people were on their way to fill the seats. PINCH ME MOMENT times infinity.
We had the honor of performing 5 songs to start the night off and saying we were terrified and filled with adrenaline would be the understatement of the year. We were all pleasantly surprised that the butts were in the seats so early on and we had over 10k people watching our performance. The most amazing part of this experience was realizing that we belonged on that stage. I know it sounds crazy considering we’ve been working our way up to this moment consistently for years, but we really weren’t sure before that first performance if our usual stage show was going to translate to such a large atmosphere. When it did and we proudly finished our last original song of the night “You’re the Reason I Drink” with the whole audience singing the hook, we realized we had caught the bug. Both of us cried, hugged our band members, and decided that we NEVER wanna not be doing shows like that. Honestly, after feeling what we felt on that stage, I’m not sure why musicians do drugs.
UNTIL NEXT TIME:
Thanks for getting to know us through these stories and we look forward to not only continuing the Alan Jackson tour once the world is in better shape, but we hope and pray that while you are reading this, you and your loved ones are safe, healthy and managing the uncertainty of these times.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwG6jZwZ0Dg&w=560&h=315]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJaQB_cKcu8&w=560&h=315]
Follow The Steel Blossoms:
www.steelblossoms.com
www.facebook.com/steelblossoms
www.instagram.com/steelblossoms
Spotify link to SB latest album
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6c7CCsR0EwgZ81KHktNrhO
Oh my goodness, that is hilarious, Diana! 🙂 I thought everyone had heard of Alan Jackson. I’m glad you enjoyed meeting the girls. They are super talented for sure! Thanks for stopping by!
That was so fun, Jan. Thanks for the introduction to Hayley and Sara. It was fun to hear about how they started and it sounds like they’re on the rise. Beautiful voices, harmonies, and songs. I’m pretty clueless about music and don’t know who Alan Jackson is (ha. is that terrible?). Congrats and good luck to both of these talented women!
Great story! My wife is a big country music fan, and now I’ve got a new duo to check out for her. One tidbit of connection for me is that we saw Alan Jackson perform at our local county fair before he hit the bigtime. I remember my wife said at the time, “This guy is going places!” Little did I know she was right.
What a great story, Pete! I have one similar about George Strait. 🙂 I’m so happy that you found a new duo for your wife to enjoy. These girls are not only great musicians but have incredible harmonies and that’s what drew me to them. Thanks so much for dropping by!
Thes two are terrific. I enjoyed the post and the two songs. Thanks, Jan
Wonderful, John! Thanks for stopping by!
Thank you so much John!! That is so appreciated!
You both have a ton of talent and I wish you much success.
What a fun story during troubled times. Thanks for bringing it to us, Jan.
My pleasure, Craig!!
Aw glad it brought you some joy during these strange times. Hang in there! Thanks!
Oh wow! Boy, do they harmonize well. Love that song. I always knew Alan Jackson had a good ear for what draws people. Plus, he has so much class and is nice and personable. I’ll bet these ladies can hardly wait to get back out on the road with him. Good for them! Opportunity knocked and they answered. Glad you found them, Sister.
They are really incredible and such nice people to boot! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment, sister. I know they can’t wait to get back on the tour!
Wow what a nice comment! Yes, Alan’s whole crew were upstanding individuals and we were really honored. Can’t wait to get back. Thanks so much!
Glad to meet you here and learn your story! I hope you are back touring soon:)
Thanks for leaving a comment, Denise!
Thank you so much. We hope so too! Where are you from?
Nevada City, CA.
I loved hearing their story and their videos were fantastic! Thanks for sharing them with us, Jan. 🙂
My pleasure, Yvette! They are amazing young ladies!
Wow thank you so much! Hope we have a new fan in you 🙂
Thank you sharing these two talented ladies. I enjoyed their music and learning about them.
Wonderful, Karen! Thank you for stopping by!
Thanks so much for reading, Karen! Stay in touch!
They are very talented musicians and genuinely nice women. Plus they are extremely talented songwriters. Poignant, funny, sweet and from the heart. So happy that you were able to meet them and share your experience.
Me too, Diane. It was an incredible night when I walked in and the first thing I heard was their incredible harmony. I was hooked! Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment!
Kari and I are old roommates and friends. So happy that you liked them as much as we do. They are really nice which makes their success even sweeter.
You two are amazing, talented musicians. It’s no wonder Alan Jacksin would choose you to open for him! I had the pleasure of meeting you at Kaye and Bruce’s house party, and oh, what fun we had! Keep on, keepin’ on, girls! I hope to see you soon! ❤
What a great memory, Beth! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a message for the girls!
Beth, I remember you! Such a fun night. Hope to come back to Texas soon. Thanks!
Love you, Diane!
What a great tribute for these two talented musicians! Wow! They had a chance to perform at an Alan Jackson concert!
I know they had to be beyond ecstatic to have that opportunity, Mark. Thanks so much for dropping by and leaving a comment!
Thank you so much, Mark!! Hope you stay in touch!
Thanks for sharing your blog with these girls, Jan. I also grew up in Pittsburgh, do it was nice to read a home town success story. Good luck getting back on the road when this mess is over.
Oh, thank you, Dan! The girls will be on here later today to comment and you may find some common ties. 🙂 I appreciate you leaving a comment for them.
Well, they have a new fan 🙂
Wow so cool! What part of Pittsburgh?
Born in Bridgeville