Jessie Ritter on Writing Songs That Match Her Living and Musings From The Road

What’s the key to perseverance + following your dreams?

Based in Nashville, Tennessee and Northwest Florida, singer/songwriter Jessie Ritter plays a heartfelt brand of country-pop with a breezy, romantic feel and plenty of charm. While studying music at Belmont University in Nashville, she released her EP Stories Told. Ritter then cut her teeth on the cruise ship circuit, releasing her debut album, Coffee Every Morning in 2018.

After winning NashFM 105.5’s regional Nash Next competition, she represented the Florida Panhandle in the finals, beating out over 800 contestants to be named the 2018 Nash Next winner. She gained national recognition and a record deal with Big Machine (home to heavy-hitters like Taylor Swift and Florida Georgia Line) making her label debut in May 2019 with the single "Nothing But You.”

She then swept the 2019 Northwest Florida Beachcomber awards taking home eight titles including: Musician of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Original Song, Best Country Artist, Best Singer/Songwriter, Best Solo Artist, Best New Artist, and Best Female Vocalist. Opening slots for Eli Young Band, Hunter Hayes, Easton Corbin, and Runaway June followed, as well as featured performances alongside hitmakers at songwriter festivals across the southern United States.

A native of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Ritter grew up on her family farm listening to country radio and absorbing the sounds of artists like Lee Ann Womack, Shania Twain, and Miranda Lambert. She is continually inspired by her favorite writer/performers: Lori McKenna, Natalie Hemby, and Cam.

In this episode, Jessie Ritter opens the show by explaining how she perseveres and pursues her dreams. Jessie is a kindred spirit, wise beyond her years, and she's just a few days away from having her first son. Luckily, Jessie gives us a scoop into what's happening in her world right now by sharing a little of her heart and soul. Later, Jessie talks about what success looks like for her and discusses the importance of accepting help on our journeys. At the end of this episode, we actually give you a listen to her single 'Home.'

In this Episode You’ll Learn:

All about today’s guest, Jessie Ritter [ 0:45 ]
The ingredient that helped Jessie to persevere + keep going [ 8:50 ]
How to work through the comparisonitis [ 16:25 ]
What Jessie’s definition of success looks like [ 21:20 ]
How the future looks for Jessie [ 28:15 ]
The importance of accepting help on our journey [ 32:00 ]
Why we have to give away things for free as creators [ 35:10 ]
All about Jessie’s most recent hits [ 41:10 ]

Soul Shifting Quotes:

“I think there's a lot of trust in yourself.”
“Just believe that somebody would be interested in what you have to say.”
“Your success doesn't have to look exactly like someone else's.”
“Success for me looks like being happy most days.”
“There are sacrifices you're willing to make along the way and sacrifices you're not willing to make along the way.”

Links Mentioned: