When you talk about Stephanie Quayle making it “the old fashioned way” in country music, the easy assumption is: it's the honey blonde’s ability to book her own gigs, haul her own gear and make it happen in the bars, rodeos and fairs across the country. But the Bozeman, Montanan earned her country bonafides by living a life that’s far-flung and experienced.
“When I’d gotten out of high school, I’d taken off for California, which seemed so much closer -- to be the artist of California country. I eventually made my way to Nashville, and I thought I had so much life experience by then,” she laughs, “and then some terrible business things happened. When things don’t work out, I just get defiant and try to figure them out.“
Raised on a working ranch with “hundreds and hundreds of acres of alfalfa and just under 100 head of Black Angus,” she developed grit without even thinking about it. She also grew up on the kind of country music cowboys love – and invokes Dolly, Tammy, Loretta and Patsy in a way that suggests immersion not drive-by name-checking for legitimacy.
She found her calling as a foreign exchange student in Fribourg, Switzerland, overhearing some young people saying their band needed a lead singer. She didn’t really speak the language, but – as is her wont – she figured it out. Resourceful, strong, smart and business savvy enough to defy the odds -- nothing phases the woman who has since partnered with massive brands like Wrangler, Winnebago, Bass Pro Shops, Murdochs, Harley-Davidson and KOA, to name a few.
Quayle isn’t just the artist, either. She’s also the Founder and CEO of her aptly named Rebel Engine Entertainment. Rather than have someone tell her what kind of music to make or how to build her career, she draws on her own life experience with “a different kind of female perspective.” One listen to If I Was A Cowboy or the acoustic Montana Sessions demonstrates that completely.
“I grew up with cowboys, and I consider my Mom the greatest cowboy I’ve ever known,” Quayle explains. “It’s not about gender, it’s a state of mind. Growing up like that, it showed me how much of a gap there is in cowboy culture versus everywhere else. When I’m home, it’s so vast, it gives you this perspective: how big the world is, how small we are, but also how great the opportunities!
“Every time, I’m home, I jump on my horse, or get in my truck. It’s such freedom, I feel untouchable – and I think without thinking about it, I brought my Montana ways into my music.”
With a strong dose of Western, an emphasis on baritone guitar and a frisky put it out there candor, the emerging songwriter leans straight into what’s on her mind.
Whether it’s the swaggering “Whatcha Drinkin ‘Bout” with its norteno guitar flourishes, the wide open acoustic slink of “Untitled” that evokes a grown up “Wide Open Spaces,” the bluegrassy homage “Drinking With Dolly” or the knowing blues slink of “Second Rodeo,” Quayle merges influences with an eye on owning her space and not cluttering her intentions.
“That baritone guitar reminds me of home. It sounds like the West, and it sounds big in the mix. I think space is so important, because it gives you room to catch your breath, to let the instruments really open up their tones and you can find yourself in these songs.”
“When I’m writing, I’m thinking about that. It’s important to sound like me, to back up what the songs are saying... and that influences every decision we make.”
It’s working. Rolling Stone Country named her “An Artist You Need To Know,” CMT tapped Quayle as part of their “Next Women of Country” franchise, The Kelly Clarkson Show featured Quayle as a performer and guest, and the Grand Ole Opry has hosted the get-it-done artist multiple times. Cited by Billboard for her “captivating story-telling,” Quayle serves a powerful dose of self-propulsion tempered with a dollop of “go, girl” affirmation and the above mentioned truth-telling. With a vocal forward tilt, she blazes through “Untitled” with equal parts of wonder, sinew and enough vinegar to shuck the sugary good girl role for an ever-evolving grown ass woman.
I’m a needle on vinyl
I’m a red dirt road disciple
I’m a blue jean anthem
Best parts ain’t even happened
It's still untitled
Unbridled
It turns like a radio dial
It’s the heart of a child
Into the wild
It’s front porch, crash course
One horse town
Survival
A revival
It’s a verse from a back road bible
I'm still making it up as I go along
But for now I’m calling this song "Untitled”
