Q&A with country singer/songwriter Kyndal Rae Bullock, Rockwall-Heath grad

(ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX – July 7, 2015) It’s been quite an eventful and exciting year for local country music singer/songwriter Kyndal Rae Bullock, who not only recently graduated from Rockwall-Heath High School but did so while recording her very first album, “Dance With Me.”

The album –which was released last month – includes many songs written by Kyndal herself, who had the opportunity to work with several of the local talent in Clarksville and Nashville, TN, including one of the most prolific musicians, songwriters and producers in the area, Curt Ryle.

Between completing her senior year in high school and prepping to study Kinesiology at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, TX, Kyndal’s road to her first-ever album included many weekend trips back and forth between her home in Rockwall and Clarksville, meeting many extremely talented musicians and songwriters, and making lots of friends along the way.

Blue Ribbon News caught up with Kyndal to learn more about the talented young musician and her journey to the completion of her first album. 

In a nutshell, how would you describe yourself?

Outgoing! I’m not really shy. I always like to meet new people and make new friends. I’m just adventurous, I guess.

How does it feel to have your very first album out?

Exciting! It doesn’t feel real, almost. I’ll be in the car and some of my friends will be playing my music, and I’ll forget that it’s me that I’m hearing! I just kind of go along with it. But it’s really exciting and I’m excited to see where it goes.

What drew you to singing and wanting to play the guitar?

I like a challenge. I realized it just came easy to me. I’d sing around my friends and they’d tell me I was really good. I’ve never been one of those people who can sit around at home and not do anything, so I found something to do besides play soccer.

Have you performed locally?

I performed at the Wylie Opry several times and it was a lot of fun. You meet a lot of new people there, and you get the stage performance experience. It’s kind of like a rush.

What are you most proud of about your album?

I’m most proud that I wrote most of the songs on it. I never thought I could do that. I put so much hard work, time and effort into it, and I’m just really proud of myself for having something there. Whether it goes anywhere or not I’ll always have that experience and those friendships.

Of the songs you wrote, are there any in particular that you really relate to?

“Dance With Me” and “I Wanna Believe,” those are my two all-time favorites. “I Wanna Believe” is a ballad that talks about what our society is like. When I wrote “Dance With Me,” I actually wrote it with Lydia Walker, who’s from Nashville. I sat down with her and said, “I want to write a song about dancing.” We thought we were going to write a song about going out on Friday nights and stuff, but we kind of twisted it and gave it the whole life aspect, dancing through life with someone. Whether it be a friend or partner, you just always want to have that person. 

Give me thoughts on your single, “Get Over It.”

When I first heard it in the studio I fell in love with it. It’s outgoing, it has a lot of sass and I have a lot of sass, and so it just kind of fit. With the lyrics, the beat and everything, you can just let yourself go and have fun with it.

What’s it like to hear yourself whenever you play the album out loud?

I used to not like to listen to myself. But you kind of get used to it because in the studio you listen to yourself over and over and over again.

What was it like getting to write songs with the local talent in Tennessee?

It was actually really fun, a lot of fun.  Once you have two people together, pretty much you just talk and it just comes. Some songs took two hours to write, but some songs – like “Dance With Me” – took literally 30 minutes to write. It was a lot of fun, and you just stay laughing and pretty much just write what you think and then just rhyme.

As an upcoming singer/songwriter, what are your thoughts on the talent in the music scene in Tennessee?

There’s a lot of talent there. I love to see all the people that I meet, seeing what they do and where they’re going. It’s kind of like a big family where you meet somebody and you’re always in contact with them no matter how far away you live.

If you could perform a duet with a famous musician or singer, who would it be with and why?

Cody Johnson. He’s my all-time favorite guy country singer out there right now. I just love his music and he can sing really well.

Any particular venue you would love to perform at?

The Grand Ole Opry would be awesome!

What are your goals for your music career?

I want to make it in the music business. I’m going to school to study Kinesiology as something to fall back on, but I would love to make it big in the music industry because that’s my passion.

Any other hobbies besides singing and songwriting?

I used to play soccer. And then in 8^th grade and freshmen year of high school I blew out both of my knees back to back and had double knee surgery on both knees. I still love soccer and want to play but can’t because I’ve had knee surgery so many times.

Pets?

Two dogs, two rats, a horse, cows and a Bearded Dragon.

What’s next for you?

We’re thinking about doing a benefit concert in Nashville. I’m also trying to get some gigs down in Stephenville when I start going to school there, and basically just trying to put myself out there. We want to make a music video for “I Wanna Believe.” I want to continue writing, so that’s my next project.

Learn more at kyndalraebullock.com or on Facebook.

By Austin Wells, Blue Ribbon News reporter. 

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