About to Pop: Erin McCarley

Who: Erin McCarley
Album: 'Love, Save the Empty'
Single: 'Pony (It's OK)'
Hails From: Nashville
For Fans Of: Sara Bareilles and Missy Higgins

Why She's About to Pop: Erin McCarley grew up in a small suburb of Dallas with her parents and older sister. It was a "very happy home with very little pain to deal with," but her idyllic life, she says, gave her an unrealistic view of the world. McCarley moved to San Diego post-college, and though she sang in bands while getting her undergraduate degree, she didn't discover her passion for songwriting until her time on the West Coast. Soon, the singer/guitarist met Jamie Kenney, a producer and songwriter with whom McCarley had instant chemistry, and the pair began sculpting songs that would be debuted in Austin's 2008 South by Southwest Festival. The guitar-wielding beauty wowed audiences with her pop-laden rock ditties and was soon signed to Universal Republic. McCarley has since moved to Nashville and just released her debut album, 'Love, Save the Empty.' Catch her on tour with Brett Dennen in January and James Morrison in February.

What inspired the songs on your record?

Past, present, subconscious, conscious, love, pain, regrets, passions -- life as it is.

What's your favorite song on the record?

'Pitter-Pat.'

If you could have any musician's career other than your own, whose would it be?

Madonna. That lady knows business and how to push the limits.

If we looked inside your refrigerator, what would we find?

Organic orange juice, pita bread, fresh spinach, feta cheese and pickled okra (my grandpa got me addicted).

What did you think life as a musician would be like when you first started out and how does it compare to what it's really like for you now?

When I first started writing music and thinking of the ideal plan for my career, I actually imagined how it has been so far. It's been a slow and steady process, but the reality of the different ways you are pulled will never be known until you are in the middle of the experience. I can't complain about much when this is what I get to do full-time for a living.