It's Just a Spark...

     I thought it was about time for me to write another post. Yesterday, I told you that I had a little surprise for today. Honestly, it was something super spontaneous and much needed.

     The last few days have been kinda blah for me. Saturday, after I had band practice, I was in such a good mood. Things just seemed to scream "bright side" to me. That in itself is very unusual. I will be the first to admit I'm not very good at being positive but for some reason I was super happy. Just like all things in life, it didn't last very long. Things happen, people do hurtful things, and plans don't always work out.

     So yesterday I woke up and I knew I needed to do something to cheer myself up. I don't know about you guys, but I have go-to songs for certain situations in my life. Last Hope by Paramore is the song I go to when I just need to feel better. It reminds me that sometimes you just have to let go of certain situations that aren't in your control. Sometimes tomorrow isn't always better, but it will be eventually. And most of all, when people pour salt into your wounds it's okay to be hurt, but you can't let them steal your happiness and hope. The pain only makes you stronger. That being said, I decided to record a cover of it.

     Last summer I was lucky enough to get to see Paramore perform it live on the Monumentour and I have been meaning to cover it ever since. I realized when I was editing it that I had slowed it down a bit (yes, I still get nervous making videos!) but I hope you guys enjoy my version. It doesn't quite live up to Hayley's wonderful voice but I tried haha. Also, I brought out my electric guitar just for this special occasion. Needless to say I feel a lot better now. 

     I guess the whole point of what I'm trying to say is there is always hope. Some days are going to be good, some days are going to be bad, and some days are going to feel completely hopeless. You just gotta let it happen. 

*Last Hope lyrics written on the lyric wall in my bedroom.*

     It's just a spark but it's enough to keep me going...

     I love you guys! Hope to see you at some of my upcoming gigs. 

xx Carson 

    P.S. I recorded the song live using GarageBand so what you hear is 100% raw vocals and not pre-recorded. Just a disclaimer haha. 

Buy My New Single "Under The Skin" on iTunes here!

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I'm on People.com!!!! ( just causally hyperventilating over here..... )

     Wow. That's all I have to say. Wow, wow, wow! What a weekend! The past several days have been a whirlwind of thankfulness. I am so thankful for every person that supports my music. I am so thankful for the blessing of getting to be on People.com. Words can't describe how truly amazing this past weekend has been.
     I should probably share with you guys the story of how I got on People.com. Wednesday night we were checking my messages on my Facebook page and a woman with People Magazine had contacted me about an interview for their website. It was totally random and unexpected. The next morning I called her and talked about my song "Under The Skin". She asked me questions about the music video and what inspired the song. When I hung up the phone I remember thinking what just happened? I asked her how she had found out about my music and she told me it was through an article on aplus.com. I had no idea that there was an article about me on aplus.com!

(Aplus.com Article. *Thank You Darcie Conway!*)

     Fast forward to Friday night. I had one of my best friends over to celebrate the possibility of an article on People.com. I was skeptical about if it would happen or not. It sounded too good to be true. We were in the middle of watching a movie when my Dad swung the door open and scared us half to death. He was excited to tell me that my article had been posted on the website. We all started freaking out. I couldn't believe that for once something that seemed too good to be true actually was true! You can read my People.com article here.

(People.com Article. *Thank You Stephanie Pfeffer!*)

     After the shock wore off I was flooded with people sharing it on Facebook and Twitter. So. Many. People. I just want to say thank you to anyone who shared it. I tried so hard to reply to every comment and message but if I missed you, THANK YOU!!!! So many people sent love my way and I can't tell you how much that means to me. Sometimes it's just nice to be reminded that people do pay attention to what you're doing. The fact that you all supported me and congratulated me speaks volumes.

(96.9 The Kat talked about the article. *Thank you Paul, Meg, and Geof!*)

Read what they said here!

     I am so extremely blessed. The article didn't happen because of anything I did. It was definitely a God thing. I just hope that more girls see the music video and listen to the song. If we all reminded girls just how beautiful they are then maybe they would start to believe it.

     I love you guys! Thank you again from the bottom of my heart. ♥

xxC

     P.S. A lot of you have been asking me about moving to Nashville next year. Yes, hopefully I will if I can save up enough money. Let's face it, this world is expensive.... lol xoxo


Watch the Official Music Video for Under the Skin here! (Thank you WestArtVideo!)

You can buy "Under the Skin" on iTunes here!

Go 'like' my Facebook Page

Follow me on Twitter!

Check out my website for upcoming shows!- http://www.carsonhillmusic.com

Follow me on Instagram- @Carsonhhill

First Blog Post of 2015!

     Hi guys! Crazy how a year can fly by huh? Seems just like yesterday I was writing a blog post about saying goodbye to 2013.

*2014's New Year Post*

     2014 has been a year full of firsts for me. I went on my first big trip across the country by myself, I recorded in LA, and I met some really amazing people along the way. I've played so many shows I've lost count. I can't even begin to put into words what my year was like. It always amazes me when I look back on everything that's happened this past year. Here's just a few pictures that I think sum it up nicely…

 (Waxhaw Spring Fest)

(Performing at Huntersville Fall Fest with my drummer Paul Graham!) 

(Doing a #PassedOutGold picture with Goldy LockS in Nasvhille) 

 (Hanging out with Gabbie at Festival in the Park)

 (Visiting the Dove House before doing my first headline concert benefiting them.)

 (Hanging out with Jimmy Paxson in L.A. while recording two new songs)

 (Performing on Charlotte Today for the second time!)

(Carolina Camera coming to my house to do a feature on me. John Carter and Kevin Marlow were so nice!)

 (Meeting this awesome dude, Isaac Corbitt *The Corbitt Borthers*, at the Clear Mountain View Music Festival.)

(Practicing with Randy Franklin and the Sardines for Festival in the Park. *I was a special guest*) 

(Performing at The Row in Nashville for the first time. Totally unplanned.)

(My first day in L.A. with Brad Smith.)

*I would just like to say that I am so thankful for every single opportunity I got this year. I know there's a lot I left out but I am so extremely blessed. THANK YOU!*

     In 2014 I had a lot of stuff going on to the point that when November finally rolled around I got my first breather all year. Not that I'm complaining! I love being busy with my music. I did however have a lot going on behind the scenes. I think every person has their highs and their lows in life. I certainly had my fair share in 2014. When I finally got my first weekend free it just felt plain weird. I asked myself "What now?" The thought of planning for the new year really overwhelmed me. Ask anyone who knows me, I am a worrier (there I said it!).
     During that little window of time off my mom and I took a trip to the beach. I needed some time to forget about some of the stuff I had going on. It was really nice. I didn't have to be social, my cell phone reception was nonexistent so I didn't have to worry about updating on social media, and all the worries I had about my music got to be put on the back burner for a few days. Having that time off to think (or not think) about what I wanted the upcoming year to hold for my music was just so refreshing.

     When I got back home I was ready to focus on opportunities for 2015! Needless to say my break didn't last too long. Christmas is just a busy time in general but add on several holiday performances and I was busy every weekend right up until Christmas Day. I've also been working on getting a full band together again so you'll see some new faces at some of my upcoming shows! I can already feel that 2015 is going to be a great year.
     Every January I make new goals for myself. This year I really want to not sweat the small stuff. I want to not be afraid to voice my opinion and I want to do stuff that makes me genuinely happy. I also wouldn't mind going back to LA…. Just sayin'…. haha.
     I hope you all are having a great start to your New Year! I can't wait to share some exciting stuff with you guys soon. Feel free to comment below some of your 2015 goals
     I love you with all my heart! Thank you for all the support you've given me in 2014. I'm blown away just looking back on all that I've done. I am truly blessed and so thankful for every single person who cares about me and my music. Let's make 2015 a year to remember.


xxC


P.S. Sorry this post is late! It's almost February and I'm just now writing this haha. Obviously being on time is another goal that I won't make this year. :)


My Website- carsonhillmusic.com

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Twitter- @Carsonhhill

Instagram- @Carsonhhill

YouTube Channel- Carsonh25

Snow Day *Insert Squeal*

     If you don't live on the east coast then you probably haven't been seeing all the stuff on the news lately about snow. In the words of my sister, "And the winter storm overreaction of the year goes to all of North Carolina". Here in NC we got just enough snow to enjoy looking at but places like Atlanta, Georgia had more than we did. When you live in the south a little bit of snow is a huge deal. Schools are taking several days off and people go buy tons of food to store up. The truth is we probably look a little crazy to northern people. 

     When I was little, snow days were one of my all time favorite things. We didn't get them too often but when we did my whole family would go sledding at my grandparents house, or walking through the woods. You couldn't pay me to go inside. Since we didn't get a lot this time, I had to settle for just walking through the woods. I took some pictures to share what my snow day in NC looks like. 

(The view from my room.)

(I was not prepared with snow shoes...)

(My dad found this deer scrape.)

(I found some deer prints.)

(I love this shot of my driveway)

(This use to be my Uncle Charles' boat. I love how the snow looks on it.)

(Lastly, my warm, cozy house.)

     I hope you all enjoyed your snow day if you had one. I kept singing "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" all day. Thanks for reading and hopefully I'll do another post soon! Love you guys!

xxC

2014!!!

     Hello there! I'm a whole week late with this blog post. Ironically, that's one thing I'm going to try to be better at this year. Wow, it's hard to believe it's 2014 isn't it? We all make new year resolutions. Most of the time we don't keep them for more than two weeks but at least it's a start. I'd like to think a new year is a new start for everyone. During Christmas break I found one of my old sketch pads in my closet. At the beginning of last year I decided I would make a goal list of things I wanted to accomplish in 2013. I had totally forgotten all about it. When I started looking at some of the goals I had written I was truly surprised by how many of them I had actually done within the year. Considering I'm the type of person who dreams big, a lot of the goals were crazy. But that's the thing about a whole year, stuff that seems impossible can actually happen.

     For example, see number 1? Open for a big name artist. I checked that off my list in the first month of 2013. I got the chance to open for Edwin McCain. Not to mention it also helped me check off Meet someone famous. He wasn't the only famous person I got to meet either. I also got to talk to one of my songwriting heroes. Passenger. I got to tell Mike Rosenberg that he was a big inspiration to me and in return he gave me one of the biggest hugs I've ever received from a person. If you had told me that would happen last new years I would have thought you were lying.

(Meeting Edwin McCain!)

(Seeing Passenger!! Best night ever.)

     Another thing I crossed off my list pretty early in the year was Perform in Arenas & Stadiums. I performed the National Anthem at four 'Monster Jam' shows and played several sets at two meet & greet pit parties in both Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, and the PNC Arena in Raleigh. Not to mention I also performed the National Anthem at the Charlotte Knights Baseball Stadium. Not exactly the kind of stadium I was talking about but it still counts. That was definitely something I thought I wouldn't get to do even when I wrote it on my list. Singing in an arena is one of my new favorite things.

    I never did get to visit L.A. or tour five different states, but I did Perform in a different country. Three different countries actually. Last spring I went on a trip to Ireland, Scotland, and England. I was lucky enough to get to play at a pub in Dublin, courtesy of a very nice guy who let me play a couple songs on his guitar. I ended up playing the piano and singing at our hotel bar in Scotland (that one was very interesting...) and I busked on the side of the street in York, England. Some of my best memories of 2013 are on that trip. I definitely want to go back and play some places in Europe. That's going on my 2014 goal list.

(Singing at Foleys Pub in Dublin, Ireland)

(Me and my dad on Hadrian's Wall in England)

     Be on another talk show was crossed off in November when I was on WCCB News Rising. That same TV station interviewed Ian Somerhalder a few weeks before I was on (that's just how big of a deal it was). Get my full song played mainstream happened thanks to Divakar on 106.5 The END. 

     There's still a few things that I didn't finish on my list, but looking back I've accomplished so much. I've gotten the chance to do so many things I didn't think were possible this past year plus some things I didn't even imagine getting to do. I guess I just wanted to share with you all how many crazy good things can happen to you in one year. It's okay to make goals and resolutions that seem impossible. The point isn't getting them all done, it's having hope and aspiring to be something great. Who knows? They might actually come true if you work hard. 

     I know a lot of you have had ups and downs this past year. The end of 2013 was a little rough for me because I lost someone very important to me. My cousin Mike died of cancer December 9th. It's been bittersweet to look back at all these amazing things that happened this past year because he was always right there when they happened. He's supported me from my very first youtube video and performance right down the watching me on TV for the Thanksgiving day parade. No matter what happened in 2013, make sure you do something great in 2014. Good things and bad things will happen. Just be grateful you have a whole other year to make a difference. 

     Thank you for all the amazing support in 2013. I'm looking forward to so many great things in this new year. I have been blessed beyond words. I love you with all my heart!   

xx C


P.S. You'll have to wait till the next new year to see my 2014 goal list! :)


Maybe it's not my weekend but it's gonna be my year - All Time Low

Christmas Decorating!

     Hi everyone! This post was suppose to be written a couple weeks ago, but just like it has for everyone else, Christmas has been sneaking up on me. I decided I would go all out and decorate my room this year. I've been seeing on Facebook and Twitter that I wasn't the only one having a hard time getting in the Christmas spirit. This was definitely a way for me to get excited. I thought I would share with you guys a few Christmassy pictures to bring some Christmas Joy!

(I put a string of lights on my dresser.)

(I switched out my sheets and bedding. This quilt was a birthday gift from my grandma last year.)

(For anyone who doesn't know, I'm a huge build-a-bear fan. Rudolph and Clarice just happen to be two of my favorites.)

(I actually have these up all year round but they just added to the Christmassy feel.)

(Every year I put up my Teddy Bear Christmas Tree. My mom has given me bear ornaments since I was a little kid. This is probably one of my favorite decorations this year.)

(Our fireplace in the living room.)

(Putting the Star on our Christmas Tree.)

(The finished product of all our decorating!)

     I hope this has brought you some Christmas excitement! I will probably do another post after Christmas. So here's the final picture...

Merry Christmas!

Love, Carson

My Thanksgiving Week....

     Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and ate until you felt like you could die. I wish I could say I did. I actually ended up sleeping through dinner after I was in the Novant Health Parade. Somehow, I ended up getting one of the worst cold/viruses ever. On the plus side, my performance in the parade went amazing! I was on the cornucopia float, which was beautiful, and I had so much fun waving at everyone. My interview the day before on WCCB News Rising went great too! Everyone at WCCB Studio was so friendly and welcoming. It's been pretty busy these past few days so here are some pictures...

*In the Green Room at WCCB. Ian Somerhalder was watching over me. (LOVE ME SOME TVD)*

*Behind the scenes of my interview with Tera WCCB News Rising*

*Here's an awesome edit someone made me on Facebook!*

*A beautiful shot my friend Krista took while watching the Parade at home. (Thanks Krista!)*

*It was freezing cold so here I am all bundled up getting ready to sing.*

     I've got some more exciting news to share with you guys. After months of working on my new EP 'In My Mind', it is finally out on iTunes! *Insert Scream!!* The physical copy isn't available yet but you will be able to purchase it online soon! It would make a great Christmas gift if I do say so myself! Also you should be able to listen to it on Spotify now. I hope you guys will go buy it and let me know what you think! I'll make it super easy for you and add a link at the bottom. Please share with everyone you know! I love you all so much and the support you guys have sent me this week is mind blowing. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! 

'In My Mind' iTunes Link!

Love xx Carson

Shows of Years Past

     Hello everyone! I know it's been a while since I've blogged. The past couple of weeks have been super busy. I've been putting the final touches on my new EP and getting ready for different shows. This past weekend I had my annual show at the local BBQ. It was my fourth year in a row doing it. They always have the BBQ the first weekend in November every year. It's crazy to think that just four years ago I had my first show outside of church. It seems like just last week I was learning songs for my first set ever. The best part about having this show every year, is I get to see how much I've grown since the last time. What better way to celebrate four years then to look back on all the shows I've had so far. 

1st Year! (2010)

     Here we have a 11 year old version of myself. Braces and all. Anyone who was at that particular show will tell you that it was freezing cold and it even snowed a little. I remember being so nervous and halfway through the set I couldn't feel my fingers. It didn't help that I had a cold a week before (which seems to happen every year). Any performer will tell you that it's really hard to sing in front of people who know you. Since I was singing in my hometown I knew every single person who came to listen. One thing I've learned over the years is to quit worrying what other people think. Looking back, I have so many people who love me and come to support me, and those are the ones I should focus on. So, thank you to everyone who came out on that freezing cold November 6th. The first thing I said walking off that stage was "I want to do it again." And thus, I had caught the performing bug…

2nd Year (2011)

     The next year I had already had 12 months worth of playing shows and learning new stuff. I had already recorded half of my 'Country Sky' EP with Brad Smith the past spring, so I was starting to get more comfortable with everything. I actually started to get over my fear of talking to crowds, so I said a few things in between every song. That's a miracle in itself because my first show I barely said anything. I don't have a picture from this show; my mom recorded everything so I could put it on youtube and watch it back. This particular song was pretty popular with everyone who heard it so I thought I'd share it with you. 

3rd Year (2012)

The link to a video of my 3rd show.

     The 3rd year was a really good one for me. I had been on Charlotte Today a month before. That was crazy in itself. By this time all the kids my age had kind of started to get use to my performing. I'm pretty sure now I'm just known as the girl who sings. They all still support me, which I'm really grateful for. I had also learned that no matter what I do, I had a lot of friends who would help me share my music if I asked. That's one thing I love about my hometown. They have always been here for me. I had gotten wayyyy better on my stage performance and I had grown as a songwriter too. Every year I've been getting better.

4th Year (2013)

     This year, I brought my acoustic band with me (Thanks Gabe and David!). One thing I'm super proud of is I'm developing my own style and I did a lot more of my own songs this time around. I think the highlight of this past show was my family. They all came out just to hear me perform. I even have a semi little fan club that includes a bunch of little cousins and some girls from my church. It's funny how I am much more confident with my music. I use to be afraid that someone would think I was being arrogant, or all I wanted was attention, and they would make fun of me. Now, I can get up there and just have fun. Because no matter how many bad shows I might have where I play to 15 people tops, I know that when I come back to play the local BBQ I will always have a loving and supportive audience. Besides, they're the ones who gave me my start. I owe a lot to them.

     So, I hope you all have enjoyed looking back at my past. I've grown a lot with my music and as a person. I would definitely be nowhere without all the lovely people I call family and friends. God has truly blessed me. Also, I'm proud to announce I will be playing at the Novant Parade in Charlotte this Thanksgiving! It will be televised! I can't decide if I'm excited or completely terrified. Maybe a little bit of both. I love you guys so much! Thanks for reading!

xx Carson