Mallory Eagle: Ready to Soar
It’s no secret that Oklahoma has produced some great artists. One would have to be living under a rock to not have heard of superstars like Reba McEntire, Vince Gill and Garth Brooks, but with the state being a melting pot of music, including bluegrass, country, red dirt, jazz and a host of other genres, it means that there is never a shortage of talent. One such artist is Oklahoma native, Mallory Eagle. These days, she’s chasing her music dreams in Nashville, but she started out, as many do, by singing in church. However, Mallory’s musical upbringing wasn’t just about gospel; she began visiting bluegrass festivals with her family from a young age and was introduced to music as a child by her father, who is also a musician, though not a professional one. Growing up, Mallory sang in the school choir, entered competitive singing competitions, and by 17, had joined a bluegrass band called Cimmaron Station, which was founded by Bill Perry, who has ties to Byron Berline, a staple in the Oklahoma music community.
All Photos By Melissa Payne
It wasn’t long after Mallory received $50 for her first gig that she realized that you can get paid to do what you love. Although still gigging occasionally, Mallory attended school at the ACM (Academy of Contemporary Music) at the University of Central Oklahoma, where she got her Associate’s and also happened to record her first album, Red Dirt Home, in the school’s recording studio. Although the album feels more like traditional country, Mallory admits that songs like “Beauty and the Beast” and “Darling Dear” were “artistic moments where I stepped a little bit out of my comfort zone and had a more progressive sound, more like in the Americana genre.” When asked about the timeline of a possible second album, Mallory had this to share, “I’m looking at maybe a fall release; my goal is to be recording by the spring. Right now, I’m trying to narrow what songs I think are best fitting for the album, and I want to get a producer for it.” Although there aren’t concrete details yet about Mallory’s album, she has said that this album’s feel will be more country with red dirt and bluegrass influences.
If you happen to follow Mallory on social media, you might notice the company she keeps are all incredibly talented. She is roommates with fellow Okie, Kaitlin Butts, a rising star in her own right, she sings on Joshua Ray Walker’s upcoming album, spent nights out at American Legion Post 82, a haven for the talented young singer-songwriters within Nashville; there is no shortage of talent in Mallory’s peer group, which is something that she feels has benefited her since moving to Nashville over a year ago. “I kind of knew what to expect, but I didn't realize how competitive it is and how everyone out here is so talented. That made me kind of realize that I need to step my game up. And if anything, I've really grown as a writer and a performer and a singer. And, I love that because iron sharpens iron. So, all of my friends that I'm surrounded by are the top of the top. That just forces me to grow and grow and the music that's being produced out of this town is really amazing.”
My own first introduction to Mallory was seeing her sing backup for Jaime Wyatt on a stop at Tower Theatre in Oklahoma City. It took a couple more times of seeing her mentioned on social media or singing with other artists for me to finally find out who this talented young woman was. Although it’s obvious that she’s a favorite for artists to use for backing vocals and harmonies, hearing her album on Spotify left me with a desire to hear her singing her own songs. Until this past December, I’d never had that opportunity. Luckily for me, she did a show at Ponyboy, located over Tower Theatre in Oklahoma City. With a tan cowboy hat perched on her reddish brown curls, a fiery red suede fringe jacket and turquoise jewelry galore, Mallory took the stage to the catcalls, whistles and cheers from a roomful of friends, family and fans. When those in attendance weren’t almost bringing her to tears with their support, they were whirling around on the dance floor to songs like “No Cash,” “Red Dirt Home” and “Cheers to the Bottle.” I asked Mallory what it was like to be back home performing for a crowd that clearly came out just for her. “I didn't expect to get so emotional. I was overwhelmed with the love and support from everybody that came out. You know, it's . . . Nashville's been great, but also, it's hard, it's a hard place to live. It's all the time, constantly going. It was nice to be back home and be humbled and get kind of grounded with myself and get reminded about where I'm from. So, to get to play a show back home, headlining again, and see everyone singing along to my songs . . I'd never had that happen in such a large group of people that knew all the words; that was a first for me, and it's definitely one I'll never, ever forget. I will never, ever forget that show. The sheer amount of support and love from everybody was really encouraging and gave me a lot of fire under my belly to come back to Nashville and work twice as hard.”
That work ethic was evident in my conversation with Mallory. This is a woman who was working at Rustic Cuff in Oklahoma City one week, while searching for apartments in Nashville on Facebook Marketplace. Two weeks later, Mallory put down a deposit on an apartment and moved to Music City. Since that time, she’s made a lot of connections and headway but also learned about the balance that comes with any sort of artistic endeavors. “Playing and singing and writing. That' s the passion. That's the fun part. But you really have to be a business person and treat yourself as your own company.” When I asked Mallory about her goals for this year, she said that the big one was obviously working on her second album, but others lean towards the business side of music, keeping herself aligned and grounded, while thinking critically about her music career.
My hope is that everyone who reads this will give Mallory’s music a listen. Go check it out on your favorite streaming website or, better yet, go to Mallory’s website and purchase the album. It’s $10 well spent. This is a talented, friendly, beautiful young woman whose star will only continue to rise. Be the first one in your circle of friends to discover Mallory Eagle and introduce them to this singer-songwriter with a powerful voice.
Mallory Eagle:
facebook.com/malloryeaglemusic/
Red Dirt Home: