Country singer Macy Martin is pretty much the definition of the ultimate college student. She’s a dedicated music business major at Belmont University, an active member of Phi Mu and an incredibly talented singer discovered by Dolly Parton’s producer. Her recently released single, “Take It Now,” is the perfect addition to your road trip Spotify playlist. Martin took the time out of her busy schedule to speak with Her Campus about her musical influences, her favorite classes and her advice for young women who want to be discovered.
Her Campus: You recently released a new single entitled, “Take It Now.” What was the inspiration behind it?
Macy Martin: "Take It Now" is very simple. It's stating that when you're at that point in a relationship, let's not play around anymore. Let's jump full on in. You're just clearly saying, "I'm ready. Take my heart, take my soul, take my kisses. Take everything. Just take it all now."
HC: Who are your musical influences or role models? Do you like to listen to other genres besides country? If so, what are they?
MM: I just actually talked about this with a friend of mine before class started. I grew up on such an eclectic taste in music. When I'd get in the car with my mom, she grew up in Houston, Texas, so of course, country music was on, but also tons of classic rock like Boston and The Eagles and Journey. I just absolutely loved that sound and that vibe. With my father it was straight country music. He is a cowboy through and through. It was like early 2000s, listening to 80s and early 90s country music, so truly just the classics. When I got in the car with my grandmother, the Rat Pack was playing: Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong. It was such an eclectic taste in music. Like any great college student I have a wonderful collection of old records that were some of my family's and then others just great finds. You can totally see that. When I put on an old record, I go from Boston to Frank Sinatra. It just works in our household. I love all genres of music.
HC: What’s one song you like to play on repeat?
MM: Right now one of my jams for recent music that's come out has been "The Middle" by Zedd and Maren Morris. It's just on constant repeat, jamming down the road.
HC: You’re currently a sophomore at Belmont University in Nashville, has your experience been a positive one?
MM: Absolutely! So I came to Nashville and started recording music and really pursuing a professional career when I was 14 years old. I was traveling back and forth from Nashville to Texas, still in high school. I had gone to private school when I was younger. My parents actually wanted me to move to a public high school because there would be more diversity, and for my application to college, it would be more diverse compared to what it would have been at my private school. We were so tiny. There were like 200 students altogether, and it was preschool to 12th grade. I was so used to managing work and school from an early age and also traveling in between that. I was so blessed to have a school and teachers that were so willing to work with us and make sure that I got all my hours accounted for and still made all my grades. I ended up graduating ninth out of 400 kids.
Of course when it came to graduating high school and taking that next step, I truly wanted to pursue college because I think I would be lost without it. Both my grandparents on my dad's side were school teachers, and so education is just been something that is so respected in my family and is something that has been placed so high in my own standards. It's just something I truly enjoy. I was always the nerd. I said this when I was visiting someone the other day, I'm like, "I'm such a nerd. I'm not like a lot of kids my age." Someone will sit and look at something in science and be like, "Oh, that's whatever. I'm a business major." I'm like, "I'm a business major, too, but that is so cool!" I've had a wonderful experience and am looking forward to what's to come with college.
HC: How do you balance your involvement in a sorority, your academic studies and your singing career? Have you ever had any trouble?
MM: It's truly crazy and definitely not easy. To say that would be just insane. I think in life when you enjoy something so much, you make time for it. Of course, my music and my education comes first. In being part of a sorority, I never felt like that competed with the music or with education. It all kind of ties in together into one whole college unit. Each thing complements the other. Being a part of Phi Mu has allowed me to expand my branches on campus and even expand my branches within my music because our philanthropy is Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. With my organization that I founded back when I was a little girl, "Macy's Toy Box," I started with my involvement in the Miss America organization, which their national philanthropy is Children's Miracle Network Hospitals as well. It's funny how the world works and how life just puts you on the tracks that it does. My connections with Phi Mu and their connections with Children's Miracle Network Hospitals has allowed us to open some doors to get "Macy's Toy Box" in with our local Children's Miracle Network Hospital here in Nashville. It's crazy and so hectic and busy most definitely, but that's also the thing. My parents are go-getters and just having them truly by my side and as my role models. I was raised in that light, and if we have a moment of lapse where nothing is going on, we're like, "Whoa! We're bored! We need to go do something."
HC: What’s your favorite class that you’ve taken so far? Why?
MM: My major is music business, but they won't let you minor with a music business major because it's so broad. The good part is I have an emphasis in legal studies, and I absolutely love my law classes. It just fascinates me. I totally nerd out over case briefs because they're almost like puzzles. You get to read through this thing, and then you get to put it together and take it apart again and just rebuild it. I really enjoy all my law classes, and I think my favorites of those have been the last two that I've taken—plain old business law and my law class that I'm currently taking this semester. It's called "Music Industry Contract Law." I'm just so fascinated. I absolutely adore my professor. She's amazing and makes the class so enjoyable and exciting. I could go on forever talking about it.
HC: What is something you wish you knew before entering college?
MM: That you don't have to be involved in everything. When you get there, it's important to find your people and your niche and just stick to that. You don't have be involved in every single thing on campus. You can find two or three things, and if you sink your heart into those and truly enjoy them, that will shine through more so in any kind of resume than you being scattered all over the place and not being truly committed to one thing.
HC: For a young woman who hopes to be discovered like you were, what advice would you give?
MM: I would just say if this is truly what you want to do, you're passionate about it and you can't see your life without it, stick to whatever you're doing and just keep that dream alive. Don't forget it and keep pursuing it. Do it naturally because that's what happened to me. It was something that I loved to do, but it wasn't anything that we ever pursued. It just kind of happened to fall in our laps. I think, again, that's how the universe and life and God and the journeys that they take us on work. If you love it and you're passionate about it, it will shine through in everything that you do. People see that and they gravitate toward it. That's how people notice you, and that's how people see you. I guess that all lines up with being truly who you are and not being this certain thing. When people see that you are content with who you are, or you don't know who you are but are trying to figure it out, people see that and it attracts them. They'll find you.