Meet Erica Sunshine Lee

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Erica Sunshine Lee. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Erica Sunshine below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Erica Sunshine with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
My parents have instilled a beautiful story with their hard work to raise three kids on a small salary. My mama worked for $20/day to take care of other children and my father had to work even harder after he lost his retirement in the 2008 downtown. They’ve always given us the tools to be able to push through adversity, and raised us to be independent. My older brother and sister took more conventional routes, but as I pursued my artistry, I was supported by my parents at shows. They’ve been a sounding board for me, and prayed for me as times were difficult. Many nights starting out, I was playing for small crowds, often sleeping on couches or in my car, but through prayer and our resilient upbringing, I was able to push through hard times. My parents always reminded me that God is in control, and that He provides, so even when I felt like I couldn’t do it on my own, my faith has led me and given strength to keep grinding and it’s paid off. I’ve been on the road full time for 16 years and released 11 independent albums, and been making a living as a full time musician since 2007, so I’m grateful for my blue collar roots!

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My name is Erica Sunshine Lee, small town Georgia girl, and I started my band in San Francisco in 2007 and began writing music and taught myself how to play guitar. As an independent artist, I’ve toured the globe since then performing around 250 shows per year, and I’m releasing my 11th original album next month! I’m so excited to share this new music and going back to my roots and influences with this “Country & Western” journey. Inspired by my dusty western romance with a cowboy and it’s tragic demise, along with my usual tongue and cheek satire, poking some fun as the Wild West began it’s migration back to the southeast, and of course some of my usual heartbreak tear jerkers and some belly laughs and more singalong fun. Bringing my new drinking anthem to the world, “Espresso Martini Mode” is nearly as addicting as the craft cocktail itself! I’m working on my 3rd children’s book, so I’m excited to share this bedtime story with the youth of today, to expand their mind, give them new vision for great adventures, and build confidence and challenge them to continue to dream big and get a good night’s sleep! Off the heels of my 3rd Key West Chick Fest, I’m already organizing the incredible lineup for next January’s all female songwriter festival in paradise, and looking forward to creating more songs and giving these talented females a platform to share their music and a safe space to collaborate and create! My mission is to inspire, encourage and empower female entrepreneurs and young women, and I want to lead this initiative to “be the girl that can change the world.” My upcoming tour to Italy will be my 5th Italian and 8th European tour, sharing my music with faithful followers and collaborating with Dixie Party Power Country Band out of Turin, who has recorded and been performing several of my original songs since 2016. This summer, I’m looking forward to being on the world’s largest rodeo lineup in Cheyenne, Wyoming, being apart of the esteemed Whitefish Songwriter’s Festival in Montana, and performing at house concerts, wineries, events and private parties all over the United States! Follow me on BANDSINTOWN so you don’t miss a show near you, and subscribe to my YouTube channel and check out my award winning videos, including my latest release “Fragile” filmed in Moab, Utah! More videos, music and adrenaline to follow as this beautiful year unfolds! My journey out west usually involves some scenery, inspiration, and hiking to the tops of mountains, physically and mentally, and I cannot wait to see you on this journey! www.EricaSunshineLee.com

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
HARD WORK: This may not be a skill, however, being able to have drive and passion combined with the necessity and desire to succeed was engrained by my parents and my older siblings, and I’ve learned that through loving what you do, and wanting to share this music with other people has given me a spark to light, and I keep on finding new ways to share my music. I have booked myself, managed myself and been touring around the globe playing 250 + shows per year for over 16 years now, and this kind of relentless work ethic is what it takes to be a success in the music industry!

GREAT STORYTELLING: Being a great songwriter isn’t just about sharing your feelings, but it’s being able to share your story that other people can place themselves in. This skill can be sharpened, and I believe moving to Nashville has made me a much better storyteller. The collaboration and education that I’ve gained from this huge network of so many other talented musicians and songwriters has been a foundation and a huge part of success from my songwriting. Also I began poetry and journaling at an early age, and read a ton of books as a teenager, and I’ve heard from hit writers, the best writers are great readers. My mama taught me to read at age 3, and I love to get lost in a book, and my imagination gets swept away, and I enjoy giving my listeners a roller coaster ride and a fun adventure. Since I’m very outgoing and my life is quite literally a country song, full of all emotions, and I love to entertain and share my stories, naturally being able to share my experiences with others has transferred into my music, and is apart of who I am.

BOLDNESS: I’m a very independent woman, and my parents raised us to think for ourselves, to follow our faith, and to rely on our skills. Since I love to travel, many of my songs have been inspired by places that I’ve seen, people I met, and my own personal life experiences. I packed a suitcase, flew to Australia without knowing a soul, and ended up at their largest country festival. By the end of the week, I made new friends, wrote several songs, and played 9 shows in 7 days and was at the VIP Party at the Country Music Awards show. I’ve never met a stranger and I truly think my outgoing and fearless personality has opened many doors that were bolted shut. My Daddy always taught me, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get,” so I have no shame in asking for that gig, co-write, or a place to stay, and more times than not, it’s worked out beautifully. Without risk, there is no reward, so I’m grateful for the courage, and sometimes sheer audacity that I possess. It’s golden.

My ADVICE: Be authentic, use your strengths, and be open to criticism in your craft, but never compromise who you and your art are. It’s okay to push yourself into new areas, and different styles, but do what feels natural and comfortable, and find the people who love what you do. Not everybody will love what you do, but the people who do will make the journey worthwhile! Have faith in yourself, and don’t give up, even when you don’t think you’re getting anywhere. Consistency is the key to moving the marker forward, and you get to the top of the mountain by moving one step at a time. It’s not always glamorous, but remember, the reward isn’t everyone else’s definition of success. You get to do what you love, have freedom, and that’s what everybody’s chasing. Push yourself, but take time to appreciate how far you’ve come, and NEVER GIVE UP!

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
My parents have been my greatest supporters, showing up to shows when they were the only people in the audience at the beginning. Although they aren’t musicians, my Mama took me to church and I could hear her singing harmonies. She sang in the choir, and has a pretty voice, and sings in the car, but Daddy always says “he can’t carry a tune in a bucket.” Mama teaching me how to read when I was young opened my mind, challenged me, gave me an escape, and a passion to read books. This was so valuable, and I never realized until I was older how much devouring all those Babysitter’s Club books as a teen, and soaking up those murder mysteries would pay off in my career. They say great readers make great writers! All those stories have seeped into my own songwriting and I’ve been able to use my imagination, my personal material, and my own southernisms to sharing those stories through my music. My Daddy has always been a great salesman, and my personality is a chip off the block, so watching him interact with customers, and strangers in general was a lifelong lesson. He treats everybody the same, and engages with anybody from janitor to CEO and a strike up a conversation with anybody. I think this has helped me meeting people, being able to secure gigs, interact and win over audiences, and make lifelong fans who become friends. My parents are still married after 50 years, and learning from them and having their DNA undoubtedly has given me such a strong foundation and set me up for success, but the greatest thing they ever did was to share their faith in Jesus with me, pray with me and for me, and raise me in a wonderful church environment to give me a strong backbone to trust in God when times are hard, and lean on Him to get through this difficult world. Many times I’ve felt alone, driving across the country, flying to meet strangers across the world for events, but knowing that God has been with me every step of the way has been the fuel that I need to keep going. They taught me with God all things are possible, so even without a team or record deal, I’ve been able to accomplish many things that I would not have been able to do alone. Every step of the way, I keep praying for God’s provision and daily God keeps on answering that prayer 10 fold. I’m so grateful for the love that my parents have shown me, the prayers, the calls, and encouragement, but most of all I’m still here because of the love they have in Jesus and how they have shared that love with me.

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Image Credits
JAKE BIELECKI STEVE KENT WARNE RIKER

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