By Travis Mamone
Flinn Pomeroy may not be a well-known name yet, but be on the lookout for this up-and-coming singer/songwriter. Originally from Maryland, the 22-year-old has made rounds in the Maryland and Boston music scenes, and is now creating a buzz with her band the Whiskey Moustache in Nashville. Her voice is sweet, her lyrics are deeply personal, and her music combines coffee shop folk with old school country. I recently had the chance to interview this rising star.
Country Music Goodness: Was there a lot of music in your family growing up? Who/what were your earliest influences?
Flinn Pomeroy: Music has always been present. My sister sang in theater and my mom had a stereo system that she’d play music on throughout the day. I sang in the school choirs. There has been a piano in my house since before I was born. The thing sounded like a circus and I loved every bit of it. My mom had me take lessons as a kid but my true interest in writing and performing didn’t surface until I’d entered high school. I picked up the guitar and decided to attempt at cracking into the local scene. I began playing local venues and writing for high school events. I played with a friend at the time under a different name (4th Til Morning.) Upon being accepted on scholarship to Berkley College of Music she and I disbanded and at 17 years old I headed off to Boston to try and get my musical career going.
CMG: When did you start writing your own material?
FP: The first song I ever wrote I was about 7 or 8 years old. It was on the piano and I titled it “Hammock Swing.” I wrote the entire thing out on staff paper in whole notes. But officially, I believe my first few compositions that were worth listening to didn’t develop until I’d reached high school—some time during that period my ear for songwriting matured.
CMG: You are originally from the Baltimore area. What brought you to Nashville?
FP: I am originally from Catonsville, MD, which is a small town just outside of Baltimore. I moved to Nashville after graduating from Berkley for an internship at Show Dog Records. I also relocated here because I assumed it would be easier to break as a musician here as opposed to Boston. Plus, everything’s better below the Mason-Dixon.
CMG: Tell us about your band the Whiskey Moustache. How did the band form?
FP: The band’s title stems from a number of different things: My love for my granddad, whiskey, and mustaches. My Granddad’s what you’d call somewhat country. He’s had a mustache since I was just a kid. The one time he decided to shave it off I was about 5 or 6 and when he showed up I hid behind my Mom and asked her who the strange man was. He’d greet us with it and have us do “smooches” when he was on his way out the door. Smooches were just us twisting the ends of it in our fingers before he’d leave to go home! I guess it was good luck or something. Either way, the men in my family tend to be whiskey drinkers. I’ve developed a taste for it myself. So when thinking about my Granddad’s mustache and my family’s whiskey appreciation, I decided to use that as the title of my new band. Overall it’s a new direction for me; a mix of folk and country/rock with bit of a string section.
CMG: What is the song writing process like?
FP: It’s different every time. Sometimes the song flows through me like wind through the trees. Other times I’ve got to dig deep for it. Either way it’s an emotional process that is both relieving and draining. I wouldn’t change it for the world and I couldn’t if I wanted to. The process of writing and creating words and music is such a part of me that without it, I can’t imagine having much of a life at all.
CMG: You started out playing folk music. What brought the transition from folk to a more country sound?
FP: I’ve always loved country. I’ve listened to Hank Williams Sr., Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, The Carter Family, etc., for a number of years. It seemed like the natural transition for me: from folk to a more folk/country sound. It’s something I enjoy and it’s a sort of music whose roots I truly appreciate.
CMG: Is there a CD fans can buy? If not, are you currently recording?
FP: I am currently attempting to get back in the studio. Between running around working multiple jobs to make ends meet and playing shows it’s hard to find time to research studios down here in Nashville. But you can expect some new release by the end of spring 2009, for sure.
CMG: What do you hope audiences will get from your music?
FP: I hope that they will gain a better understanding of themselves. I hope that they experience the reality of what it is that I’m attempting to convey and I hope that they’re able to walk away from one of my shows with even just a smidgen of what they’ve given me, simply by listening.
CMG: That’s it for me. Anything else you would like to add?
FP: I also want to thank anyone that took the time to read this! Your support means a lot to me and I appreciate any and all of the fans that have and will continue to be my backbone!
Visit Flinn’s website at www.myspace.com/flinnpomeroy.
