I spoke with rising star CeCe Frey in an exclusive interview this week about her latest song "Legends" and her upcoming performance at CMA Fest as well as her style, inspiration, and more.
The TikTok famous musician has always known she wanted to be a singer, since she was 5 years old growing up on her family's farm in southern Illinois. Her X factor appearance in 2012 was a major milestone in her career, but her TikTok famous song, "All Boots" is what really launched her into the national spotlight. She recently performed the song which is now on Country music radio at several "Leading Ladies" shows throughout California and I got to see her perform live at the Beachhouse in San Diego for KSON's leading ladies night earlier this month. The song resonates with female fans because it pokes fun at some very real experiences and as Frey says, "sometimes these guys need to be brought down a peg or two." The crowd at her concert in San Diego was proof of that with fans who knew every line singing along.
She told me about her unique inspiration for writing the song in our interview saying, "I don't think that I would have, you know, come up with the idea, or even felt like it needed to be said if there, at least, wasn't a level of of truth to it. And, you know, just in terms of, like, the subject matter of the song, you know, I really we went about writing it because I had just been out to Wyoming, where my partner's sister is a cowgirl, and she does, and by cowgirl, I mean, like she's a working ranch hand, she wrangles horses, And she, you know, she takes groups of men from all over the country into Yellowstone National Park for weeks at a time to go elk hunting in the winter. And it's like this huge experience and and she does it like by herself. And she's just a total badass. She's so, like, unbelievable. And I was out there, and, of course, she introduced me to some of her friends who are also cowboys working ranch hands. They, you know, their hands on local ranches, they rodeo, they do all that kind of stuff. And I just really got a taste of what it means to be a modern day cowboy, and really what they have to go through, what their work life looks like, and even just the, you know, the struggle of of it's still a dream for them to like, just like doing music is a dream for me, like cowgirling is a dream for her and for her friends, and the things that they have to go through is not easy, and so it just it did. It made me think of even the resurgence that we're seeing with country and all that you know. But there, there are people that do it for a living, right, right? And it looks a little bit different, so, but ultimately, it's just for fun. It's just to have a good time."
At her concert in San Diego she also previewed her newest song, "Legends" for the crowd giving them a special sneak peak at her latest single. The crowd got to hear the yet to be released song which Frey says was inspired by her life before she met her husband, when she was focused on building her career.
She told me about the experience of performing new music for the crowd saying, "I love performing unreleased music at shows like that, because there is no true or tell of how people are going to respond to your music than when you're standing in front of them and you just play it for them for the first time. And I was so pleasantly surprised that people just responded to it the way that they did, I feel like, you know, it just never ceases to amaze me whenever you can sing somebody a new song, and by the end of it, I can hear people in the crowd trying to sing along by the end of the song on their first time listening to it. And I'm like, Okay, pretty cool. That's awesome."
She officially released the song today on social media and listeners can now download the song on major music streaming platforms. Social media releases have become the newest way to connect with fans in the music industry, and artists like Frey who have built their fanbase on TikTok and other social platforms are leading the way in this new era. I spoke to her about her journey from Illinois to Los Angeles and how social media has played a role in her career. For a TikToker she is very down to earth and her views on social media might come as a surprise to those who know her from her viral videos.
Frey said, "I think for me, I started out in music when I was five, and so the addition of social media to the equation is relatively new for me. But it is such a powerful tool and such a great way to sort of democratize, I think, the music industry in general, and most, entertainment industries, I would say, because it does come down to you and how hard you're willing to work, how how people are resonating with your music, how you know dedicated you are with sharing your journey and your music with your fans and the people that are following you. I would venture to say that most of us didn't get into music to make TikToks, we got into it to make music, but when you can embrace it as part of your business, part of your brand, and really honestly, just suck it up and do what you got to do, if you want it bad enough, you'll find a way to make it happen. And and I just loved the tool that social media has provided for independent artists to get out there. And really just this is the equivalent of hitting the streets with your music. It's more effective than handing out demo CDs on Hollywood Boulevard. It's like Oh, I just posted this 15 second clip and 30,000 people got and that wouldn't have happened at one of my shows. It's all about how you look at it."
We also spoke about her unique style and how her multi-hyphenate background in the entertainment industry has influenced her personal style. Frey told me that she started out making clothes and costumes and playing dress up on the farm as a child. She said, "There wasn't much around so we had to get creative. It was, like our favorite thing to do as kids was we had a dress up trunk with, like, all these different costumes in it and stuff, a lot of which that my mom had even made, and we would just put on plays and play dress up. And that was just what we did."
Her love of fashion only grew as she chased her dreams of working in entertainment and music. She talked about some of her early projects saying, "As I got just further into my career, and whenever I moved out to LA I got hooked up with some designers, and I started doing concept art for some TV shows and some tours, and like a Cirque du Soleil show, and did that kind of stuff. And so it really just kind of, you know, trial by fire. It truly just sort of enhanced my fashion sense and even just my creativity in terms of what I was capable of creating in general, just because it became my job, and it really did teach me so much about the ways that I wanted to implement that with my music."
Fashion isn't just about what's trending for Frey though. She understands that it can be a powerful part of the creative process for an entertainer. She said, "For me, the fashion is all part of the storytelling. It's all part of creating the big picture, and it's so amazing to me, the way that you can come up with a creative for a video or for a song or for both, and then based on what you wear, based on what your characters are wearing, it can, it can completely change the setting. It can change these people's background. It can change just truly everything about the way that you're telling the story. And so for me, it it goes very, very much hand in hand with each other. And that's really just how I got started doing it, out of necessity."
As for her personal on stage style Frey said one of her favorite go to looks is the classic Gen Z look of a tiny top with some dope jeans. Her fashion sense matches her music taste as she told me she would describe her personal style as "eclectic". She said, "I love denim, I love leather, I really like to switch it up, and I like to see how I can interpret my personal style into different silhouettes and different ideas."
With her creative spirit in full gear she is currently working on her new album and shared what is inspiring her most right now as she continues to write and release new music. Frey said, "The people that are really inspiring me right now are like are my friends and my collaborators, and the people that I am around. I have friends that are songwriters, friends that are producers, friends that work in film, friends that strictly do music videos, that kind of thing, and watching all of my friends grind it out to make the best art possible every single day, like that's truly the people that I surround myself with. And it does it keeps me inspired and keeps me going. So I'd have to say, my people."
As for the future, Frey is still motivated to keep chasing her dreams. However, she said that as she's progressed in her career and her life that she's realized it's not all about chasing the next big thing. When I spoke to her about what her biggest goal was for her music career she said, " I think that's changed throughout the years. I think if you were to ask me this, you know, 10 years ago, 15 years ago, I probably would have said to be the biggest household name in music, I probably would have said that. And while that is still the plan, I think that as I you get older, you really start to just identify what's the most important to you. For me, I just I love doing what I love. I love creating. Making it for me, would be able to just keep doing this because this is what I want to do. And, you know, to be able to truly like make music and make it a living doing it and to affect people, and masses of people, that's making it for me. I feel like I.ve made it in a way because this is my job."
Frey told me that connecting with the fans is such a rewarding part of her career. She hopes to share messages of empowerment through her music. She talked about her journey and shared that she is still working on keeping the confidence she needs to share her music with the world saying,"Someone said to me once that, oh, it seems like you live vicariously through your music. And I just thought that that was, like, probably the best way to describe it, It is truly one of those things where I'm singing songs that will make me feel the way that I know I need to feel, the way that I want to feel, the way that I want them to give me that power, that strength, that confidence, and that's really the purpose of the songs."
Frey's positive attitude and willingness to work to overcome obstacles as she achieves her dreams comes through in her music. She said, "I guess for me, I hope that the things that have scared me along the way have helped me write music that will help other people be brave."
Frey is looking forward to her upcoming shows and her appearance at CMA fest and told me she is already planning her look for the big night saying, "You know I'm gonna make something, I'm working on it right now."
I can't wait to see what's next from CeCe Frey. Follow my IG and blog for more updates in the world of country music!
