Callie Twisselman performing at the HEB Center in Cedar Park, Texas on December 27, 2021. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)
Growing up on her family’s seventh-generation grain and cattle ranch in California, singer/songwriter, Callie Twisselman, has country living infused in every fiber of her being. With heartfelt and honest lyrics and a unique sound, Twisselman is set to light the country music world on fire.
Life on the ranch taught Twisselman the value of hard work, up before dawn to feed the cattle, cleaning out stalls, and learning to calf rope and ride horses for competitive local rodeos, all provided her with the fortitude and fierce determination it takes to make it in the music industry. Her mother was her first influence in the world of music, performing in a local touring country band.
“My mom shined on-stage. It was a happy escape for her. She always told me that if this is what I wanted to do, that I had to enjoy myself and not try to be something I’m not.”At the young age of 10 years old, Twisselman was hooked on country music and knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life after seeing a music video by one of her biggest influences, Shania Twain.
“I remember sitting cross-legged on the living room floor watching her video for ‘Man, I Feel Like A Woman,’ and realizing not only my love of music but also the artistry behind it. She had a style like nobody else I had seen before and her voice and music were so raw and unique.”As her love of country music grew, Twisselman began looking to the legends of the genre including Dolly Parton and George Strait. It was when she was chosen to sing the national anthem at a local fair opening for Bonnie Raitt, that she became completely hooked and began singing and performing whenever she had the chance.
By the age of 15, she learned to play guitar and began writing her own songs. In the years following, Twisselman was playing local songwriters rounds and formed her first band, traveling to fairs and festivals throughout California. After graduating high school, her parents, noting the true talent their daughter possessed, flew with her to Nashville to record her first EP.
“There is something about Nashville that inspires you. I wrote about as many songs the first month here as I did in one year of living in California. I never felt more certain of anything in my life, this is where I am supposed to be.”Traveling back and forth from California to Tennessee was tough on the blossoming artist. There were many missed opportunities by not being in Nashville full-time and then contrastingly, a sense of loneliness by not being with her family and friends in California. Even with all the uncertainty and fluctuating home life, Twisselman never lost sight of her goals and kept pushing forward doing radio tours, playing shows and furthering her songwriting abilities.
In 2017, she decided it was time to make the move to Nashville permanently after being introduced to the highly accredited manager for Dolly Parton, Danny Nozell. Under his guidance, Twisselman spent the next year and half honing her skills in songwriting by recording and demoing her music. Again, her resilience paid off when she fulfilled a lifelong dream of becoming a recognized songwriter, signing her first publishing deal with Vintern Songs and eone Music Publishing.
Her debut single, “Two Hands,” has set the tone for a full-length EP with 4 new original songs as well as “Two Hands.” Working alongside Grammy Award-Winning producer, Aaron Pearce, Callie is solidifying her name with her debut EP Closure. From start to finish, Closure showcases Callie’s ability to draw fans in with her captivating songs and spot-on vocal performance.
“I was rejected plenty of times trying to chase my dreams, my songs weren’t good enough, my sound wasn’t the right fit, the list goes on and on. All I can do is hope that audiences connect with me and my music and that I’ve touched someone with the words I have written.”Callie Twisselman is the real deal and true artist that is ready to excite the sound of female country music.
Callie Twisselman performed at the HEB Center and continues across the United States and Europe with the last stop at the C2C Country to Country in London, England on March 12, 2022.
Callie Twisselman
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Photos by Ralph Arvesen
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