Amber Westerman on "Barefoot Days" and Redefining Success: "Success for me now is enjoying every moment I get to play and write music"
The Texas Americana artist talks redefining success, studio gear, social media boundaries, dream festival lineups, and the barefoot love story that could easily become a Netflix series.
Texas Americana artist Amber Westerman's new single Barefoot Days reflects on the stark contrast between her years farming barefoot in Hawai’i and the fluorescent-lit hustle of Nashville that followed. The song gently questions a culture built on constant performance and invites listeners back to something slower, more grounded, and more human.
In this conversation, Westerman opens up about redefining success after burnout, the practices that keep her centered, the gear behind her sound, building a band from the ground up, the role of music blogs in today's ecosystem, her dream festival lineup, and the real-life love story that would make a perfect Netflix rom-com.
Eugenia Roditis, Musicngear: "Barefoot Days" feels like it was written from a lived, physical contrast; soil under your feet versus fluorescent lights overhead. When you were writing it, did certain images or memories come back to you first? Was there a specific moment when you realized, "This has to become a song"?
The idea first came to me on a walk around my neighborhood, when I was reflecting on the contrast between living in Nashville and my time farming in Hawai’i. I started remembering what it felt like to be barefoot in the soil all day, pulling weeds, planting, harvesting, whatever the day asked of me. No matter what, I’d be out in that field barefoot with my headphones on, dreaming up song ideas or having a good conversation with the other people on the farm.
It’s funny because I know I wouldn’t go back to that life; it’s not easy work, but I really missed the slow-paced simplicity, especially compared to the city.
On that walk, the title “Barefoot Days” popped into my head and I immediately knew it had to become a song. Later, I brought the idea into a co-writing session in Nashville with Jess Cayne and Matthew Morrisey. They connected with it right away, and as we wrote, we all started reflecting on how childhood carried that same kind of wild, simple freedom, too.
Musicngear: You talk about redefining success, especially after experiencing burnout and anxiety in Nashville. Has your definition of "making it" in music changed since those years? What does success look like for you now, beyond numbers or industry validation?
In the beginning, my definition of success was never really about fame or numbers. I’ve always wanted to do what I love, help others through my music, and be able to sustain myself financially while doing it.
I moved to Nashville to build connections, start recording, and truly pursue that dream. While I was there, I worked hard to develop my catalog and later connected with an artist development team. I put a lot into shaping my voice and brand, but in the middle of all that hustle, I found myself being influenced by what the industry says the “dream” should look like. I felt pressure to constantly push, and it honestly burned me out.
Honesty, it’s hard not to care about validation. Who doesn’t want people to connect with their art, and who doesn’t want to make a living doing what they love? But stepping back from that season has helped me reconnect with my original definition of success, one that was never about accolades or going viral.
Success for me now is enjoying every moment I get to play and write music, collaborating with other musicians and songwriters, and hopefully one day making a comfortable living with these joys being at the forefront of all I do in music.
I will also say that I am genuinely grateful for that hustle season, because it helped me grow and strengthen my core “why”.
Musicngear: What practices or boundaries have you put in place to stay grounded while building a music career that often demands constant visibility and productivity?
It’s still a constant juggling act to find the right rhythm, but I think that’s just life.
What truly works for me is prioritizing my wellbeing and play alongside the work. I focus on getting good sleep, starting my mornings with quiet time, either journaling or meditating, moving my body every day, and getting sunshine whenever I can.
I also try to mix it up and be creative in different ways regularly, even if it’s through cooking or playing with my house plants, just something to let my mind wander.
On the practical side, I use a scheduling system for social media so I’m not constantly tied to my phone. And I’ve set boundaries around the types of gigs I take on, too. I love focusing on original music, so I’m not really a 3-4 hour cover gig kinda girl, unless it’s an aligned setting.
Musicngear: Since we’re a music gear community, we’d love to get into the tools behind the music. What instruments and gear are central to your sound right now? And what did you and the team lean on specifically while recording “Barefoot Days” in Nashville?
I can share the gear I leaned on during prep, but the Nashville recording process itself was pretty streamlined.
I tracked my vocals over a pre-recorded guitar track from a studio musician at my producer’s studio. I gave him reference songs and production direction, and he handled the rest of the tracking and production, so I’m not entirely sure of every piece of gear used on his end. I do remember a huge Blue microphone in the vocal booth, and I love how my voice sounds on it!
On my end, most of the heavy lifting happened before we ever hit the studio. I did a lot of prep at my home setup, including Skype calls with my vocal coach to dial in vocal choices and map out the harmonies I wanted to capture.
At home, my go-to chain is a Shure SM 7 B for vocals into Logic Pro on my MacBook. I use a Williams Allegro IV keyboard to work out harmony ideas, and I track demo guitars on my Taylor GS Mini-e Koa.
Musicngear: As a band and creative team, what have been the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome and what advice would you give independent artists who are currently facing similar roadblocks?
With my new band, the biggest challenge so far has been getting everyone’s schedules to line up. We’re all in it to win it, though, so we make it work.
I’m still pretty new to having a band, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that strong communication is everything. We have a great time building arrangements around my songs, and I love that no one is afraid to speak up when they have an idea or when something isn’t quite vibing.
Being open to everyone’s input and creative expression is so important, and it makes the whole project stronger.
Musicngear: What’s your take on the role of music blogs today, and how do you see it evolving, especially with platforms like SubmitHub, Groover, Musosoup, and Wallstream that connect artists with curators and writers?
Aside from working with a publicist, the main platform I’ve personally used is SubmitHub to connect with bloggers, and I’ve had a great experience with it over the years.
It’s incredibly helpful to have a trustworthy place that makes those connections accessible, and building relationships there has genuinely helped grow my online presence. I’m really grateful for that support!
As for how it will evolve, I’m not entirely sure, but I do know these platforms are extremely valuable for independent artists. I don’t see the role of blogs and curators going away anytime soon, or at least I really hope it doesn’t!
Musicngear: Now let’s get weird: Your biggest hit is now a Netflix series. What’s the plot, and which celebrity randomly shows up as a guest star?
I’m picturing a rom-com series inspired by my real-life journey, because my love story is basically a Hallmark movie.
I move to Hawai’i, become a farmer, and meet a cute guy on the beach at a mutual friend’s daughter’s birthday party. He’s there on vacation, and we realize we’re both from the Austin, Texas area. We go on a few dates, he skips his flight home to stay, and I even lend him my tent so he can live on a friend’s property for about a month before he eventually moves in with me.
From there, we move to Nashville together to chase my music dream. Seven years later, we get married barefoot in Hawai’i, right where it all began.
And for the guest star: Jason Mraz, because he’s been a huge inspiration to me, and I actually got to meet him when I lived out there!
Musicngear: If you could headline one show anywhere in the world, on any stage, with any lineup, even fictional or from another era, what would it look like? No rules.
Headlining Brandi Carlile’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Festival Weekend would be a dream. A female-driven festival on the beach in Mexico with poolside shows? Yes, please.
As for the lineup, I’d be thrilled to share the stage with any of my favorites: Sarah Jarosz, Kacey Musgraves, Jason Mraz, Sierra Ferrell, Christina Perri, Colbie Caillat, Ingrid Michaelson.
Musicngear: Looking ahead, what’s the next chapter? Are you focused on touring, new music, collaborations, or something completely unexpected? What are you building toward this year?
I’m gearing up to release more music and I couldn’t be more excited.
I already have another single recorded that I’m planning to put out by this summer, and next month I’m heading to Nashville to record another song.
Beyond that, I’m focused on booking more live shows, both solo and with my band. I’d love to tour a bit, and I’m open to any fun new opportunities that come my way this year!
Connect with Amber Westerman
Facebook / Instagram / Spotify
About Eugenia Roditis
Eugenia's passion for music was ignited from an early age as she grew up in a family of musicians. She loves attending concerts and festivals, while constantly seeking fresh and exciting new artists across diverse genres. Eugenia joined the MusicnGear team in 2012.
Contact Eugenia Roditis at eugenia.roditis@kinkl.com
In this section of the blog we host interviews with established but also up and coming artists we love and recommend as well as music industry professionals with tons of useful information to share.
Interested in an interview, writing a story as a guest or joining the Musicngear team as a Contributing Author? Contact us at info+blog@musicngear.com
