10 Things Taylor Swift Told Me When She Was A Country Star
Taylor Swift makes headlines daily as she continues her U.S. leg of her “Eras Tour,” which includes playing three-sold-out nights at stadiums all over the country every weekend. Last week,…
Taylor Swift makes headlines daily as she continues her U.S. leg of her "Eras Tour," which includes playing three-sold-out nights at stadiums all over the country every weekend. Last week, Taylor released her Speak Now: Taylor's Version album, which consists of all new versions of the songs found on her 2010 album Speak Now, along with some additional songs.
Back in 2010, when Swift first released Speak Now, she was three years into a country music career that was getting bigger by the day. During that time, I was doing interviews with her as each new album was released at the beginning of her incredible career.
After I interviewed her for the Speak Now album, Swift sent me a personal thank you note for the interview, writing in part on her custom card stock letterhead, "Nancy! You know I love seeing you. I just wanted to remind you with this note."
She added, "Thanks so much for coming by to talk to me about Speak Now. I can't wait for you to hear the whole record. Taylor." I wasn't alone. I spoke with several of my Nashville counterparts at the time, and they, too, got notes from Swift, all saying something a bit different. She must have written 50 or more notes that week alone.
Photo Nancy BrooksSwift continues to knock the world out with her new music releases and tour, which will expand worldwide next year. For fun, I gathered some of the early quotes from Taylor before she crossed over to pop.
RELATED: Taylor Swift Expands Eras Tour International Tour Dates
2008 - When she released the song "Love Story"
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images"I think there are certain things that you should and shouldn't do to keep artistic integrity. For me personal intergrity means being personal in your songs and being personal in your music. I look at people like Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman who did not confirm that they were dating until they got married. I think that that's a really cool thing."
2013 - Backstage at CMA Fest in Nashville
Christopher Polk/Getty Images"Picking your setlist is important. You want to make sure that everything you do is catered at CMA Fest to the fans. That's something that we try to do for the show, so hopefully they like it."
2007 - In Nashville at her debut album Gold Party, one of her first music industry celebrations
Bryan Bedder/Getty Images"I started out the year on tour with Rascal Flatts, so that was a huge thing for me just because I've been a fan of theirs for so long. Then we got the call that I was gonna be on tour with George Strait for the rest of the year, which is so exciting. You look at these two performers, Ronnie Milsap and George Strait, and they have people in their organizations that have been there from day one. I look at some of these crowds that come out to see George Strait, and it's like religion for some of these people. Being in front of those crowds is such an honor."
2014 - Nashville interview for "1989" album, her first pop record and having such catchy songs
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images"That was a big goal for this album. I wanted things that were permanently in your brain. In making a pop album, I wanted it to have that kind of catching, dancy vibe to it."
2012 - Nashville Interview on her Thanksgiving plans
Isaac Brekken/Getty Images"I am going to be in Tokyo for Thanksgiving, so it will be interesting to find Turkey there. It's like that's kind of how my life goes; it's like, 'Wherever I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be.' And I know that when I am putting out a record, all bets are off. Like, I'm not gonna know what day it is probably. I really don't know what day today is."
2009 - Nashville red-carpet after 2009 tour wrapped
Rick Diamond/Getty Images"Kellie Pickler and I were both members of the Brad Paisley pranking academy, we've been on tour with him, and we learned that pranking is a way of life. On my tour, it was not only welcome but was celebrated. Kellie Pickler actually hid inside my grand piano with a clown mask on. I'm playing this song, and I'm like, There's something not right with this. something's weird.' All of a sudden, she pokes her hand out onto my keys through the piano. It freaked me out; I thought I was gonna have a heart attack. And then she jumps out of the piano wearing a clown mask. It was epic. I loved it."
2013 - Backstage at CMA Fest
Christopher Polk/Getty Images"It's really important to grow up as you are the age that you are. For me, personally, that's a priority. So I feel like when I was 18, I was 18, and when I was 20, I was 20, and now I'm 23, and I'm just trying to live my best version of myself being 23. To me, that is expanding your horizons, challenging yourself musically, thinking outside the box for performance in ways you haven't before, rehearsing, playing lots of shows, and trying your best to be better than you've been before. So, wish me luck."
2012 - On extra songs on her Deluxe Version of "Red" album
Christopher Polk/Getty Images"There's a song that's really special to me, it's called 'The Moment I Knew' and it's about my 21st birthday party, which was awful. There's that and all these acoustic versions of songs. stripped down versions of songs, and it's just really fun to present the music in a different way."
2008 - On her then-upcoming 2008 Fearless album release
Michael Caulfield/Getty Images"I think about the album non-stop. I am obsessed with it. It's everything to me; music is all I do. It;'s the only thing I am that passionate about so. It's like, making this album has been my entire everything. I'm sure in my life, I will be distracted, but you always have to be true to what you love and always be drawn back to that like a magnet. Every single song on this record has a face attached to it, and I'm very proud of that."
2007 - June interview in Nashville talking about singing directly to Tim McGraw, her song "Tim McGraw" at the ACM Awards
Ethan Miller/Getty Images"I honestly have never met him before that night, and he had no idea I was gonna do that. the rehearsal was kept under lock and key; there were people making sure that Tim McGraw was nowhere near the venue when we rehearsed it. His people didn't find out; we didn't clear it with the label; we just did it. And it worked out."
