Miller Campbell

Seattle-based country musician, Miller Campbell, has always been a go-getter. She performed musical theater as a child, has earned multiple college degrees, aspired to work for the U.S. State Department and was offered a job with the actual C.I.A., which she accepted. But it doesn’t end there. Campbell, who at one time had her jaw wired shut and was unable to speak for 18 months, learned during that time an acute appreciation for music. So much so that just two weeks before she was to travel overseas to Turkey to meet her future C.I.A. colleagues, she decided to turn down the position. Instead, she took aim at songwriting.

“I’d played a really fun open mic, which I know sounds silly in comparison,” says Campbell. “But I graduated from college when I was 21 and I thought, ‘I have my whole life to do this, I want to do music now.’ So, I turned it down.”

The C.I.A. originally took notice of Campbell after she published an award-winning academic paper in college about Turkey’s relationship with the European Union. The piece is still taught in colleges today. But at the time of Campbell’s planned trip, the nearby Syrian War had begun. That event didn’t ease her parents’ worries about their daughter going abroad. So, in the end, Campbell decided to shift her focus. Her decision, however, was buttressed by her family tree, which among its branches includes the famed country star, Glenn Campbell.

“That fact always gave me something to aspire to,” she says. “I’m learning piano now while in [Coronavirus] isolation. And I think my ability to pick up something quickly comes from his side of the family. I’m super grateful for that.”

Campbell’s interest in music began at six-years-old when her mother signed her up for musical theater. There, she learned to sing harmonies and work in collaboration with others. It was important preparation for her as a future entertainer. In her teenage years, though, Campbell put singing aside. Music seemed like an impossibility then, just a hobby. Instead, she focused on academics. Campbell had aspirations of an Ivy League education and the professional spoils that came along with it. But after jaw surgery, those priorities changed.

When Campbell was born, her windpipe was dramatically too small. As a teenager, her breathing would get cut off. A basketball player, she would find herself constantly winded. As a singer, she needed more air. So, scary as it was, Campbell opted for surgery at 19-years old, a college sophomore. It was the hardest and worst experience of her life, she says. It was also a blessing. Isolated, unable to communicate with people, all she had was her guitar. But despite having all that time, Campbell says songwriting didn’t happen for her merely overnight.

“It was something I had to be disciplined about,” she says. “If I started a song I had to finish the whole thing. In a weird way, the experienced ended up being a really good thing for me. Now I can write all the time. In that time, I got to shape who I was as a songwriter and I began to love certain other songwriters because I know how much work they put in.”

Once her jaw and windpipe had healed, though, her work wasn’t complete. Campbell had to undertake the long journey of learning how to sing again – day-by-day, grinding out note after note.

“After my jaw was unwired, I started doing YouTube karaoke to get my voice back,” she says. “It took about a year to sing a whole song and two years until I could perform a three-hour set.”

Campbell, who takes great pride in her Northwest roots and her love of country music, looks to local artists like Brandi Carlile for inspiration. Carlile, a force of nature who has been nominated and won multiple Grammy and Country Music Awards, is a gold standard. Perhaps one day, Campbell muses, as her career continues to blossom, she will find herself in the lineage of Northwest stars that includes Carlile and others like the lilting-voiced, Courtney Marie Andrews.

Campbell’s latest offering is the lively song, “Sweet Release,” which details a woman’s flirtatious encounter with a potential bedroom partner. But rather than positioning the female singer as the subject of the song, Campbell positions her as the protagonist, the person dictating the terms. This modern flip excites Campbell, she says, and points to her overarching ambition as someone who wants to take ownership of her destiny.

“I wanted to find a way to show a woman taking control of the message,” Campbell says. “It’s okay to want to date casually. So I came up with this clever way of saying that, of saying, ‘I don’t need to know anything about who you are, I’m just here to have fun.’” - American Songwriter

Miller Campbell never fails to find her way back to music—whether that means bouncing back after double jaw surgery or quitting jobs to pursue songwriting. The artist’s aspirations and heritage are simply too embedded in creative realms to ignore (Miller is Glen Campbell’s cousin). “I’ve always been a writer and lyricist, and am even a published academic author,” Campbell tells American Songwriter.

“Learning how to turn lyrics and poetry into music though is a very different skill set, and it definitely took a lot of practice and trial/error to learn,” she continued. “I was incredibly fortunate to meet some amazing artists in the Recording Academy PNW chapter and met my first songwriting mentor, Amber Sweeney, whom I’ve worked with on both my first album and my upcoming EP. She taught me so many skills in writing hooks and composing chord structures that still I use every day. I’m constantly studying songwriting techniques and doing different writing exercises to strengthen my own lyrics. I write solo mostly nowadays, and I’m really excited for people to hear the development in my music from the first album to now.”

Today (June 10), Campbell is premiering her latest single titled “Your Turn To Cry.” The track winds up with a refined lamentation and then lets loose with an assured directive. “This song is all about finding that balance between heartbreak and recovery,” Campbell said.

She continued, “In general, ‘break up’ songs in country music for women tend to have two sort of themes: You can either go the ‘Before He Cheats,’ by Carrie Underwood, type of angry ex song, or you can go for pure heartache with something like, ‘Better Man,’ By Little Big Town. I wanted to have a song that told a bit of a different heartbreak story and talked about a sense of closure. I wanted the song to say, Yes, you were heartbroken and sad, but now you have moved on and it’s their turn to go through the healing process.

“I’ve learned that you really need to take the time to feel sad and heartbroken. You don’t have to one-up someone or get revenge, or anything like that. Grieve, acknowledge the loss, and only then can you truly move forward positively,” Campbell concluded.

“Your Turn To Cry”’s essence is supported by the sound of a blended Country and Americana ballad. Campbell has recently been inspired by Jazz and Blues greats like B.B. King and Cole Porter, who she steeped into her sonics. “There is so much to learn from diving back into musical history and I’m having so much fun incorporating some of my influences into Country Music,” Campbell explained. - American Songwriter

Today, TDC is proud to premiere a track from Sweet Whiskey entitled "Obsession." Led by bluesy guitar riffs, plenty of "ah oohs", and Campbell's sultry (with-a-hint-of-crazy) yet dangerous vocals, the fabulous "Obsession" finds Campbell warning an ex-lover that she won't let him go easily - taking crazy ex-girlfriend to new heights.

"You can try your best to get away from me
Like a bloodhound, I got your scent baby
Can't get off this grid, cause I'll track you down
Poison your coffee, chain you to my stove"

Campbell details the story behind the song, "Obsession is my "crazy girl" song that is making fun of the stereotype women have after a breakup. It's sort of a reclamation of the phrase, taking it to the 1000% percent of "I'll show you crazy if call me that." I love its blues elements and the music I composed is supposed to be emulating a train chugging off the tracks, which I hope listeners can hear in the guitar riffs, and drum beat."

​On Sweet Whiskey, Miller Campbell has boldly declared her intent to claim a prominent place in the canon of western music. Armed with a voice at turns warm, clear and bright as high mountain air, Campbell sings with a natural assuredness typically found in artists with decades of experience. Campbell gets it honest, but almost never got here at all. - The Daily Country

Country music is not the first thing that comes to ones mind when thinking of the Seattle music scene. Miller Campbell has a chance to change that idea. You may have seen her perform at a local rodeo or maybe the Washington State Fair this year, or recently opening for Danielle Bradberry. Having released her first EP this past week, Campbell is looking to the Pacific Northwest to make her a country star. Campbell held a party at the packed Tractor Tavern in Ballard to celebrate the release of Sweet Whiskey.

Promising a “full production” prior to the show, Campbell made sure the fans got just that. Part of having that full production was the large band she assembled onstage to back her up. The band, however, did not take away from Campbell’s magical performance. With strong vocals and lead guitar, Campbell caught the crowd’s attention right from the opening song “Obsession” with a country rock vibe. Campbell’s crowd was full of excitement, with eager fans waiting to hear her new songs. I would highly recommend catching Miller Campbell live, if not just buy her album. Country music lovers will not be disappointed.

Support was provided by the Hasslers, who originally hailed from Montana and recently relocated to Seattle to bring their music to the masses. They performed a wonderful set and raised the energy level for Miller Campbell to take the stage with a loud roar.

After the show I was able to ask Campbell a few questions:

1) Tell me your feelings on your release show.
I am absolutely on cloud nine. I am so blown away by the unbelievable support Seattle showed for local country music, and my debut album. We have such an amazing fan base here in the PNW, and to see them come out in full force was epic. The combination of the amazing crowd (who were there to have the BEST time), the musicianship of my band and the openers, the Hasslers, and the spunk and attitude of the Dancin DJ’s made for not just a show-but a full blown production. My favorite review was, “There were moments I saw you play and it felt like I was at a stadium concert.” How cool is that?! It was truly the perfect night.

2) What do you want new fans or listeners to know when checking out your music?
I want fans and listeners to know that the album is a journey meant to be played from start to finish. It truly is the story of the last year of my life- from the summer I made the full time leap to being a musician, to a bad breakup, to the death of my brother, and all the grit and glamour it takes to be a country artist. This is not a bought album, with songs I found from other people. This is truly an expression of me and the thoughts, dreams, and feelings I have. I hope this record is a true landmark for Northwest country music.

3) What are your plans and goals for 2018?
I am SO excited that my Sweet Whiskey EP is finally released. My biggest goal in 2018 is to take my music nationwide. I would love to get picked up as an opener on a large tour and really cut my teeth on the road. In the meantime, I am planning on arranging a series of tours throughout the year, kicking it off in January with a Cabo, Mexico residency. I just can’t wait to hit the road and keep the celebration going with all my fans, country listeners, and music lovers nationwide. - Seattle Music Insider

It’s said that good things come to those who wait, but when you’re the one actually waiting, it can be inevitable to feel that the light at the end of the tunnel may be out of reach.

Luckily for Miller Campbell, she kept pushing towards that light, and after years of struggles to release her music, Campbell is ready to open the flood gates and make up for lost time. With an EP release already under her belt in late 2021, the Montana-via-Seattle native is back again with a new single, “Over It,” set for release on Sunday, but we’re honored to offer an early listen!

“Over It” marries the country and rocking sounds that shaped Campbell’s love of music, and offers an empowering lyric that captures the struggles she underwent with releasing music and churns out a song that she says makes her feel like a badass each time she performs it.

Along with premiering “Over It,” we also chatted with Campbell about falling in love with music, discovering she was related to country music royalty, her plans for more new music and more!

Listen to “Over It” here!


Pro Country: You were born into a musical family and grew up classically trained and involved in musical theatre. What was it about music that connected with you so early in your life?

Miller Campbell: I just loved the storytelling aspect of music. I was always that kid putting on plays, making up songs, or generally just performing in front of my family. I have this really cringey memory of playing karaoke CDs on a boombox in my front yard and performing for passing traffic when I was a kid. Any chance for an audience I guess! And when I got to be in my first musical at 8 years-old, I really loved the idea that I was becoming this new, interesting person living in a new world. It was a small-town girl escape to a new life, if only for a little while.

PC: Your bio mentions that you organically found your way into country music. What was it about country music that drew you in? Who were some of the artists that you helped draw you in?

MC: Country music is just pure poetry and storytelling. I just love that listeners are really dissecting the lyrics and listening to the words behind the music. True country music isn’t just a three minute song with a quick hook; it’s stories of people’s actual lives and the things they’ve been through. In country music, I feel like you really get to know the artist behind the song, not just a superficial presentation. I absolutely devoured Loretta Lynn’s whole discography, front to back. I think I played her record “Fist City” so many times it broke. She was one of my first country music loves, and from her, I moved onto Patsy Cline, Conway Twitty and so on.


PC: It wasn’t until after you got immersed in the country music world that you discovered Glen Campbell is your cousin. What was it like for you to discover you were related to a singer/songwriter legend of Glen’s stature?

MC: It was amazing! The Campbell family is a large clan, and I’m one of Glen’s many cousins, which is why I never really made the connection when I was younger. It’s been really quite an honor hearing comparisons to him, and really the biggest honor has been hearing all kinds of stories on the road from folks who have worked with Glen or even just been fans over time. It has connected me even more to my family and makes me feel like I have a true purpose in country music.

PC: After college, you were recruited by the CIA before ultimately deciding to pursue a career in music. Is there a level of pressure that comes with the decision of leaving that path behind and forging a new one in the ever-uncertain music industry?

MC: Absolutely. It’s really hard to turn back on that many years of work towards a singular goal. All I wanted to do growing up was travel and see the world, and for me, that path meant studying International Relations and working in intelligence. My family was so supportive of my goal, and there definitely is a lot of pressure to not fail when I turned my back on this “other life” that I could have had. But I can’t imagine things turning out any other way. I’m grateful for all my experiences, and my education has been a real asset in my career and business.

PC: What emotions were you feeling as you were preparing to release music for the first time with your EP Sweet Whiskey?

MC: Terror, excitement, happiness, sadness; you can say I felt it all. I never grew up thinking I could be a musician. That was never even a career path that crossed my mind. And then all of a sudden, I’m not only a musician full time, but I’m releasing an incredibly personal album, doing this very public career which was obviously a 360 degree decision from a career in intelligence. I dove in with both feet though, and that album is truly a labor of love for me. I learned so much making it, and couldn’t have done it without the support of my family and all my mentors in the PNW music scene.

PC: It was nearly four years between the release of Sweet Whiskey and its follow up EP, Miller. How anxious were you to release a new collection of songs after having a bit of a layoff?

MC: Oh my goodness, I have been beyond ready to release new music. I unfortunately fell prey to a really horrible producer deal out of Nashville that tied up my music releases for a few years. It was a very painful, expensive lesson that I wouldn’t wish on any other independent artist. I’m just grateful that not only I was able to sustain my career full-time for those lost years, but got back all my music that I am now releasing.


PC: You’re set to release your new single, “Over It,” which we are premiering today. Why did you feel that “Over It” was the right follow up to the Miller EP and the right introduction into your next musical chapter?

MC: What better single to release after being tied up for so many years than an anthem about moving on on your own terms? “Over It” is really a song not about giving up when facing adversity, but recognizing that you can control your feelings in an impossible situation, rise above it, and move on in style.

PC: Can you take us in the writing room and talk about how “Over It” came together?

MC: This was an unexpected song that kind of came out of nowhere. I was hanging out in my cabin in Montana, in the dead of winter I remember, just beyond depressed that I couldn’t release music. I was just in a really dark period, and it seemed impossible to “get back on the horse,” so to speak. After about a month of moping around writing heartache songs, I was just over it! I didn’t care what anybody had to say, I didn’t care what I had to face, I just wanted to reclaim my own life. As they say, you can’t control other’s actions, but you can control how you react to them. I decided to finally take control, and wrote myself a pick-up anthem that makes me feel like a badass every time I sing it.


PC: “Over It,” to our ears, blends country and rock sounds. Is it at all important to you to have a certain level of sonic diversity and to pay homage to multiple influences and stylings?

MC: I wish I could say I have this really intentional style of writing, but honestly this is just my sound. I grew up between worshipping grunge in Seattle, Washington and honky-tonk two-stepping in all-ages bars in Montana. Writing fully-country, or fully-rock feels forced to me, and no matter how I try and lean one way or the other, it seems to come out in this hybrid. I feel like “Over It” really is a reflection of my personal sound, and I’m really proud of that.

PC: Along with releasing “Over It,” what are your plans for the rest of 2022 and going into 2023?

MC: My biggest plans are releasing new music. I’m planning on releasing a new track every other month following “Over It.” I’ve been dying to get these songs out for years, and my heart just cannot wait any longer! Along with that, I’ve been touring more than ever, really focusing on new markets such as Texas. I’ve been heading out there every other month, and it’s been an absolute dream. I’m just going to keep hustling, really focus on my songwriting, and make sure I stick to a path that feels completely authentic to me. The independent musician hustle is a real struggle sometimes, but it is also the most exciting journey with the most meaningful rewards.


*Feature image by Morgan Massey* - Pro Country