We were lucky to catch up with Marina Hernandez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Marina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?

As a young child, my dad would play country radio in the car and it was then I fell in love with the stories and melodies country music embodies. As I got older, I began to realize that I couldn’t live my life authentically and not try to make country music as a profession. I moved to Nashville at 18 for college and to secretly start pursuing my dreams. When I got there, I quickly realized that I did not look or act like the others. I was once told after a writers round that I had the voice and lyrics for country music but because I wasn’t a blonde white skinny girl, it would be much harder for me to achieve my goals. As a fat and openly liberal Latina, I felt like my stories would not be heard in country music. I yearned for a place where I could be accepted and make music that I loved. As I searched, I fell in love with New York City and hesitantly told myself that I would give up country music to live there because making country music and not being in Nashville is unheard of. Upon moving to NYC, I began to understand that this city accepts you for exactly who you are. When I was attending Berklee NYC for my masters in Songwriting and Production, my professors and peers helped me realize that I could make country music in the city where I felt the most understood and accepted I had ever felt in my life. Why should the Good Ol’ Boys Club decide where I make the music I love?! Country music is an integral part of me and understanding that it didn’t matter who I was or where I was to show my love for it was the most freeing revelation. I wrote my first single about this experience, called “Nothing Makes Sense in Nashville”.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a country-pop singer/songwriter from Texas now living in NYC. What separates me from others is my city influences within my country songs, and the unique perspective I have of being a plus-sized liberal Latina making country music. Using the experiences that used to make me believe I wasn’t good enough to make country music are so important to who I am and the musical world I want to cultivate for others to become immersed in. I want everyone to feel like they are heard and seen within my music, whether that be because they are uncomfortable in the body they have, have never been in a “real” relationship, don’t meet traditional beauty standards, or are outspoken in a time when we need it most. It is so important for me to make music from a perspective that people feel like isn’t spoken on and allow everyone (regardless of sex, race, gender, sexuality, religion) to know they’ve found an artist that not only loves them, but writes music that can fit into their lives.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My creative journey continues to drive through anxiety, fear, and self-doubt because of a simple goal: At the end of life, can I say that I did everything I could to make my dreams come true? As a creative, I think many of us find that quitting is easier. It gets harder to continue to make music, post videos, and play shows no one is watching. When I first moved to Nashville, I began to think that I could just sit on the sidelines as a music business professional instead of pursing my true dreams of being an artist because it was easier for me to not put my pride, my soul, and my livelihood on the line.

As I began to pursue this career I realized that far and few make it to stadiums, much less 10k monthly listeners, and began to fall in love with the idea that even something so small as one more person reaching out to me saying that my song stuck with them, is worth the journey. Any individual willing to dedicate an ounce of their time to me will be enough because it meant that I was making videos, working hard in a bedroom studio in Brooklyn to create new music, and doing everything I could on the back end to make sure I am reaching as many people as I can. Having an impact on people’s souls through something that always starts as a mere idea in my silly head is so cool, and I will never take it for granted.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Any kind of creative groups or spaces you can find locally make the journey feel a little less daunting! In NYC I loved playing Ruff Around, a small intimate monthly show where artists/creatives can workshop + showcase their songs, comedy sets, poems, etc. without the anxiety of perfection. On a larger scale, Girls Behind the Rock Show has been such an amazing non-profit to be involved with. I played their first NYC open mic and was graced with professionalism and love from the community.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinahernandezmusic/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarinaHernandez-Music/videos
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marinahernandezmusic

Image Credits

Film Dheva

Taneyah Morris-Hill