We were lucky to catch up with Hailee Norris recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Hailee, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

My parents have never stifled my creativity, no matter what form it has presented itself as. I have always been a very creative and musical person, and it didn’t matter what I was interested in, they would be there to help me and cheer me on. Over the last decade of my life, my creativity has shined through SFX and horror makeup. My dad wasted no time at all, and taught me how to make the old school, classic horror movie blood out of chocolate syrup and food dyes right there at our kitchen table. I’ve been more interested in music as of late, and my mom and dad both have gone above and beyond to teach me the correct ways to sing, record, and produce my own sound. They have shown me unconditional love and support throughout my entire life no matter what I’ve shown interest in, and that’s extremely important not only as a young child finding their place and their abilities, but also as an adult when you’re not quite sure of your next step.

Hailee, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am born and raised right in the heart of Music City, and come from a long line of musicians. My grandfather, Ricci Mareno, started out in the 50’s and worked with musicians such as Fabian, Frankie Avalon, and Chubby Checkers to name a few. He then moved his family to Nashville where he started producing, publishing, and writing country music. Some of his work included Loretta Lynn, Gunilla Hutton, and numerous other country stars of that era. My father opened for bands such as Soil and Sevendust, and also worked in film production with Terry Kaiser, Tiny Lister, and Tiffany. My mother came from Port Byron, Illinois where she spent many years in The Cole Younger Band, and moved to Nashville, TN to pursue her singing career. She performed on the Grand Ole Opry, opening for musicians such as Reba, Marie Osmund, and Brenda Lee. My big brother is no exception, and performed in one of Tennessee’s most well known metal bands, Voodoo Prophet, having shared the stage/tour dates with bands such as Shinedown, Sevendust, Gwar, Trivium, and Papa Roach. Needless to say, I have been surrounded by music of all kinds my entire life. As for me though, I decided to take a slightly different path in my earlier life than my family. I pursued acting as a teenager and won an award for Best Supporting Actress for a web series called Johnny Dynamo. I also got heavily involved with SFX and horror makeup, and that’s where I lived for many, many years creatively. I built myself up from being an unknown artist all on my own, and I have worked with brands such as Graftobian, and multiple works of mine have been tattooed on people throughout the world. In the last year, however, I have decided to go back to my roots and have been pursuing music. I have performed on the legendary Exit/In stage twice now since August of 2022, and look forward to what opportunities this life may bring me. The biggest thing about me, is that I am a jack of all trades when it comes to art and music. I have a lot to offer in regards to creating art pieces and music for others to enjoy, but the most important thing to me is inspiring those who are on the more quiet and reserved side of life to put themselves out there, and to share their talents and skills with the world.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

A lot of people have a really hard time understanding how patient you have to be when you are an artist of any kind. There is a learning curve to everything in life. You have to sit down and fully immerse yourself in what you’re doing, whether it be learning an instrument, learning how to do makeup, or learning a new editing software, to fully grasp it. It’s not something you just wake up knowing how to do, and so much time and energy goes into perfecting your craft. I’ve been asked how I can be so patient in every aspect of my creativity, but you have to have patience when it’s something you love to do. Slow and steady wins the race.

How did you build your audience on social media?

In a world where everyone wants to be as successful as the next person, it is so important to remain true to who YOU are. I started out being scared of what people would think of me when I very first started sharing my work on social media, but the moment I just put myself out there is when I truly started to see my little community grow. It helps you better connect with your audience, and people love those who aren’t scared to just be who they are no matter how “strange” you think you might be.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @Meowlzebub
• Facebook: @Meowlzebub

Image Credits
Synnfox Photography Meowlzebub