We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Eva Kaleigh The Rockstar a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Eva Kaleigh, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today 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?

My image as an artist is one of confidence, “the rockstar cool girl”, yet I don’t feel like this all the time. I still struggle a lot with insecurities, self-doubt, and the fear of looking stupid. People assume that who I am on social media, on stage, at parties, etc. is who I am all the time, but I am only a human. Those moments are snapshots of the best parts of my life, so of course I am going to put forth my best self. I’ve had friends and others tell me they assume I’m perfect and I don’t struggle. On the negative side, people project this egotistical personality onto me.
The full picture is that I am scared and afraid 90% of the time. I have a lot of anxiety and fight thoughts of self-doubt on the daily but I have goals I want to accomplish, experiences I want to live, connections I want to make, and communities I want to build- there’s no room to be insecure. I don’t respect my fear and I force myself to push through it, but I don’t think a lot of people perceive that about me.

Eva Kaleigh, 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’m from a suburb 30 min outside of Atlanta. I got into music at a young age. My parents tell me when I was a kid, I was always singing and making up songs around the house. I used to make little videos on my mom’s Macbook of me acting out scenes, performing, and being silly and weird.
At 4 years old, I was put into piano lessons. I hated them because I wasn’t actually learning music, I was just learning to play and memorize pieces.
At 13, I discovered One Direction, became obsessed, and vowed to become Harry Styles in female form. I started learning to play the guitar and the ukulele that year and started writing my own songs at 15.
I consider myself a performer and songwriter first. To me, there is no greater feeling in the world than being on a stage and connecting with the audience over music. The high that I get when I am writing is unlike any drug I’ve ever tried- not that I’ve tried too many lol- but it’s my passion and what I am dedicating my life to. I thank the universe all the time for those precious moments that I have when I see people in the crowd crying, smiling, and dancing to my music and my performances.
My music is driven by deep emotionality and vulnerability and carries a message to comfort and influence my audience. I create out of the hope that I can give someone the feeling that I have when I listen to my favorite songs and sit in the crowd of my favorite performers shows.
Music saved my life. I had such a traumatic childhood and music made me feel seen and not alone in my turmoil. A passion for connection and community was born out of those times, and I will spend the rest of my life creating that for others through my artistry. Writing music is one of the only ways I know to sort through my emotions and it’s my outlet for those deep and scary feelings that rock my soul. Sometimes I don’t even know how I feel until I write a song about it. The lyrics, the imagery, the chords, help guide me to a tangible form that I can use to understand myself.
I’m most proud of my commitment to authenticity, vulnerability, and growth. I do not respect my own fear. I force myself to do things that scare me all the time because being outside of your comfort zone is the only way you will grow. I am on a mission to reach my highest self, even though I don’t believe there is an end to that journey, so I will never have to stop chasing it. One of my friend’s described it as I am trying to “optimize my existence”, and that has resonated deeply since.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Helping people connect to themselves, work through their emotions, and create a sense of comfort and understanding with my music. My most rewarding moments as an artist have always been when people tell me that my music touches them, resonates with them and their current situations, and comforts them.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I want to eliminate fear from my mind- at least when it comes to creating, going after my passions, and exploring the breadth of human experiences. I was an insecure child who didn’t pursue or do a lot of things because I was afraid- of what people would think, failing, looking like a fool, or being embarrassed. I’ve realized my fear comes from a place of care. I’m afraid because I want to protect myself from potential bad feelings, but my perspective controls my feelings. Even if I fail or make a fool of myself, at least I had the balls to try. It was something I wanted to do, was passionate about, and gave myself the freedom to try. If anyone wants to make me feel bad or embarrassed about that, they are incapable of acknowledging the effort and bravery it took to try.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: eva.kaleigh
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4kInFENuOfu5UqXiGK4NRs?si=P1xVk7rDRwqXgdHWWEYpXw

Image Credits
photographers- Rebekah Monroe and Carlo Meglio album artwork made by me; physical cover scanned to digital