An Interview With Rising Teen Country Singer QUEEVA!

Get to know the rising teen country artist, Queeva! She recently released her new song “Do Better” on all digital platforms. The 17-year-old singer/songwriter/guitarist co-wrote the country love song with Brandon Darcy, Ben Trudeau and Payton Taylor, which declares, “How could we do better, you and me together, you’re the closest thing to perfect that I’ve ever found.” “Do Better” follows Queeva’s current radio single “Show Off,” a country-pop song serving as an important reminder that you don’t have to be someone you aren’t just to impress someone else.

“I am so excited for everyone to hear ‘Do Better’ and I hope people love it as much as I do,” shares Queeva. “It’s a song that talks about young love and I’m so grateful that it’s finally out!”

This summer, Queeva returns to the live stage for a performance at the Buckle & Boots Country Festival in Manchester, England. Blessed with an evocative voice and a gift for penning insightful, heartfelt lyrics, Queeva’s distinctive gifts shine on her original music. The teenager possesses drive, vision and a dedication to her craft that far exceeds her years. Since her 2017 debut single “Who You Really Are” at just 14, Queeva has regularly been releasing music. By 2019, she released her first full-length album How Do You Know.

Last year, she issued the singles “Above Water” and “Waste My Time,” showcasing her growth as a songwriter alongside her youthful spirit, and then, Queeva kicked off 2021 with the ballad “Slow Down Time.” Born and raised in the Chicago area in a large creative Irish family, Queeva grew up listening to legends like Dolly Parton and Randy Travis, gravitating to country music’s greatest storytellers from an early age. At three-years-old, Queeva knew complete lyrics to songs, including many of Dolly’s as that’s all she listened to. Taylor Swift also inspired the budding artist as she started playing guitar. By the time she was seven, Queeva was competing in talent competitions and stunning judges with her distinctive vocals. At a Los Angeles competition, she caught the attention of an executive who connected her with Nashville-based singer/songwriter/producer Jamie O’Neal. Under O’Neal’s tutelage, Queeva found her voice as a songwriter and has since been sharing songs that reflect the young singer’s positive nature. Current artists like Kacey Musgraves and Thomas Rhett have also recently been influencing her songwriting. Queeva has been making quite the name for herself in the Nashville scene, racking up nearly 1.5 million total streams and over 1.3 million views on YouTube. Her songs have caught the attention of CMT, Nickelodeon, The Boot, American Songwriter, Just Jared, CelebMix, Nashville Noise, J-14 and many more, with featured plays on multiple key Spotify playlists, including “Fresh Country,” “Wild Country” and “Next From Nashville.” And this fresh face in country music is only getting started.

Connect With Queeva Online Here: WEBSITE

Learn more about Queeva in the following All Access interview:

So what has this past year been like for you and your music? How are/did you get through the pandemic? Are things opening up now where you are? How do you feel about that? Did you get vaccinated yet?

This past year has been pretty crazy to say the least, and I think a lot of people would agree with that. The pandemic gave me a lot of time to focus on my songwriting because it is a very time consuming process. I spent a lot of time with my family at home and I was also able to try new things like cooking different foods. Things are slowly starting to open up in Chicago and I’m excited for things to go back to normal. I have not been vaccinated yet, but I will be getting the vaccine soon!! 

Let’s talk about your newest track, “Do Better.” What was the inspiration for it? What was it like writing it with the other songwriters? How would you say that it compares to anything else you have put out before? 

“Do Better” is my current single, and I wouldn’t say anyone specifically inspired the lyrics of the song, but it describes what a perfect relationship would feel like. It is a happy love song that I think people will be able to relate to. I like to write music that I think others will be able to connect to. I remember when we wrote “Do Better” it took some time to finish because I feel like super happy love songs can be difficult to write sometimes. Once we finished writing the song, a few weeks later we recorded it in the studio. I love doing co-writes with other writers, so we had a fun time as always. I would say that compared to my other music, this song is more country, compared to some of my other songs which are a lot more country-pop. 

Do you have plans to release more new music soon and a full album of new songs?

I have a lot of songs that I am super excited about releasing, and another single will be coming out soon. I will hopefully be releasing an EP some time, but for now, I will be releasing singles.

How excited are you to perform at Buckle & Boots Country Festival in England later this summer? What are some other upcoming live performances that you are looking forward to now that concerts are slowly coming back? Where would you absolutely love to perform at? What do you think makes a perfect show for you?

I am so excited to perform at the Buckle and Boots Festival in England because I can’t wait to be back on stage, and I’ve never been to England. I love doing live shows, but sadly the pandemic has affected some of my other shows that had been planned for this summer. I will be playing out when I’m in Nashville, so the best ways to see those updates are through my socials @queevamusic. I would absolutely love to perform at The Grand Ole Opry because it is such an iconic place to perform at, especially in the country music world. It would truly be an honor to perform on that stage, and it has always been one of my biggest goals. A perfect show for me consists of the audience having a good time and also having good sound quality. I always want people to be enjoying my performance, because it makes me so happy when they do. In order for me to perform my best, it’s important for the sound system to be set up correctly so that my band and I can hear each other well on stage. It’s hard to perform your best if you can’t really hear yourself or some of your band members. 

Can you recall the moment when you thought you could be a musician? What do you think motivates you day in and day out to continue singing?

I first went on stage when I was 7 years old in front of a crowd of four thousand people in L.A. I remember that after that performance I realized how much I loved being on stage. When I was 9 years old and I released my first EP, I just realized that I wanted to keep creating music. I am motivated to continue singing because it’s always been my dream since I was very young, and just being able to live that would be an actual dream come true. I know that if I really give it my all and put the work in, anything is possible. 

If you weren’t an artist today, could you see yourself doing anything else? What is something else interesting/funny you are good at?

I was also an actress growing up, and that was something I also loved doing. If I wasn’t an artist, I would focus on acting, but music has always had my heart. I’m good at doing other people’s makeup, and I really love doing it. Growing up I would always play with makeup with my sisters, so I guess I had some practice. 

What has been the biggest surprise so far about making music your career? What has been an unexpected or welcome challenge to it all?

I’d say that as I’ve made music my career, it surprised me how intrigued other people can be by it. It’s such a cool thing to see how other people can also be inspired by you, and that was something that surprised me because I never thought that I would have the opportunity to be an inspiration. I’d say that I’ve realized throughout my career that not everyone is going to support you and be a fan. There will be haters, but you just have to believe in yourself and you can do anything. That’s something I have learned, and it’s just a part of following your dream because people can be doubtful. The most important thing is that you are doing what you want to do no matter what others say. 

What do you think of the power of social media? How active are you on it all? Do you enjoy or have trouble keeping up with it all?

I think that social media has its pros and cons, because there is a lot of negativity that surrounds it. On the other hand, social media has the ability to give people an insight on your life that not everyone gets to see, and I think that’s a cool thing especially as an artist because you can engage with your fans. I wouldn’t say I’m a social media pro, and I still have a lot to learn, but I do keep my fans updated.

At the end of the day, what do you hope people take away from your music?

At the end of the day, I hope people can relate to my music and remember that they are not alone. Music is always something there for people to turn to, and I want people to be inspired to do whatever they want to in life.