I have this weird tension between being super transparent and also super guarded. I don’t like to be vulnerable, but I do. And when you’re facing this kind of personal story you realize, oh, I’m not as vulnerable as I tend to think I am. It’s healthy to keep some things private, but it’s definitely an awkward tension.

I released a video with the story behind the song “Velveteen,” and it was terrifying, but  once it was behind me I felt like, okay, it’s out there, it’s done, so now I don’t have to tiptoe around it anymore.

CCM: We’re guessing now that you live in Nashville you have a different kind of community with more people doing what you do. How is it different from what you had in North Carolina?
CW: It’s different, but they’re both really great. I was so sad to leave what I had in Raleigh, and I wasn’t sure what I’d find here. Many people would say things like “oh, this move will help your music,” but I really didn’t think so. In North Carolina, I felt useful. I was part of a small community of musicians trying to elevate the arts. And I thought “Nashville does not need one more musician or songwriter! I don’t have anything to add there.”

Christa Wells, CCM Magazine - image

I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find that people are people everywhere. You get planted in a particular neighborhood, and yeah, there are musicians everywhere, but they’re not you. You’re not just a musician; you’re a human with personality, strengths, weaknesses. Your particular neighborhood always needs you. I found there was room at the table for me, particularly in the independent music community.

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