Karen Hardy
New Jersey-native Karen Hardy unveils her new single “Nobody”.
Co-written with Chelsea Balan and Brandon Meagher and produced by Meagher, the pop/r&b single reflects on one of Hardy’s personal experience.
“I got the idea for ‘Nobody’ after hanging with a group of people one night and once I had left, I realized that no one had asked me anything about myself the entire night. I came to the conclusion that I just wasn’t interesting or special enough to have anyone ask me any questions. This sounds super angsty and over dramatic haha but in the moment it was truly what I believed. The more I thought about it though, the more I realized that while everyone I meet might not think I’m very special, the people who really know me think I am. Thus, I’m somebody’s ‘nobody’, explains Hardy.
With this promising new single, the Nashville-based artist blends catchy hook melodies with stunning harmonies and warm vocals.
Karen Hardy is a name you want to remember.
“Nobody” is now available worldwide.
Introduce yourself - where are you from?
Hi! My name’s Karen Hardy and I’m a pop/r&b artist from New Jersey!
What's your story?
I knew that I wanted to be a singer since the 2nd grade, when I got my first Carrie Underwood cd and found out that you could do that for a living. When I was 15, I auditioned for the xfactor and didn’t make it. Then I picked up guitar, and started writing. Once I got the writing bug I didn’t want to do anything but music. So I left public school and got my diploma online to allow more time for what I loved. Then about a year after finishing high school I decided I had done all the growing I could possibly do as a writer and artist in Jersey. So I moved to Nashville and I’ve been here for almost 2 years now!
When did your love for art and music begin?
We were a very musical household, so it definitely started there. My dad played guitar and my brother and I LOVED putting on shows. I wasn’t always the loudest kid in the crowd, and I found that performing was my way of being the center of attention hahah. But when I was in the 2nd grade my mom got me Carrie Underwood’s first cd. After that I’ve never thought twice about what I was going to do with the rest of my life :)
What did you grow up listening to?
My dad is a big Beatles fan (arguably one of the biggest) and as mentioned I became obsessed with Carrie Underwood. But I also caught the tail end of Backstreet Boys/ *NSYNC and Britney, which was the first exposure to pop music I had. I was always around music though, from theater shows to Disney movies to making up my own thing. It was definitely a constant in my life.
What / who lead you to the musical path?
Growing up exposed to music all the time definitely helped, but I really think as soon as I figured out you could do this as a career, it was all I wanted. So I’m not really sure what lead me. I just know that nothing makes me happier than music! So maybe that!
When did you decide to fully pursue music as a career? What did your friends and family think of it?
Well I had always thought that the way to make it was through a tv show haha. So when I was 15 I decided it was time to audition (I tried out for xfactor). I didn’t make it but after that was when I really actually started to think about how I was going to make this dream happen. I think because a singing career was something I had dreamt about for years and years, there wasn’t ever an announcement where I was like “this is what I’m going to do now”. They’ve just always been super supportive and really want it for me.
"Nobody" is your new single. What's the story behind this song?
Yes!! “Nobody” was inspired by a night out that I REALLY didn’t enjoy. I just felt like no one was interested in talking to me and it bummed me out. The more I thought about it though, the more I realized that 1.) That is just a product of being a quieter person. You often get overlooked but that doesn’t mean that you are not good enough 2.) I have tons of people in my life who took the time to get to know me and think I’m special, so that should be what I focus on!
When did you start working on this song? Who did you work with?
I wrote the song with my friends Chelsea Balan and Brandon Meagher back in March! Brandon also produced it.
What did you feel when writing this song?
I was pretty giddy when we were writing this song because I am IN LOVE with the melodies. It took us a few sessions to finish the song, but even in the first session I felt like it was going to be the next single.
What do you like the most about this song?
I really love the pre chorus or the “lalalala’s”! It’s really fun to sing even though I can never get the lala’s out properly hahah
What is your goal for this single?
I just want to gain real fans! So even if I just get 3 new fans by releasing this song, I’m super happy.
How did your life change since your move to nashville?
Aside from pushing me to grow as a writer and artist, Nashville has humbled me haha. I think most of our parents think we’re amazing. And I’m so thankful that I have a family that believes in me and thinks I’m talented. But when I moved to Nashville I was like “wellll I am not as good as I thought I was”. Which just made me want to work harder, so it’s a good thing!!
What appeals you the most about songwriting?
Ugh EVERYTHING! You literally just get to create noise about how you feel hahah. But I guess if I had to chose, a great melody is super important to me.
What do you think of today's music industry? If you had to change one thing, what would it be?
I actually really like today’s music industry. It’s so easy to create and release music on your own. I can’t even imagine what it must’ve been like to have to wait to get signed to put music out.
Why do you make music? What keeps you motivated?
I love it more than just about anything so that definitely helps! But I also really want to be able to take care of my family and give back to them because they have given so much for me to be able to do this :)
What are the things you are the most proud of?
Hm I think music wise I am most proud of my dedication to making this happen! I have had quite a few hiccups and I’ve sacrificed a lot, but we’re still here!!! Hahah
But overall I am most proud of the people that I’ve surrounded myself with. I have a lot of really amazing people in my life :-)
What message would you give to younger generations?
Hm I mean I really think that everyone needs to make their own mistakes to truly learn and grow. But I wish I could tell my younger self to accept the fact that you don’t know everything. I think I spent too much time thinking I could do everything by myself and now I’ve realized that you can’t get to where you want to go totally alone.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
I think a little more compassion and understanding! I truly believe most of us try to be kind/good people, but we’re really quick to declare someone unworthy of kindness if they’ve done something/ believe something that we don’t agree with. I think if we tried to see things from more than one side, took the time to understand someone who’s different from us, or maybe just agreed to disagree, the world would be a tiny bit kinder :)
What biggest life lesson have you learned so far?
It’s hard to pick just one, so I’ll go with the best lesson I’m *still learning this year! I now know that perfection is totally unattainable. But on top of that, striving for perfection will actually end up holding you back and make you miserable because you’re working for something that just isn’t humanly possible.
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