The moment Colby Dee stepped out onto the ice she knew exactly what she wanted to do.
“It was in front out about 7,000 people and I was seven at the time,” she says. “You have so many people cheering for you that you’re addicted to the feeling.”
The Canadian-born, Nashville-based singer had just performed the U.S. national anthem at a Macon Whoopee hockey game in Georgia.
“There was no turning back at that point,” she says. “I’ve really been pushing for this dream since then.”
On Nov. 12, Dee releases her seven-song EP, Missed the Exit, which has been picked up on radio stations across the United States.
“I am excited for everyone to hear it and I hope they can relate to the songs,” she says.
Dee says that Missed the Exit covers many of the emotions that one experiences before, during and after a relationship.
“It starts off about having fun and going out with your girlfriends and then it goes to he doesn’t really love me yet and then there is a song called ‘Water Down Love,’ which is saying you don’t want half of his love you want all of it,” she says.
While there were no major challenges during recording Dee says it wasn’t easy choosing which songs she wanted on the album.
“One of the songs that I surprised myself with by putting on the album was ‘Still Chasing Me’, which is more of a traditional country sound,” she says. “It’s a beautiful song about the love of still chasing someone and I am glad it is on the album.”
Dee was born in Mississauga, ON, but moved to Warner Robins, Georgia at the age of three. She also spent time living in Florida.
“I grew up mainly in Georgia,” she says. “Georgia helped me with the y’all a little bit and the Southern accent.”
She began singing when she was seven-years-old, mainly because of her sister.
“I have an older sister that I look up to and she did theatre growing up. She would always be singing around the house,” she says. “So as the little sister that I am, I was always trying to be just like her and so one day my mom heard me singing in my room and she made me come out and sing for her in the living room.”
Dee is influenced by a handful of artists including Shania Twain, Martina McBride, Michael Jackson and Christina Aguilera.
In 2011, Dee moved to Nashville to focus on music full time and she was surprised at the friendliness of Music City.
“I come from a basketball background and so I’m very competitive and I really expected people to be very competitive with one another,” she says. “I couldn’t have been anymore wrong and I think that is one thing that is so amazing about Nashville. So many people want to help each other.”
She says everyone in the music community is willing to help each other out.
“There is this thing in this town where you really are just one song away from anything and everyone wants to help each other with that one song and everyone wants to be a part of that one song,” she says. “Nashville is a small town in a big city. The more you get to know the song writing community it just becomes like family.”
Since arriving in Nashville, Dee has grown significantly as an artist.
“I’ve honed in on my songwriting and found my sound,” she says. “Just being able to write for the last two and a half years here in Nashville, my mentality has changed.”
“I’ve found that sound and I think that’s what has changed the most,” she adds.
While in Music City, Dee has ended up working with singer/songwriter Rob Crosby who has previously worked with Martina McBride and ended up co-writing Dee’s song “Letting Go.”
“He came up with so many great ideas in that co-write and it was just nice to be in a room with such an amazing songwriter,” Dee says. “He’s such a sweet down-to-earth guy who’s from South Carolina so he’s a good old southern guy.”
Prior to releasing Missed the Exit, Dee embarked on a U.S. radio tour, logging thousands of kilometres across 12 states.
“It was a definitely little tiring,” she says. “It was amazing an experience to talk to the radio people and share my music with them and hear their feedback as well as make new fans along the way. I am very thankful for that opportunity.”
Earlier this year, Dee was in Las Vegas where she got a chance to watch her idol Shania Twain perform.
“I was like a little kid on Christmas,” she says. “I was on cloud nine and the whole time I was sitting there I had this big huge cheesy smile on my face.”
After the performance she was able to meet Twain.
“She wished me the best of luck and told me that I was beautiful and that she had to hear me sometime,” Dee says. “Just having Shania Twain tell me I was beautiful was amazing.”
“I could die a happy woman.”
For more information on Colby Dee visit www.colbydee.com or follow @ColbyDeeMusic on Twitter.
