Country star RaeLynn to perform in VW

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

The list of awards, accolades and achievements is more than impressive – a two-time ACM “New Female Vocalist” nominee, successful independent artist status, gold and platinum status with three singles, and 2.5 million followers across her online and social media platforms.

She’s accomplished those feats and many more in a relatively short amount of time and now, country music star Racheal Lynn Woodward, better known as RaeLynn to her fans, will bring her considerable talent to Van Wert and the Niswonger Performing Arts Center as the Niswonger “kickoff to fall” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, September 23.

Social media is a prominent part of life for many people and that’s especially so for the 29-year-old singer-songwriter, who hails from Baytown, Texas. During a recent telephone interview, she touched on that and other important aspects of her burgeoning career.

“Honestly it’s been a really big piece of my career because it’s a way for me to have direct access to my fans,” she said of her online presence. “Back in the day you had to play hundreds and hundreds of bars and venues to be able to get seen. You still have to do that but now you have a tool that gives us direct access to the fans and gives a platform for fans to really dive into your music and it’s really cool.”

The social media presence has been a big factor in RaeLynn’s ascent to gold (Love Triangle, Lonely Call) and platinum (God Made Girls), a status she dreamed of during her early days in the music scene.

“It still feel surreal to me,” she explained. “I think we all hope to hit that level of success…we all view success in different ways but to me, success means doing what I love and doing it for a living. When you do reach a status like that it’s like a ‘cherry on top.’”

While country music is the bread-and-butter for RaeLynn, she’s found the time to branch out. She’s written a children’s book – “Raisin’ Me a Country Girl” – and made her acting debut in the Hallmark Channel’s “A Nashville Christmas Carol.” She has prior television experience, having been a contestant on season two of the hit show “The Voice.”

With such a busy workload, which also includes touring and being a mother to two-year-old Daisy Rae and wife to Joshua Davis, RaeLynn admitted there’s no place like home.

“I really do cherish being at home and I try not to plan too much, especially being on the road,” she said. “I’m a mom so I have to prioritize my life and I bring my daughter out as much as I can on the road but sometimes it doesn’t work. If I’m on the road for a weekend and she’s not with me, I take off three days when I get home because being a mom is a priority to me along with my husband and my family.”

“I couldn’t do what I do on the road if I didn’t recharge the battery,” she added.

Looking ahead to her upcoming performance in Van Wert, RaeLynn said she expects it to be a fun night for all involved, and she’s looking forward to connecting with fans at the 1,200 seat NPAC.

“We have a fun rowdy show, very country music driven but I have a lot of ‘heart’ songs and I really like to take my fans through a journey of my songwriting,” she said. “We’re putting together a really beautiful set that does that and I’m excited for the fans to hear that. I’m looking forward to the venue because I want to see their faces, I want to see their emotions.”

“I’ve always said I don’t care if it’s 20, 50, 500 or 5,000 (seats), I just want the crowd to be in it,” she added. “To me it’s all about the connection and I love venues where you can feel that, so I’m excited.”

Tickets to the September 23 show are still available and range from $19-$59. Tickets may be purchased online at vanwertlive.com or at the box office.