Too Country for Rock, Too Rock for Country | Sheyna Gee
Sheyna Gee has never seemed particularly interested in fitting neatly into one genre.
Inspired by the attitude of ’90s rock and the storytelling heart of classic country, the Southern California native has built a style that's raw, personal and unapologetically her own. Now based in Nashville, Sheyna is bringing those worlds together on songs including “Lonely” and “Rooster.”
Sheyna Gee discusses “Rooster,” “Lonely,” her ’90s rock influences and building a music career in Nashville.
She joined Heart of the Gulch to talk about the realities of chasing music in Nashville, performing around the world and what happens when you suddenly become a “small fish in a big pond.”
Inside Sheyna Gee's Heart of the Gulch Interview
Welcome to Heart of the Gulch, a Nashville-based interview show featuring country artists, singer-songwriters and personalities shaping music and entertainment. Host and creator Tony Mendoza sits down with Sheyna Gee to talk about “Lonely,” “Rooster,” her ’90s rock influences, international touring and navigating Nashville's fiercely competitive music scene.
It's a conversation about much more than new music. It's about betting on yourself when you're surrounded by thousands of other people trying to do exactly the same thing.
Too Country for Rock, Too Rock for Country
That tension is part of what makes Sheyna interesting.
Heart of the Gulch host Tony Mendoza interviews Sheyna Gee about Nashville, songwriting and blending ’90s rock influences with country music.
Her music carries plenty of rock & roll DNA, but underneath the attitude and powerhouse vocals is something unmistakably country: the story matters.
Instead of sanding down those differences to fit comfortably into one genre, Sheyna has made them part of her identity.
Songs like “Lonely” and “Rooster” reflect that combination of grit and vulnerability, allowing her to occupy a space somewhere between the rock music that influenced her and the Nashville songwriting culture she's surrounded by today.
Being the Small Fish in Nashville
Moving away from Southern California brought Sheyna into an entirely different musical environment.
She describes arriving in Nashville as becoming a “small fish in a big pond.”
Sheyna Gee opens up about feeling like a small fish in Nashville's music scene, touring internationally and creating music on her own terms.
It's an appropriate description of a city where seemingly every bartender, neighbor and person standing beside you in line might also be an incredible singer, songwriter or musician.
Rather than hiding from that competition, Sheyna talks openly about how it has challenged her.
The talent surrounding her has become motivation to work harder and continue developing the kind of artist she wants to be.
Taking Her Music Around the World
That work has already taken Sheyna far beyond Nashville.
She's performed at Bonnaroo and C2C London, appeared at CMA Fest and earned recognition through Spotify's Fresh Finds while continuing to build an audience around her independent music.
Sheyna Gee performs “Rooster” during the Walk the Line performance segment inside the Heart of the Gulch studio in Nashville.
Those opportunities have introduced listeners to an artist who doesn't seem particularly concerned with choosing between country and rock.
She's more interested in making something that feels real.
“Rooster” Takes Over Walk the Line
The episode closes with Sheyna stepping behind the microphone for Heart of the Gulch's Walk the Line performance segment.
She performs “Rooster,” showcasing the powerhouse vocals, rock influence and emotional edge that run throughout her music.
For an artist who once described herself as a small fish in Nashville's enormous pond, Sheyna Gee is learning exactly how to make herself heard.
Watch Sheyna Gee on Heart of the Gulch
Watch the full Sheyna Gee interview as she discusses “Rooster,” “Lonely,” her ’90s rock influences, Southern California roots, international touring and the realities of building a music career in Nashville.
The episode concludes with Sheyna performing “Rooster” during Heart of the Gulch's Walk the Line performance segment.
Tony Mendoza is the Nashville-based host and creator of Heart of the Gulch, featuring conversations with country artists, singer-songwriters and personalities from Nashville and beyond.
