Western, swing, and bluegrass are styles of music that trail back to the 20th century. 12-year-old Phoebe White, also known as the Yodeling Cowgirl, is helping to introduce new generations to these sounds with her forthcoming debut album UnXpected (September 9, 2022 digitally; September 16 physically, PoetMan Records).
“It’s important to me because not everyone does cowboy music,” White tells So Booking Cool. “It’s more country pop. And I want them to hear that new sound, and listen to it. Just listen to it and see the difference between pop and cowboy music, and see that there’s different sounds in the world.”
With talent, work ethic (she’s won 24 talent contests and was even named Junior Entertainer of the Year by the Josie Music Awards), and the backing of music veterans like Grammy award winners Riders in the Sky, The McLain Family Band, and Michael Johnathon, she is off to a promising start.
White, who hails from Kentucky, has been performing since she was 8-years-old. She taught herself how to yodel and can play many instruments including the mandolin, piano, ukulele, and banjolele. On UnXpected, she mainly plays the guitar. The album’s first track “Phoebe, the Yodeling Cowgirl” was performed with Riders in the Sky,” who originally recorded the song as “Jessie, the Yodeling Cowgirl” for Toy Story II. This move came from Johnathon, who produced and arranged the album. White has been featured many times on his long running program WoodSongs Old Time Radio, which celebrates grassroots music and the artists who make it.
Check out the interview to learn more about White including her love for reading and her own Paper Doll books, recording songs in one-takes, the most important advice she can give any performer, especially young ones, how she balances school and music, what it was like when she first went to Nashville, and more! For more information, visit White’s official website. Check out the video below!