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Celeb Secrets Country: What was it like to be awarded the winner of the NASH Next Challenge?
Todd O’Neill: “I think about 800 people entered that competition and then we had our regional finals, in several different cities in states. Then they narrowed it down to about 150, we won regionals down in Louisiana, and then the narrowed it down to 60. Out of 60 from regionals, they picked top 10, which we made! It was super exciting and very rewarding to have had years of hard work pay off. To even make top 10 was awesome, but to take the whole competition home was really cool!”
Celeb Secrets Country: What can you tell us about your new single, “Love Again?”
Todd O’Neill: “I picked that song at a plug meeting and fell in love with it! It went in my top 5 immediately. Big Machine asked me to submit my top 5 favorite songs and it went up the chain, and they picked “Love Again” as being their favorite song as well. Fast forward about a week, we get another email with some discouraging news that we couldn’t cut that song, Brett Young had put it on hold for his next album. We were kind of bummed out about that. But fast forward two more weeks and I’m in New York playing a show at a place called Printers Alley. We were supposed to fly out Thursday, but we get snowed in! I’m in the hotel and I get a call from my manager telling me Brett Young is playing at Printers Alley that night and that I should go talk to him. I went out to his show, I waited for him to sign all of the autographs for his fans, and I waited for everything to chill out. I went up to him and introduced myself, I told him who I was, that I won NASH Next. He asked what song I was going to cut and I told him I really loved his song, “Love Again.” He told me I should cut it, I said I couldn’t because it was on hold for his next album, and then he told me that if I was ready to cut, he wanted me to have the song. He gave us the song, we came back to Nashville, and four days later we were cutting “Love Again.””
Celeb Secrets Country: What about “Love Again” stood out to you enough to want it to be your single?
Todd O’Neill: “I thought it was such a groovy, funky tune. I thought it was so fun and upbeat, and it told a story! It was a little different, even the story line, is about this bachelor who was jaded from relationships, had this new woman in his life, and is ready to love again! Not to mention, I can show that Louisiana soul side of country music in that song and be myself. It is me! I loved it immediately.”
Celeb Secrets Country: How would you describe your sound for someone who hasn’t heard you yet?
Todd O’Neill: “I have deep country roots. My roots are there, but I do have a soul side of country music that I absolutely love. Looking back, listening to guys like Otis Redding and Merle Haggard. My dad was a huge doo-wop fan so I really loved that. It is kind of country soul.”
