1.) First, would you mind introducing yourself?

Hello! I am an indie-folk artist, a couple years into the music scene. I was born and raised in Ohio but currently living in Nashville, TN.

2.) Tell me about your path to finding music.

I never expected music to be a part of my path. I grew up playing trombone but never thought much of it. When I graduated high school, I joined the military while pursuing a degree in sports medicine. I thought I was going to do the full 20 while pursuing my own health business. Life took an unexpected turn as it does and I ended up getting out when my enlistment was up at 6 years. I hit rock bottom at that time and I decided to try playing this old guitar I had been carrying with me for years. I started playing, singing, and writing just for me. No one ever told me I could sing and I didn’t think I was very good. It felt like I was finding a part of me I didn’t know existed. It was really healing to get some things off my chest through my writing too. About 6 months in I decided to move to Nashville and well the rest is history. I ended up connecting with the right people. I found a community that was supportive and saw something in me that I didn’t see yet. Once I began to share some of my vulnerable songs with people, I realized I wanted to take it more seriously. I wanted to be able to give people songs that helped me in my own healing in hopes it would help them out too.

3.) Do you enjoy being a solo artist or creating with others?

I don’t mind being a solo artist, I have always felt like a lone wolf and with music it’s nice to have that solitude to dig deeper. However, I am craving collaboration of some sort. I definitely want to form a tight knit band, just a few members that make the music feel more alive. I’m also open to finding some intentional cowrites. I have been collaborating with a producer, Jared Corder from Polychrome Ranch, and that has been really fun finding new sounds to work with.

4.) Tell me about how you start out writing a song or select a song to cover, from the lyrics to working with other musicians to the sound, the story, the feel, the audience, the goals.

I start writing a song usually when there is some kind of emotion I am trying to work through. I’ll start strumming a few chords and hum a melody and that’s when visually I start to see some kind of movie play out in my mind. I try to write what I see playing out, often why my writing comes out as a story line but I do want to branch out from that and try different ways of writing. When I am writing, I am typically thinking of my female audience. I want to write songs that empower the feminine. Regardless, my goal always is to have the listener see themselves in the song in some way.

5.) What are some non-musical influences you find within your work?

I think the way I grew up is a huge influence, for better or worse. Having an unstable childhood and experiencing grief so early on really shaped the way I think about the world. It’s made me a very independent person and a deep thinker, I think that easily pours into my lyrics. Other influences are definitely the changes of the seasons. I feel very in tune with nature and all the polarity it can bring. I find myself writing different types of songs depending on how my mood and thoughts are affected by the season. And finally, I think the deep friendships I’ve been able to experience over the years has impacted my work too. It’s given me characters and stories that show strength, courage, and love. Moments I lean into with my writing.

6.) Ford or Chevy? … or are you gonna do a write-in for Toyotas?

I will take whatever gets me from point A to B!

7.) How do you take your coffee?

A dash of milk and honey. I do love a good vanilla latte too.

8.) Tell me about what motivates you.

I don’t want to have any rocking chair regrets. If I feel called to do something, I am going to figure out a way to do it. I think everyone has a unique calling. From the outside looking in, every musician might look the same. We’re all just playing music. But if you look deeper, we each have a different reason to show up and a different reason that keeps us going. So what motivates me is seeing that I was given this drive to do something that lights me up and can potentially help others to find their own purpose. To ignore that would be selfish and unaligned.

9.) Tell me about the things that are on your mind when you first wake up and the things that keep you from falling asleep at night.

When I first wake up I am usually thinking of my to-do list—what kind of workout will I do that day or do I need to rest, what do I need to do for my 9-5, what am I focusing on for music that day? Writing a new song? Booking? Rehearsing for an upcoming show? What keeps me from falling asleep at night is usually the things I can’t control, not knowing if what I’m doing will go anywhere, if I’ve done enough for the day, feelings of overwhelm etc. Somewhere in there I try to think of the things that went well that day and what I am looking forward to tomorrow.

10.) Do you see a lot of live music or concerts?

I do see a lot of live music but usually small local shows in Nashville. I want to go to more concerts and see full band shows to get inspired and see how these artists I look up to are doing it.

11.) Tell me something significant, however “simple” it may be. 

I was once told by a random stranger, “You need to slow down to speed up.” That stuck with me because I feel like I am always rolling through my day like a tornado and constantly feel like I need to “catch up” but the rare moments I take in the slowness, one task at a time, even take a deep breath and look out my window, I feel like I’m living my life in that moment and even enjoy what I am doing. 

12.) Future goals or plans for your work? This could be 10 years out or 10 days out.

More immediate goals I have are releasing a few singles and potential EP, forming a tight knit band, and doing some cyclical touring through the east coast. Other goals are creating some fun merch, continuing to develop as an artist through writing, playing guitar, and performing. I want to collaborate more with other producers and artists to try out some new sounds. I also want to do more writing—essays, poems. Find ways to merge my different types of work.

13.) Any future plans you’d like to share- liveshows, travel, releases, albums, covers? Where can folks follow your music, whether it be an email list or social media or website.Currently booking shows out for end of year/early next year so if you are an artist/band that would like to share a bill somewhere along the east coast, let me know! I am releasing a song, “Betty & Jesse” on September 5th, 2025. This is the first song I collaborated with Jared Corder on and is really the first look at this new chapter of music of mine. You can follow along on my instagram: @rose.mary.schultz and on my Substack, Rosemary & Rhyme, where I share 1-2 letters a month with behind the scenes of an indie artist and just life stuff that gets you thinking too.

14.) Do you find the process of taking an original idea and having it change, take form, expand under new influences from collaborators easy or do you find it hard to let go?

Right now, I am really open to letting things morph and change if I am collaborating with someone I trust and respect. I am fairly new to music and aware that I have a lot more expanding to do. If I don’t like it, I can always go back, but I want to at least explore where else the song could go.

15.) Tell me about your upcoming projects in music?

I have some studio dates booked for August and October. August I will most likely be recording one single, getting outside my comfort zone with this one. October I am tentatively planning on recording some songs I’ve had for a while to tape, although I have a feeling some new ones might emerge before then. This will most likely form an EP I’ll release sometime next year.

16.) Any future projects and goals beyond music?

Outside of music, I want to do more writing, I am training for a half marathon in October, I want to do some more traveling just for fun, I want to try some new baking and cooking recipes, and I want to find a 9-5 that feels a little more supportive of my creative side.

17.) Please let everyone know where they can find you and any links they should follow!You can follow along on my instagram: @rose.mary.schultz and on my Substack, Rosemary & Rhyme, where I share 1-2 letters a month with behind the scenes of an indie artist and just life stuff that gets you thinking too.