We had the good fortune of connecting with Christina Munsey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christina, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Work-life balance has always been something I’ve struggled with. The music industry isn’t a clock-in, clock-out job, it’s pretty much a 24/7 thing. In this line of work, your schedule is incredibly inconsistent, and even when you’re not technically working, the songwriting part of your mind is always on and ready to grab inspiration from virtually anything – casual conversations with people, watching shows and movies, looking at an object for 2 seconds longer than you normally would and having an epiphany about it, or even the turn signal clicky noise in the car when you’re driving home from running errands that you use as a metronome for writing a song.

The music industry is weird. Work can sometimes look like hanging out by the fire, eating a pizza, talking about what’s going on in each other’s lives then writing about it. In an industry where your business and personal life seem to seap into eachother, I think it’s tricky to create that work-life balance. Slowly, I’ve been trying to live more in the moment and not use every single piece of inspiration that comes to mind. Letting some things go for the sake of being present with people. I also try to make more of an effort to actually treat my weekends as weekends – going for a walk, baking something scrumptious, bingeing a new show, etc. I think putting some of these things into practice will be beneficial in the long run. I’m just blessed that work never feels like work.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The moment I started songwriting, I was hooked. Over the years, I’ve done a lot of experimentation to see where I fit in the music space. I have a wide variety of genres and styles I connect with, but there’s nothing like a song in its most raw form – just your voice and the guitar. It feels so imperfect and human and I think that’s truly irreplaceable. Finding my footing in the indie folk pop space has made for some of my favorite songs I’ve ever written exploring topics that anyone can resonate with. Hearing Simon & Garfunkel and Neil Young around the house when I was younger definitely made it’s mark on me so entering this genre feels like I’m getting back to my roots. I just hope that through my music, it’ll touch some hearts, make you wanna call your mom, help make you feel understood, and inspire people.

Along the way, there have definitely been challenges I’ve had to overcome. One of which is people not believing in what you’re doing. The reality is, you don’t need people to believe in you. It’s always nice to have cheerleaders, but ultimately, if you’re going after what you want, you don’t need someone’s validation for chasing your dreams. Never let anyone make you feel bad for doing what you love.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Visiting Raleigh means you gotta get some good ol’ southern food! Angus Barn is one of the best southern comfort steakhouses around. Espresso-rubbed filets, racks of ribs, and housemade cheese and crackers – YUM! Then grabbing a delicious biscuit and liege waffle at Jubala coffee in the mornings is always a great choice. Some other notable restaurants would be Brewery Bhavana, Mulino’s, Barcelona Wine Bar, and Tazza Kitchen. A few of my favorite stops for cocktails in the area are Dram & Draught, Whiskey Kitchen and Heights House Hotel. There are so many gorgeous lakes nearby that are breathtaking. Going for a hike, canoeing on the water, or chilling in an eno would be some fun things to do. There are also cute strawberry farms where you can go strawberry picking during the summer. Then there’s also countless shopping centers such as Cameron Village and North Hills, if all else fails. A week isn’t long enough!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’m extremely thankful for the support from my family, my dad especially. It’s rare to find a parent who studies up for weeks to learn a whole new piece of sound equipment so I can have better sound at my live shows. Someone who reads every music business book I do so he can better understand it so we can talk about it and figure things out together. Someone who always has his headphones on and streams my music every possible chance he can. Someone who is constantly motivating me to live out my dream and has zero doubt in my abilities. I’m blessed to have such encouraging parents.

Website: https://christinamunsey.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinamunsey/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinamunsey/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@christinamunsey

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6SEmefIEO7pUhRc79FNmjW?si=HKAy654QS_OqbssqPcvcoQ
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/take-them-all-single/1739426047

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutNorthCarolina is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.