Do you watch The Voice? Do you remember that epic battle during Season 8 between Nashville’s Sarah Potenza and Texas’ Hannah Kirby?

I’ll leave a reminder below but, the point being, I was recently blessed with the opportunity to interview Hannah Kirby.

She has a new album titled Fire In My Soul and, folks, this fire burns bright and long through 10 songs of awesomesauce genre blending.

The soulful and powerful vocals of a small town Texas girl fuses with the best elements of rock, country, folk, blues and some pop appeal to create something that sounds as classic as it does modern. In other words, Fire In My Soul is timeless music.

We have a review of Fire In My Soul coming soon but keep scrolling to learn more about Hannah, the new album, and life after The Voice. (She has a dedicated following in Brazil!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tis3Yo_zCt8

What should listeners expect when clicking play on Fire In My Soul?

Fire In My Soul isn’t 10 songs that sound the same. Listeners won’t get bored with my album! All the songs are relatable, too. You’ll definitely find a song that makes you say, “I know exactly what you mean!”

You were working on the album prior to becoming a finalist on The Voice… how did the album change or evolve after your experience on the popular show?

 I was holding back a little before. I was thinking that I needed to please the people I thought might buy the album.

While on the show, I worked so hard to show people what sort of artist I am through cover songs. When I got home and was able to work on my original music again, I knew I had to make the songs 100% me.

I decided that whether people bought the album or not it had to be true to who I am as an artist!

With the album released and a solid group of musicians supporting you, what’s in the works for Hannah in 2016?

 I’m playing shows and trying to spread the word about the album!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRk2FuP0sEw

Has the music industry been any easier to navigate since being on The Voice? Have you been able to take advantage of the momentum from being a finalist?

Well, not really! I will say that being on the show reinforced my desire to keep my career as independent as possible.

As far as momentum, I had about 50 Twitter followers when I went on The Voice, now I have almost 20k! The show helped me build a fan base and the fans are what give me my drive!

[Tweet “The people who make it aren’t copies of the stars that came before. @iamhannahkirby”]

What was one of your favorite memories from your time in the competition?

My favorite memory was definitely performing “Shout” by Tears For Fears. I love that song! I suggested the song and the outfit I chose got approved. That performance was completely me!

What was the last song you listened to?

 The Story off of Runrig’s new album, they are an incredible Scottish band!

Where can we connect with you online? Hear more music?

Everything you need to know about me as an artist is on hannahkirby.com and you can follow me on Twitter @iamhannahkirby, same handle on Instagram and then there’s my musician page on Facebook.

On my YouTube channel you can listen to clips of the songs from Fire In My Soul. Just search my name and the album title. The album is available for digital download on iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon. The physical copy is available on hannahkirby.com.

Any last thoughts? Words of wisdom? Shout outs?

 If you have a way you want your music to sound, go with it. Through my journey so far I’ve been advised to follow a formula, to mimic what is popular so that my music will be, too.

However, the songs that stay with us are the songs that sound a little bit different. The people who make it aren’t copies of the stars that came before. Play the music you love, incorporate any styles you want, and don’t let yourself be constricted by genre.

Visit Hannah’s website and grab your copy of Fire In My Soul.