CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
2/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
12 oz semisweet choc chips
Heat oven to 375. Mix thoroughly shortening, butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop dough on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-11 mins or until light brown. Let cool. Chow down! Makes about 6 doz.
Hello Chancie, can you tell me a little bit about yourself before you became a country musician?
I didn’t grow up in a musical family. My dad loved country music but other than listening to music, it was foreign. I grew up training horses and running barrels. I was actually a world champion barrel racer at age 9. I started playing music when I was 13 and moved to Nashville when I was 15, so music became my life very early on.
What was the first country concert you ever attended?
I went to see Brad Paisley- Rodney Atkins and Taylor Swift opened in Bossier City, Louisiana. My mind was completely blown!
What is the background story behind your latest single “Rodeo Money?”
I grew up training and breaking horses and traveling all over the US competing in rodeos. Sometimes that one paycheck was only enough to pay your fuel to get to the next one, but it made you feel like you were on top of the world.
I always say that growing up in the world of rodeo prepared me to have a career in music. It’s a lot of late nights, sleeping wherever you can, miles and miles of highways and a ton of hard work and responsibility. You have to work hard if you want to win. Music is so similar!
Is there anything new coming up with your music in 2020?
I have 3 singles planned for 2020! My next single is going to be a song I wrote by myself called “Flowers Can’t Fix” and I am so proud to be able to say that. The one after that is going to rock the boat a little. It’s called “Hell Mary” and it just may be my favorite song on the EP.
Do you have any New Year Resolutions for 2020?
I really want to do a tour in Europe. That is more of a goal that a resolution, but I love how country music is becoming so global and I would love to have that opportunity. Also, I am a very active person with horses and a farm, and I love working out- so getting in the best shape of my life is a big focus for me this year while also loving myself no matter what my body looks like. I encourage everyone to do that!
How would you describe your music in 3 to 5 words?
ACTUALLY country, True to me, Tells you a story
What are some of your favorite venues or events to play at?
I love playing festivals. I get to meet so many new people and fans in those settings. And they are music LOVERS. When I sing and someone who has never heard of me comes up and compliments my singing or my songs, it never ever gets old and takes me back to my roots of why I fell in love with it so much. I also got to play the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas this year and that was a bucket list show for me!
What is one of your favorite quotes?
“Only dead fish go with the flow”
It’s a little “out there” but that’s what I love about it. I am not sure who said it, but it spoke to me because Lord knows I do not go with the flow. My other favorite is “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—it’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” -Mark Twain. As a songwriter, I can totally relate. We tend to dissect every word in a song and it matters.
Country singer/songwriter Chancie Neal is from Calhoun, Louisiana. Neal has observed the Nashville’s songwriting community and using their guidelines and jumping right into co-writing with some of Nashville’s most known songwriters. She first got connected with country singer/songwriter Luke Bryan. She met him at one of his concerts in Louisiana, they kept in touch until she moved to Tennessee. Bryan was dazzled by her talents at only 14 years old. He gave her a listen and put her as an opening act on his annual Farm Tour dates. She has also been an opening act for Jake Owen, Florida Georgia Line, Sam Hunt and Cole Swindell.
Neal signed her first big publishing deal with Sony/ATV Publishing and after that she landed her first major cut with “Duck The Halls,” A Robertson Family Christmas,” album titled “Hairy Christmas” featuring Luke Bryan. That album went on to sell 1,000,000 copies, earning Neal her first platinum record plaque. Also, she has some songs for many Australian and Canadian artists. She is also featured singing on BMG/Sea Gayle artist, Leaving Austin’s new single “Into It”. At 24 years old, she has been living in Nashville for almost a decade and has quite a resume.
She put out a single titled “Over You,” a sample of what to come in her upcoming EP. Neal also works within the WSM Radio family, first as a part of the Music City Mentors event where she model and performing songwriter on the Academy Sports + Outdoors stage at Opry Plaza during CMA Fest. She was also part of WSM’s Free Fishing Day in July 2019.
On November 29, 2019, Neal put out her latest single“Rodeo Money,” and you can listen to it on Spotify and Apple Music. If you would like to find out more about Chancie Neal check out her website at (https://www.chancieneal.com).
Social Media Accounts:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chancieneal/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chancieneal?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chancienealmusic/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsVcGv5TZFaJsjduM1WTGWw
dixiedeeblog.com 