Mae Estes has graced the Grand Ole Opry stage twelve times. Her first performance in March of 2023 was a long way from her start in entertainment at age 7 in the rodeo arena of her hometown in Hope, Arkansas, where she caught the entertainment bug.
“The music scene in Arkansas was nonexistent. It's a small town in a lot of ways, and so not a lot of entertainment in general there. Not a lot of movie theaters, or bowling alleys, or music venues. If music was going on, it was on somebody’s porch or backyard or around a fire, but there were some oprys and hayrides. The Grand Ole Opry is THE opry, but an opry is a style of a live variety show, so there were lots of those around – in Shreveport, Louisiana, Texarkana, Texas, and Magnolia, Arkansas. That's what I did for a long time,” Mae recalls. “There would be talent shows at festivals where I had to sing classic country music with a live band. Those were some of my first opportunities to learn how to be on a stage, work a stage, and follow a band or, as I learned, to let them follow me. I got a lot of my live music chops playing those oprys.”
While Mae loved live entertainment, she didn’t find a lot of space to create or perform original music. She knew if she wanted to lean into songwriting, have venues to play in, and be around people who understood the commercial market and business side of the industry, Nashville would be her ultimate destination. “I needed to be in a hub. From a young age, I studied Nashville. That’s what was written on the back of all the CDs I had and where every music video I watched on CMT was produced – the country music capital. I knew I had to end up here if I was going to try to make a business out of it.”
After catching the entertainment bug, singing was a physical release for Mae, her initial way to connect with people. Then, around age 12, she got her first guitar. That’s when her interest in songwriting developed. “For a long time it was this pressure it felt like everybody put on me, everybody wanted me to write songs because I was a singer. It frustrated me. I didn't have any ideas.” Because it didn’t come naturally at first, Mae didn’t feel like she’d excel at it and just wanted to sing, until she became a teenager. A diarist from a very young age, she used writing as a way to manage her thoughts and feelings. “I started with diaries that turned into poetry, and after I got my guitar, I started singing those poems. I will say God gave me a hell of a life because He knew I’d need the motivation for country music. I have come from a broken home that spun out into a bunch of other stories and I’ve lived vicariously through a lot of people I grew up around. I've had a lot of ammunition for stories to tell and that's where I really found my songwriting strength.”
Mae continues, “I convinced myself I was a songwriter by believing that I do have a unique perspective to bring to the world. I think that's where really great artistic songwriting lies, in having something unique to share that makes other people feel seen. It's still something I struggle with just because there's so many incredibly talented songwriters, especially in Nashville. If you're gonna call yourself a Nashville songwriter, you better be damn committed to the craft.”
When asked what gave her the courage to make the big move to Nashville, Mae explains, “I truly don’t know what else I would do. It’s a blessing and a curse to be born with this kinda thing placed on your heart. I do feel like I was given a gift, but I was still trying to figure out what God intended I do with it. My supportive family had a lot to do with why I was brave enough to move to Nashville.” Even after playing the Grand Ole Opry twelve times, she still feels as if she’s breaking into the industry. “Most creatives raise their own bar every time they achieve some success or check off a goal and I’m no different. My ultimate goal is to find fulfillment in the journey itself.
“Every time I step on the Opry stage, all my nerves are gone,” Mae says. “It’s truly magical how it gives me a sense of peace and belonging – like I was meant to be there. You can feel the history and support of all the country legends who have stood in that circle before, and instead of intimidating me, it empowers me. It’s the highest honor I’ll ever have as a country musician.”
Influenced by artists such as Keith Whitley, Lee Ann Womack, Patty Loveless, Vince Gill, and The Judds, Mae loves traditional country music most but has a sweet spot for the '80s and '90s. “I don’t connect with much of the current music made in the country space these days,” says Mae, “but [I’m] definitely fans of a few up-and-coming friends like Zach Top, Emily Ann Roberts, Jake Worthington, and more.”
Along with the new music she’s releasing this year, Mae has another exciting adventure on the horizon for this summer. She’ll be touring with mega-entertainer Luke Bryan.
She first saw Luke in concert over fifteen years ago. “It's been a really cool full circle moment to be one of his first fans and now to be going on tour with him. He's obviously one of the biggest entertainers in country music, even bigger than the genre. He’s a massive entertainer in the country space so it's an honor to get to go and play for his fans. I’ll get to settle into a routine and learn from him and his team and the tour and travel all over the country. It’s the biggest touring opportunity in my career so far and we are all celebrating it.”
You can find more information about Mae and her tour dates on her website.
"Great artistic songwriting lies in having something unique to share that makes other people feel seen."
"I will say God gave me a hell of a life because He knew I’d need the motivation for country music."