Templeton Thompson: Girls & Horses
Templeton Thompson's latest album.
What is it about girls and horses?
That's the musical question Texas-born singer, songwriter Templeton Thompson poses in her latest CD, Girls & Horses. With her distinctive, soulful voice and songs that come from the heart, Thompson forges an immediate connection with country music lovers. She gracefully opens up in her music, sharing personal themes that somehow strike a universal chord with the listener.You can find Thompson's songs on million-selling CD's from country superstars like Reba McEntire, Jo Dee Messina and Little Texas. Her song, "Settle Down Cinderella" is featured in the 2006 20th Century Fox motion picture, Dr. Doolittle 3. She's one of Nashville's most sought after session vocalists, having sung countless demos and laying down background vocals for major label artists.
In spite of her commercial success, Thompson is humble and down-to-earth, replying, "I'm so honored...wow, really? How cool!" when told she would be a featured artist on GetYourselfWest.com. She names Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow and Don Williams as her most influential heroes.
AmericanIdol/Underground.com recently named Thompson the top female country artist. Texas radio DJs have named her Top Artist of the year and her single, "If I Didn't Need the Money" spent eight weeks on the Top 10 of the Texas Music Chart. Her CD, I Remember You remains an Editor's Choice on CDBaby.com.
Thompson is an avid horsewoman, often choosing to perform from horseback at rodeos and horse events across the country. With three CD's to her credit including, I Remember You, I Still Feel and her newly released, Girls & Horses, Thompson has, in her own words, a dream job. "I get to travel all over the country, singin' and hangin' out with horses and horse people."
When you're Templeton Thompson, life just doesn't get better than that.
Read on for our one-on-one interview with Templeton:
Q. Your songs are often have a strong, independent theme yet at the same time are perceptive and sensitive.
Templeton: Thanks for sayin' that, I really appreciate the kind words.
Q. How do you fan the fires of creativity and find your inspiration?
Templeton: Well, inspiration comes from everywhere for me. Of course the horses, my "kiddos" as I call them, they help me finish tunes a lot. Just by hangin' out with them, I relax and songs start and get finished. Sometimes it takes me a while to get tunes done especially when I'm trying to do a lot of things at one time, like now... but I think creativity comes in cycles and if a song's supposed to be, most of the time, I'll eventually finish it. It's funny, even if I don't put an idea down on some kind of a recorder- which is of course the ideal so I don't forget a melody-if that tune is supposed to be written, it really won't leave me alone until I finish it. I have one right now like that that I look forward to finishing, it keeps playin' in my head, so I guess it's supposed to be heard. As a songwriter on music row, seems like I wrote more then, but, now, songwriting is so much more organic. I love that I might not write as much, but it feels like the songs matter more, to me anyway...
Q. I can ride and I can sing (though neither well). How do you manage that accomplishment?! And what is about performing from horseback that you find rewarding?
Templeton: Truthfully, I don't know, when people ask me that, all I can say is it isn't me, it's just one of those things I just do. I consider it a God Thing, something I get to do and don't have to think about too much, which is a lucky thing since what I do think more about is my riding and keeping myself and my baby girl, Jane, calm and focused and that's been a journey all itself. I've been so blessed to sing from the backs of some incredible horses... people have been so kind and generous to let me borrow their own babies and those experiences with those horses have been fantastic... but, it's a whole different deal out there with my girl. She's my dream horse, my buddy and bless her heart it's just been in the last year or so that we went from playing around here at home, doing some small events to regular performances together on the road. How do you practice for performing in front of 10,000 or so folks? Well, I've learned that you just go do it and have fun...it's a blast, it's hard work and there's a lot that goes into it for her and for me. It's so rewarding out there for me with Jane because it feels full circle, like when she and I are out in an arena together, performing, it's like it's something we were always supposed to do. I just go out there with her and try to remind people to have fun with their horses, play, let the kid out, because that's who I am when I'm out there with her...that little girl who just loved horses and loved to ride who didn't think too much about all the things us grown ups think and worry about. I just was and it was great and it was enough. She and I are still learning this thing, it's a journey...an incredible journey!!!
Q. Do you have any funny stories in regards to performing with Jane?
Templeton: Just this year we performed at one of the best horse events out there right now, the Midwest Horse Fair, for about 10,000 people, our biggest crowd to date. Well...singin' from her back was a blast, she was fired up and I could tell, she was just a little frisky and I loved it, keeps me on my toes, like she always does. So, then we did our liberty style act, where I just set her free, she runs around like a wild child and then, ideally, she comes in to me, we play together, all this while I'm singin' my song "Girls & Horses." Sam, my husband and musical partner, co-writer, and our neighbor had built us the coolest new pedestal which you can't keep her off of at home. I mean, from hundreds of feet away, I can point to it and she hauls booty to get to it, ears pinned as if to say, "mine." Well, it wasn't so much that way that night in front of, did I mention 10,000 people? So, I just went with it, she looked gorgeous flyin' around the arena, kickin' up her heels, completely ignoring me. When we got to the end of the song, I ran to the pedestal myself, jumped up on it, waved with my left leg, laughing the whole time. It was a blast and not what I planned, but, sometimes that's what life is, not what you plan, so, you roll with it. Funny thing, the next event we did, she got all 4 feet up on that pedestal, happy as could be, was with me the whole time. I cried the happiest tears when we left the arena that night...she teaches me so much, everyday, mostly to try not to take anything too seriously...
Q. Your songs can be found on million-selling CDs from superstars like Reba McEntire, Jo Dee Messina and Little Texas, and even on the soundtrack for a Dr. Doolittle movie! How's that feel and how do you top those accomplishments?
Templeton: Feels good and honestly, sometimes I forget. Sam and I keep our heads down so much, working for that next thing, making sure we're working as hard as we can to achieve our goals, sometimes we forget to look up and celebrate our accomplishments. How I'm plannin' to top those accomplishments is to get to sing with Reba again, but, next time, it'll be in front of a sold out crowd, say the NFR, me riding Jane and Reba singin' and ridin' too. I hear she's one heck of a cowgirl!!! I swear if you speak it out into the universe, it can and probably will happen...you bring about what you think about!!!
Q. You tell folks to, "Dream big. Work hard. Have faith." Is your personal creed and how did you come by it?
Templeton: Yep, sure is...it's something that my husband and I just started saying and it stuck. I'm all about the universe being incredibly abundant... that's there's really enough for everyone, that you gotta have dreams, you gotta speak them out to the universe, you gotta let them be known and you can't sit back and expect things to just happen. You gotta work for what you want. That way when good things happen you feel like you earned it. I like to feel like I did good work and that I put all that I could into something. The have faith part is just that, have faith in yourself, have faith in the universe, just have faith, trust. For me, I feel like I have to give things up to the powers that be so to speak, I'm a very spiritual girl and I try to do a lot of lettin' go and lettin' God. I just know, for me, that this planet, this universe, is really big and that I'm just a teeny little spec out there tryin' to make a difference. I want to make it count while I'm here.
Q. You have been named the worldwide ambassador for EAGALA (the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association). Tell me more about group and how you came to be involved with them.
Templeton: Well, the organization was founded by Lynn Thomas... she's a great gal doing beautiful things for people and horses. Basically, EAGALA certifies both horse people and licensed therapists in equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP). It's a way of taking "talk therapy" out of the office and into the pasture. Horses have a way, as I'm sure you know, of being in the now and communicating clearly. It's pretty much black and white, not much grey area...they're honest and seem to pull these traits out of people in EAP sessions. In simply working with horses, I've found that they don't let you get away with much. It's just like that in EAP. If there's something a client needs to work on, let me tell you from experience, the horse can bring up a person's issues quicker than you might want them to. Horses have a way of reflecting what's going on inside a person's head at any given time, I feel like they won't let you hide what's going on inside. It's pretty neat, sometimes scary to get that vulnerable, but so rewarding to walk through something that you might not want to and come out on the other side a better person. I've seen an EAP demo taking place and spectators kind of looking confused, doubting, then, watched those same people asked to come into the arena and be volunteers to better understand how it works. It doesn't take long to see those doubters get it and see them getting so much from the horses and the therapists. It's so powerful, I think it's kind of magical really...
I got involved when my own therapist became certified to do the work. I got curious and thought maybe I ought to look into becoming a horse professional in the field, thinking I might be able to do the work myself when we weren't on the road. I went to a training, met great people who are very close friends of mine to this day and came home inspired to make my first CD, I Remember You. I credit EAGALA for that CD. It wouldn't be if it weren't for them, they opened up a lot of doors for me. I always say that EAGALA "put wings on my dreams." They're my EAGALA angels. I've only been involved in doing a few EAP demos, my music career has kept me busy and instead of doing the work I make sure to spread the word as much as possible about the beauty of EAP... www.eagala.org