Whitney Doucet Visits Section 36!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Whitney Doucet is a talented singer, and I was so glad that she agreed to visit with us and discuss her music, her past experiences and more. I’m sure you’ll love everything she has to say.

So, let's see what happens when Whitney Doucet visits Section 36!

I really enjoyed your latest single “LYIN’”. What can you tell me about it?

LYIN’ is about getting caught up in (a relationship) that you don’t want. I used cigarettes as the “bad guy” in this song, but its really about a love/hate relationship with another person. I don’t smoke, but something about cigarettes has a loneliness to it. The lyric “now I’m standing all alone and its gettin' kinda cold”, represents being alone in the desire for (fill in the blank for your life) cigarettes. If you go have a smoke outside, its lonely, and it’s winter so its VERY COLD! (would not recommed to a friend) “I don’t need you at all and then the sun goes down. Now I feel you on my lips and I - just - can’t…” - I find heavy moments always get harder to deal with when we're alone at night. We all want to be loved and have someone there with us through the struggles. We all have a vice. (COFFEE PLZ) We all know what it’s like to say “I’m strong, I can do this" … until we have a moment of weakness. Or two, or three! Out of all the songs I’ve written, this one is the most honest about the low times. Most of my songs have been about a happy relationship, or a story of how I got through a tough time, or how to conquer life by getting up and trying. This is the song about the struggle. It’s real. 

This song goes out to all of you who are dealing with the downs in life. May you all get through the tough times and learn from them. The light is always waiting for you when you’re ready. The sun will go down but it will always shine bright again! If this song resonates with you and you need a helping hand reaching out of the darkness, I invite you to my weekly Dock Talk on my Instagram page @Whitdoucet. I started the Dock Talk 31 weeks ago to help jump start Monday motivation.

Listen to LYIN’ NOW on Spotify or Apple Music. 

You once had the opportunity to share the stage with Keith Urban. How did that come to be?

Singing on stage with Keith Urban was one of the most magical moments of my career so far. Not only was he welcoming of his stage but he was really fun to work with! 

I was playing some gigs with my friend Ross at the time when he called me to tell me he heard about an opportunity to submit a video singing “We Were Us” by Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert to Country 102.5 and they would host a contest and the winner would get to sing with Keith Urban at the Xfinity center in Mansfield MA. 

So of course I jumped on the opportunity. I listened to that song for 12 hours straight at work (I worked at a dog grooming salon at the time) and got home and recorded a few takes in my parents house  here is the view that I submitted 

Now Country 102.5 had posted that we would be notified if we won by that Thursday, And the concert would be that Saturday evening. After work on Thursday I decided to take a nap. I hadn’t heard anything all day so I was assuming it went to someone else. When I woke up I had a voice mail from a Boston based phone number… and my heart stopped! 

“Hi Whitney this is so and so from WKLB if you could give me a call back I have some good news for you.” 

 I called them back instantly and they told me I have been chosen by Keith’s people to perform with him on that Saturday. IT WAS THE BEST DAY EVER. 

I really enjoy the “Dock Talks” you post on instagram. What’s it like to create those?

THANK YOU! The one year anniversary of DOCK TALK will be coming up real soon! Keep an eye out for a special Dock Talk :)

I started Dock Talk as a way to ground myself before the work week. Mondays seemed like a great day to kick myself into gear with a motivational moment. I needed to center my energy before I went off to work. So I sat down on my dock one Monday morning and looked out at the beautiful pond we have in our back yard. I started to notice a hundred different sounds that I really hadn’t paid any attention to in the past. Frogs, dragon flies, Church bells, cars, birds, wind, leaves, ducks, fish splashing, it was eye opening or shall say ear opening to me. If we go about our day and ignore the little signs of peace that are around us, there is no way we can be our best selves. We are part of this universe, yet we are so disconnected to it. My goal was to bring people back IN to the vibrations of life. Even for a moment or two on a Monday morning to jumpstart the week. I think we owe it to ourselves to ground ourselves before we put our energy into our work. 

I haven’t decided what I will be doing with DOCK TALK after the one year anniversary. But I think something good will come of it. 

You’ve been able to perform the National Anthem before Red Sox, Patriots, and Bruins games as well as a NASCAR race. Which performance has been your favorite? Why?

Performing the National Anthem is one of my favorite songs to sing. There’s this big anticipation of “the game or race is about to begin”. Singing in front of that many silent people is a rush. I’m not sure I could choose my favorite venue or team to sing in front of because they all are so special in their own ways. Fenway is such a special piece of Boston, the energy at a Red Sox game is really awesome, and the atmosphere … Red Sox fans know what I'm talking about! NASCAR is HUGE. Nearly 100,000 people in the stands and 1 Million viewers on national TV is hard to compete with. BRUINS fans are INSANELY DEDICATED to their team! But singing the National Anthem at Gillette Stadium in front of the New England Patriots and New England fans is a whole different beast. 

Other than COVID, what would you say is your biggest career challenge?

As a singer I think my biggest career focus is vocal health and wellness. When you are a singer your whole body is your instrument. I think a lot of people misunderstand the importance of overall health and wellness when it comes to protecting your vocal cords. A lot of factors come into play when staying in good vocal shape. Hydration, exercise, mental preparation, diet, stretching, vocalizing, allergies, attitude, all come into play and you need all of these different categories to work together to get the best out of a performance. It can be challenging to balance sometimes but staying dedicated is key!

What are your immediate career goals?

My immediate career goals are to get new songs out. I recently wrote a song about some fun and silly things I've done and getting that recorded will be something I look forward to. Getting the band back out there is something we are hoping to be able to do amid this corona craziness. And there are a couple projects that I am working on that I am excited to be able to announce hopefully in the near future!!! So make sure to follow me on Instagram and on my Facebook page to keep up with new music, news and performances. 

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I know I can’t wait for that new music to be released!

As always, I want to thank Whitney for visiting, and for allowing me to use the wonderful pictures to accompany the interview.

As she suggested, I know you’ll want to follow along with Whitney to see what she's up to. You should definitely check out her Instagram and  Facebook accounts, and visit her website. They’re great ways to make sure you don't miss a thing. You should also definitely find her on Spotify and Apple Music. Be sure to listen to everything she has to offer.

You should also check out her Section 36 Music page. There you'll find more links, pictures, and samples of her music. It's a great way to enjoy everything Whitney has to offer all in one place.

Thanks again Whitney, and good luck in reaching your goals!