Nashville songwriter Vanessa Campagna recently released her latest single, "Life Is Tough (But So Are You)." Below is an abbreviated version of her Soundstripe interview, edited for length and clarity.
The Interview
You've spent years writing for other artists. What made now the right time for your own music?
I started performing when I was five, and right out of high school I got signed to a publishing deal in Nashville. All these huge hit songwriters told me the same thing: you have to write everyone else's story before you can write your own. So I did that for a while. But around 2022 I realized I had written everyone else's story. It was time to tell my own.
Where did the idea for "Life Is Tough (But So Are You)" come from?
It came from a t-shirt I bought about seven years ago at TJ Maxx. Some things were going on and I thought, you know what, life is tough but I'm tough too. When it came time to write this song, I was thinking about what I'd want to hear if I was listening to something, and this came to mind. I've probably said it to myself every day since I first saw it.
What did you most want people to take away from the song?
That no matter how big the problem is, no matter how tough the situation is, you can always get through it. It could be something as small as someone cutting you off on the interstate, or something as big as a health crisis. We were built to make it through. There's always a light at the end of the tunnel. You just have to find it.
What artists influenced the sound of "Life Is Tough (But So Are You)"?
I really love Sigrid. I wanted something upbeat with an inspirational message. The song still has a little bit of emotion and sadness in it, but the overall feeling is happy and "you can fight through this." Sigrid was a really good map for that.
How did the collaboration with Soundstripe artist CJ Oliver come together?
We've actually never met in person. Soundstripe introduced us over email, we started texting, and she said to send over any ideas I had. I started writing this one and it just came out. I had the first verse, pre-chorus, and chorus done in about an hour and a half. I sent it to her and she built a whole track around my vocals. When I heard the final product she had totally interpreted it the way I heard it in my head, and added things I could have never imagined. We did the whole thing remotely.
Do you see this song working for sync licensing in film, TV, and advertising?
I really think so. With TV shows especially, there's always that moment where a character is going through something hard and then has some sort of epiphany, like "I can get through this." This song would be perfect for that. And honestly an ad too. The message is universal enough that it could work for almost anything.
What's coming next?
A full album this year. My second single comes April 3rd. The whole album is about getting through tough times, finding your inner strength, learning to love who you are. Just relationships and living life.
Listen to "Life Is Tough (But So Are You)" on Soundstripe.
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