Page 62 - The Hunt - Winter 2023/24

A lover of all things vintage, Simmons frequents Malena’s Vintage Boutique in West Chester and various Goodwill locations. “Fast fashion is killing our planet and making us all the same,” she says. “We need to get back to a place where it’s about self-expression and a work of art.”
Not completely in love with the direction her life was taking, she obliged—and the two began writing together. With the $5,000 she saved while working as a waitress at BBC Tavern and Grill in Greenville, Simmons left school and made the trip across the country in 2016. Once in L.A., she began
to grow her network in the music industry. She collaborated with a producer named Gazzo on a cover of MGMT’s “Kids,” which sparked the interest of Grammy-winning
Dutch DJ and producer Tiësto, who wanted the track on his album. “At this point, I’ve only been in L.A. for three months, and I’m thinking, ‘Wow, that’s easy. I’m getting my big break,’” Simmons says.
Alas, MGMT wouldn’t sign off on
the track’s inclusion on Tiësto’s album. But Verchick wasn’t ready to give up on Simmons, introducing her to Josiah Rosen, cofounder of the popular band Augustana, who’d since gone on to become a successful
songwriter, working with the likes of Rachel Platten and Colbie Caillat. The two clicked instantly. “When I met Carly, I thought
she carried a lot of charisma,” Rosen says. “I loved her voice and saw a place for her in the country music world that was wide open.”
There was just one problem: Simmons didn’t want to be a country singer. She agreed to one session, which netted the song “Whiskey Kisses.” That was all it took. “I fell in love with country songwriting,” she says.
60 THE HUNT MAGAZINE winter 2023-24