Sixteen-year-old Elle Townley has been nominated for the 2025 Young Artist of the Year award at the Texas County Music Awards. This is the third time she has been nominated, and she said she is hoping this year will be the year.
“I have been singing ever since I could talk,” Elle said. “But I really started performing publicly when I was 8-years-old.”
Elle Townley lives in Georgetown and has played events including the Christmas Stroll and Red Poppy Festival for the last few years. She has been touring across Texas and tries to perform somewhere every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
As a high school student, this is no easy feat. Elle does homeschooling and is a rising senior. The flexibility of homeschooling has allowed her to tour and direct her coursework toward business classes.
She has developed an acumen for business working in the music industry as an independent artist. Elle said that the biggest misconception people have about the music industry is that it’s not hard work.
“People think that you just get on stage, sing a few songs, and get off and you're done. There's so much more behind the scenes,” Elle said.
Carol Welch, Elle’s mom, said her daughter has been “wheeling and dealing” trying to make her music career work.
“She calls me her mom-ager, but she really handles her own business,” Ms. Welch said. “It’s amazing just to step back and watch her kind of do her thing. It’s hard to believe she’s 16. I’m just kind of there for support. You know, dry tears or celebrate wins.”
“When you're young in the music business, you grow up fast,” Elle said. “You have to be tough, otherwise people won't give you the time of day,” she said.
Elle is in charge of negotiating her rate, paying her band, communicating with concert venues and managing her social media. She recently found an artist and is paying him to design t-shirts to sell at her shows. Ms. Welch said she is very proud of her daughter.
“When we went up to the Texas country music industry awards in June — that girl took her business cards and she networked the heck out of that room,” Ms. Welch said.
“If you don't have connections in music, you don't go anywhere,” Elle said.
Elle has been trying to make it as an independent musician, meaning she isn’t currently seeking a record deal and is aiming for “organic growth.” She said she has learned that a record deal is basically a loan, and that if a musician doesn’t make the money back, then they are in debt.
“A record deal is a little sketchy,” she said.
As an independent artist, it can be difficult to get on the radio. Ms. Welch said a radio promoter usually costs between five to eight thousand dollars. However, Elle has managed to get on the radio a few times using the connections she has made.
Elle has performed at Circuit of the Americas in Austin and is going to play there again this year. She said one of her most meaningful performances was getting to sing the national anthem for Gambler Days at the Moody Center in Austin.
“I thought I was just gonna be singing to a couple 100 people. But the whole stadium was sold out, and that was absolutely wild.” She said it was an honor to have gotten to perform on the same stage as the big stars she admires.
Elle is going to perform on Good Day Austin on Fox Seven News on August 14 between 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. The last day to vote for the Texas Country Music Awards is August 15. For more information, visit https://elletownley.com.