There’s a difference between reinventing yourself and returning to who you’ve always been. With Back to Me, Erin Duvall explores that distinction. In this interview, she shares how clarity transformed her creative process and why independence now feels like freedom rather than loneliness.
ERIN DUVALL, WELCOME TO ABOUT INSIDER AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THE RELEASE OF “BACK TO ME.” FOR READERS DISCOVERING YOU FOR THE FIRST TIME, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THIS CHAPTER OF YOUR LIFE AND ARTISTRY?
Thank you! I am very excited for this song to come out on March 13th.
This chapter feels grounded, clear, and deeply authentic. I’m no longer creating from a place of trying to prove anything or survive something, I’m creating from a place of knowing who I am. There’s a calm confidence that comes with that.
Artistically, this season is about truth and freedom. I trust my voice more than ever, both literally and creatively. I’m not chasing a version of myself anymore, I’m standing fully in her. “Back to Me” represents that moment where you realize you didn’t just make it through the storm but instead you found strength, clarity, and purpose because of it and finally learned to dance in the rain.
YOUR NEW SINGLE IS BUILT AROUND THE LINE, “I’M STRONGER, WILDER, BRAVER THAN I USED TO BE.” WHAT MOMENT IN YOUR PERSONAL JOURNEY MADE YOU REALIZE YOU HAD TRULY COME “BACK TO YOU”?
It wasn’t one dramatic moment, it was quieter than that. It was realizing I felt peaceful in my own life. I wasn’t questioning myself constantly or looking outside of myself for validation anymore.
I remember thinking, “I like who I am. I trust her.” That was powerful. Strength doesn’t always feel loud, it often feels calm and steady. “Back to Me” is about recognizing that the person you were searching for was never lost. She was just waiting for you to come home to yourself.
YOUR ALBUM ONE BY ONE DOCUMENTED REBUILDING AFTER HARDSHIP, WHILE “BACK TO ME” FEELS LIKE AN ARRIVAL RATHER THAN A REINVENTION. HOW DID YOUR SONGWRITING EVOLVE EMOTIONALLY BETWEEN THOSE TWO PROJECTS?
One By One was written while I was still in the middle of becoming. There was a lot of processing, healing, and honesty in real time. It was necessary and I am forever grateful, but it carried the weight of that journey.
“Back to Me” comes from the other side of that healing. There’s more light in it. More freedom. I’m no longer writing from the wound, I’m writing from the wisdom. The perspective has shifted from survival to expansion, and that changes everything emotionally and creatively.
YOU’VE SAID YOU’RE NOW WRITING FROM CLARITY INSTEAD OF URGENCY. HOW DOES THAT SHIFT CHANGE YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS, FROM LYRIC DEVELOPMENT TO VOCAL DELIVERY?
When you’re writing from urgency, there’s almost a desperation to be understood. Now, I’m writing from clarity, which allows space. I’m more intentional. I listen more…to myself, to the music, to what the song actually needs.
Vocally, there’s less force and more truth. I’m not pushing emotion, I’m allowing it. That creates a different kind of connection. It feels more honest, more grounded, and ultimately more powerful.
YOU CO-WROTE THIS TRACK WITH BRIAN WHITE AND PETE SALLIS. WHAT DID THOSE COLLABORATIONS BRING OUT IN YOU THAT MAY NOT HAVE SURFACED OTHERWISE?
Brian and Pete created a space where honesty could exist without pressure. They helped me trust the simplicity of the message, that coming back to yourself doesn’t need to be complicated to be powerful.
They also helped bring out the strength in the song without losing its vulnerability. Sometimes as an artist, you live inside your own story so deeply that it helps to have collaborators who can reflect it back to you in a way that feels universal. They helped me shape the emotional clarity that defines this song.
AS A MOTHER OF FOUR WHO STEPPED AWAY FROM MUSIC TO RAISE YOUR CHILDREN, HOW HAS MOTHERHOOD RESHAPED YOUR DEFINITION OF AMBITION AND SUCCESS?
Motherhood refined my ambition, it didn’t diminish it. It gave it purpose. My definition of success is no longer tied to external validation. It’s about building a life that feels aligned, peaceful, and meaningful, for myself and for my children.
I want them to see what it looks like to honor your responsibilities while still honoring yourself. Pursuing music now comes from a place of wholeness, not sacrifice. That makes the journey even more fulfilling.
YOU’VE SPOKEN ABOUT INDEPENDENCE, FEELING LIKE FREEDOM RATHER THAN LONELINESS. WHAT DOES THAT DISTINCTION MEAN TO YOU TODAY, PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY?
Loneliness feels like absence. Freedom feels like a presence.
Independence, for me, means I’m no longer abandoning myself to keep something else intact. I’m making decisions from alignment rather than fear. Professionally, it means I create from authenticity, not expectation. Personally, it means I trust my own voice. That kind of freedom is incredibly empowering.
THROUGH THE TWICE THE LOVE FOUNDATION AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH ORGANIZATIONS LIKE GENESIS WOMEN’S SHELTER, YOU’RE TURNING LIVED EXPERIENCE INTO TANGIBLE SUPPORT FOR OTHERS. HOW DOES ADVOCACY INFORM YOUR ARTISTRY?
Advocacy gives purpose to everything I’ve walked through. It reminds me that our stories aren’t just for us, they can be bridges for someone else.
It brings a deeper sense of responsibility and intention to my music. I want my songs to make people feel seen, understood, and hopeful. If my voice can help someone else find their strength or feel less alone, then that’s the most meaningful outcome I could ever ask for as an artist.
IF “BACK TO ME” REPRESENTS ARRIVAL, WHAT DOES THE NEXT DESTINATION LOOK LIKE MUSICALLY, SPIRITUALLY, OR CREATIVELY, AS YOU PREPARE FOR YOUR UPCOMING EP, IN THE FLUTTER?
In the Flutter lives in the space between comfort and possibility. It’s about embracing movement, growth, and the beauty of becoming, without needing to control every outcome.
Musically, it’s expansive and honest. Spiritually, it’s rooted in trust. Creatively, it’s the most authentic expression of who I am right now. If “Back to Me” is arrival, In the Flutter is learning to fly with confidence, curiosity, and peace.
