A Q&A With the Early Bird Promotion Winner, Tracy Nitschke

Tracy Nitschke is InspireMore’s Early Bird promotion winner for her song, “Our Father.”

“This song is so special to me,” Nitschke said after her big win. “I think the ‘Lords Prayer’ is such a powerful piece of scripture. I thought to myself, ‘What if it were a song that could be played as a prayer over the people who hear it?’ So I set my mind to trying to adapt it.”

“When I say I labored over each line, I truly put my everything into trying to make sure I was always scripturally accurate, never changing a single meaning, yet also adapting it into song that held my own thoughts and words,” she added. “… But I think all the overthinking paid off, I’m so proud of this song, and I feel like it accomplished my goal of feeling like a reassuring prayer over the listener who hears it.”

Read on to learn more about Nitschke.

Tracy Nitschke Q&A

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SONGWRITING?

It feels like I’ve only been songwriting for a few years, but I wrote my first song in college, and I just realized that’s been almost 10 years ago!

WHAT GOT YOU INTO MUSIC IN THE FIRST PLACE?

I’ve always loved being creative. Music, drawing, painting, ceramics, construction; I see it as experimenting and playing with the world. But I have to give all the credit to my parents who had me learn piano at a young age… Surprisingly, I actually didn’t like it at all. I quit as soon as they let me and started learning guitar at age 13, but then something about piano pulled me back and a year later. It became a lifesaver for me.

I used music to deal with a lot of hard experiences and it became my therapy. I could sit down at the piano feeling like I was at the lowest of my lows, play out all my emotions, and then leave feeling like I could do this after all.

WHAT HAS WINNING MEANT TO YOU?

I am just so honored to have been picked. I poured a lot of myself into this song and it feels so wonderful to have it be seen and loved. 

WHAT SONGWRITERS AND ARTISTS DO YOU COUNT AS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATIONS? WHY?

Like everyone, I’m a huge Noah Kahan fan. I would love to write a “folky worship” sort of album some day. Cameron Witcomb is also quite high on the list, as is Joel Ansett. I’ve been a NeedToBreathe fan since I first had enough money to buy a CD. Anything that is thoughtful and interesting catches my ear and inspires me.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PLANS IN 2026.

I have been working on a simple worship covers album since 2020… I just finished it and it should be on all platforms soon. 

As for other new music, I’m currently living abroad and getting married this year, so not a lot of time to work on new original music! But stay tuned for 2027… I’ve got big hopes. Maybe that “folky worship” album will start to take shape…. Maybe.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CAREER DREAM?

I think I’m at a stage where I’m still just figuring things out. I adore creativity and have been working in film—in set decoration and props—the last four years. Life is full of transitions and I’m feeling a new one starting. It could be pouring more into music? It could be something else? All I know is that my biggest dream is to be creative, play with life and the world, and see what happens from there.

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL OTHER ARTISTS WHO ARE CONSIDERING ENTERING THE CONTEST?

I would say, just do it. You never know what will happen! The surest way to fail is by never trying… so why not try?

Photo courtesy of Tracy Nitschke

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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