County's new star, Laura Bell Bundy/photo by Michael Elins

There's a new blonde on the country music scene as Kentucky-native Laura Bell Bundy's  debut music video for her first single, GIddy On Up premieres on CMT and cmt.com.  Back in June of last year, when Legally Blonde: The Musical made its way to Nashville to close TPAC's theatre season, I mentioned in my review that Laura Bell returned to the role that had garnered her a Tony nomination.  I also made note of the fact that during the Nashville opening night cast part, I learned Bundy was in Nashville working on a country project with Universal Music Group/MCA.

Just last week, I received a link to a promo clip in which Laura Bell transforms herself into citizens of the fictional town of Cooter County, who are all abuzz about Laura Bell Bundy's upcoming music video for GIddy On Up.  The promo video below showcases Bundy's acting abilities as she morphs into characters to rival those of comedians like Carol Burnett or Tracey Ullman.   

Remembering how sweet Bundy was when I ran into her at the Legally Blonde cast party, I had my people call her people, ok so I really just asked a friend who works publicity at Universal Music Group/MCA if she thought Laura Bell would be willing to take a few minutes to participate in my latest installment of RAPID FIRE 20 Q.  Of course the bubbly actress/singer said yes!  The resulting interview is by far one of my favorite celeb Q&As thus far.  Be sure to  and check out Laura Bell Bundy's world premiere video for Giddy On Up, located below the interview.

RAPID FIRE 20 Q with Laura Bell Bundy

JONATHAN PINKERTON:  While today marks the debut of your very first country music video, Giddy On Up on CMT.com, you actually gave CMT fans a bit of a sneak peek with a little promotional video featuring the residents of Cooter County, in which you take the Tuna, Texas approach by playing all the residents of the town.  My personal favorite is local talk show host, Euneeda Biscuit--I can see the drag queens stealing that name fast--which of the Cooter County characters is your favorite?  

LAURA BELL BUNDY:  My favorite character is Claudia Cooter, but I am not sure if I can ever do her in public because she is a bit politically incorrect.  Euneeda is my second favorite.

JP:  The music video for Giddy On Up is directed by Shane Drake who has previously directed everyone from Timbaland, Paramor, Panic at the Disco to Darius Rucker.  What was it like working with him?

LAURA BELL BUNDY:  Shane is nothing if he is not energetic and creative.  I really wanted to work with him because I like the way he thinks outside of the box and commits to his ideas and concepts.  He completely understood the concept I was going for with Giddy, and we worked together with RJ Durrell (The choreographer) to bring it to life.

JP:  Where were the exterior old-west sequences of Giddy On Up shot? 

LAURA BELL BUNDY:  The entire video was shot on an Old Western set in Newhall, CA --just outside of Los Angeles-- called Melody Ranch. It was an entire western town!  Totally incredible!  It was the same place they shot Deadwood and Wyatt Earp.

JP:  The video features a lot of choreography with you, the cowboys and the dance hall girls.  RJ Durrell choreographed the sequences. How did he get involved with this project?

LAURA BELL BUNDY:  The brilliant and talented RJ Durrell.  We met doing the original LA production of an 80’s Rock Musical currently on Broadway called, Rock Of Ages.

I loved working with him during that and I had always wanted to work with him again so this video was a perfect opportunity.  I want to use him for everything now!

JP:  Did you call on any of your Broadway dancer friends to audition for the video, or was that all taken care of by the director and production company?

LAURA BELL BUNDY:  Of course I used friends!!   I always think of my friends first.  RJ and I cast the dancers together. We needed a very specific type of dancer for this and it really helps to have worked with people before and know exactly what they are capable of.  Almost all of the female dancers and one of the male dancers we used--I had done Rock of Ages with.  Then, RJ hired the additional dancers who were all amazing and a blast to be around.  I wanted to use a few friends from New York but most of them were working and unavailable.  Also, the main cowboy, or rather my “ cheatin man,” in the video is my good friend Brian Patrick Murphy who I did a short stint of the Legally Blonde tour with.  He was a perfect Marlboro man! … And not too bad looking either… 

JP:  On the song Giddy On Up, do I catch you pronouncing the word "napkin" as "na'kin" in the lyrics, "she must be the number on the napkin I found?"

LAURA BELL BUNDY:  Ha Ha!  Well, I actually THOUGHT I was pronouncing it “napkin”… maybe I left out the “p!”  That’s hilarious.  I think it’s just said really fast and it seems like I left that consonant out, but I am pretty sure I pronounced it “napkin.”… Well, at least in my own Kentucky way…

JP:  The music video for Giddy On Up may draw comparisons a certain other blonde country singer, whose latest video also features some saloon girls.  Have you met any of the other young ladies of country music? 

LAURA BELL BUNDY:  I have met Taylor Swift--in New York at the MTV upfronts--and she was exactly what we always hear that she is, very nice.   But, she’s the only gal I’ve met so far.  I look forward to meeting all of them.  They are all very talented young women.

In fact, I want to do a concert for my charity, Kreative Kids Foundation and call it “Bombshells” featuring all the blonde country divas.  We should band together at the “root” of it!  : )   

JP:  While you all bring your own talent and artistic expression to your work, what do you have to say to those who only see the similarities between you and say Carrie, Taylor or Kellie? 

LAURA BELL BUNDY:  I say, listen to the music.  We are all different because we are all coming from different life experiences, going through different phases and at different ages.  We have different perspectives and different musical styles.  Depending on where listeners are in their lives, they may connect with one of us over the other.  I can only speak for myself and my own music, because that is what I am most familiar with, and I write about things that I am living or experiencing.  I tend to do it with a sense of humor and I try to do it with raw honesty.  My music is very influenced by more traditional country and traditional soul music, and I like to dance when I sing it.  I have been told that I am little bit “crazy” or a bit of a “smart ass” and that may come out in my music as well.  I like to do MY country with a dash of Beyonce and pinch of Minnie Pearl.

JP:  Growing up in nearby Kentucky, were you a big country music fan as a kid?

LAURA BELL BUNDY:  Is the Pope, Catholic?  You bet your sweet petunia!  Absolutely! 

JP:  Who were some of your earliest country music favorites?

LAURA BELL BUNDY:  When I was really little, I listened to Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Barbara Mandrel, Crystal Gayle, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, and Patsy Cline.   Around 14, I was turned on to Shania, Reba, Merle Haggard, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood… and I’ve followed it ever since.

JP:  I know you're just getting your country career off the ground, but I have to ask...who would be your Dream Duet partner? 

LAURA BELL BUNDY:  Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn or Dolly, and Jack White—when he’s doing the country thing.

JP:  Even though you're a Kentucky girl, you of course first gained notoriety for your starring role as Elle Woods on Broadway in Legally Blonde: The Musical.  What has been the most difficult aspect of transitioning from musical theatre to country crooner? 

LAURA BELL BUNDY:  Honestly?  People think that I did Broadway BEFORE I sang country music.  It was all happening at once.  I have been singing, writing and seriously pursuing county music for the last 10 years—since prior to my first Broadway show.  So, it really hasn’t been a transition in my eyes, it has been more of a truly focused time and a dream come true.

JP:  When I ran into you at the cast party for Legally Blonde during the Broadway touring company's Nashville dates, I was very impressed at how sweet you were to the young girls who asked for autographs and photos.  Heck, you were kind enough to pose for a pic with me and sign my poster. ;-)  No doubt you learned the importance of fans during your live theatre run on Broadway.  Do you think that appreciate will help you as a recording artist, considering, with the exception of touring or the occasional live performance, that live interaction isn't always there? 

LAURA BELL BUNDY:  That’s true.  Fans are fans because they feel a connection to you.  I can relate because I know how I feel around the people I admire.  I also remember what it felt like as a little girl to get an autograph from one of them.  I will always try to keep that in mind even though sometimes it’s hard to balance your time. We are all just people none of us better that the other, and I enjoy connecting with people.  I don’t connect with them so that it will “help” me, I connect with them out of appreciation for their support and so they know I’m real just like them.

JP:  Your website, laurabellbundy.com has undergone a recent redesign in anticipation of your upcoming country music debut.  I love the fact that your website embraces the adage that country songs are either about cheatin' or drinkin'.  To that end, fans have the option of two very different looks for the site's homepage, Achin' and Shakin'. The Shakin' homepage features your single Giddy On Up accompanied by a decidedly party-mode image of you, while the Achin' homepage features a more somber mood with a beautiful image of you in a black party dress, while site visitors listen to a slow tune titled Cigarette. I love that each song showcases a different side of you and personally can't decide which I prefer.  No doubt there's a little of both personas in you, but which are you most like?

LAURA BELL BUNDY:  Oh man, I don’t know.  I’m pretty much an undiagnosed manic-depressive!--I kid!

But seriously, I have two sides to my personality… wild, crazy, socializing, dancing, practical jokin' fool, and introspective, over thinking, philosophical, dark loner.  That’s why this album suits whatever mood I may be in.  I find my balance jumping from those two worlds.  Chances are, the one you will see the most is the “Shakin” socializing one.  The “Achin” girl stays at home on the coach, away from the public eye, eating chocolate, crying about lost love and reading about the inevitability of suffering.

JP:  I've only heard Cigarette and Giddy On Up and as I said, I really like them both.  What are some of your favorite songs on your upcoming debut CD? 

LAURA BELL BUNDY:  "Cigarette," "When It All Goes South," "I’m No Good For Ya Baby," and "If You Want My Love"… for now.  They always change.

JP:  What was the most fun aspect of recording your first country album? 

LAURA BELL BUNDY:  I just LOVE the creative process.  It was so nice to just focus on writing the songs and figure out what the sound was going to be.  The most exciting moment for me was after six months of non-stop writing, discovering what the “concept” of the album was going to be.  The light went off and I became joyously obsessed!

Making music is like experiencing magic and that happened so many times throughout this process.  Writing “Giddy On Up”, hearing “Drop on By” for the first time, recording the “Achin” side completely live with the band… it was all just magical.

JP:  As you step out into the country music spotlight, you join an elite group of young women, who, for the most part, manage to steer clear of scandal,--unlike your pop music counterparts.  That's a daunting responsibility, being a public figure, and therefore an inspiration to young people.  Are you ready for the challenge? 

LAURA BELL BUNDY:  I believe so.  However, the best and only kind of role model I can be is one that is true to themselves.  I am just a human being learning all the things that other human beings are learning.  I can’t abandon that journey just because I am in the public eye.  I will, no doubt, stumble, trip and make mistakes.  But that’s okay; we get our best learning from our mistakes… (and our best songs).  I’ll just be making my mistakes in front of people.  Ultimately, I know who I’m truly judged by.  I choose to inspire people by being someone who is honest and okay with themselves, even when they fail.  

JP:  Can fans expect to see you during CMA Music Fest? 

LAURA BELL BUNDY:  If the CMA fest will have me, I will be there!

JP:  How can fans find out about any upcoming television appearances, live performances or the latest on your upcoming CD? 

LAURA BELL BUNDY:  You can find that information on www.laurabellbundy.com

And, I twitter a lot, too.  So I’ll probably mention it in the tweets @laurabellbundy

JP:  Well, my 20 questions are nearly up--one final question for you.  With your country career no doubt on the fast track, any chance for an all-country music sequel to Legally Blonde: The Musical? ;-) I can see it now, Elle and her hubby move to the south to set up law offices specializing in dog adoption/custody suits.  ;-) 

LAURA BELL BUNDY:  Ha Ha!  That is brilliant!  Kind of like “Sweet Home Alabama Meets Legally Blonde!”   I will call the producers and see what they think.

I may be putting away my pink pumps, but I hope to put on concerts that are just as entertaining and take the audience on a journey.  I also plan to bring a little country to Broadway in the coming years…

Laura Bell Bundy's debut country music video:

Laura Bell Bundy's only getting started.  With her Giddy On Up video debuting today, fans are no doubt going to want to get their hands on the catchy debut single.  As of Tuesday, January 19, both Giddy On Up and Cigarettes, the two songs featured on Bundy's website are available for purchase via iTunes.  Simply click on the icon, which will link you to Laura Bell Bundy's iTunes artist page.

In my interview with LBB, she mentioned a charity she has founded, the Kreative Kids Foundation.  While the site is still in development, donations are being accepted.  To donate to Laura Bell Bundy's charity organization, Kreative Kids Foundation, CLICK HERE.