Sherrie Austin

The Australian country singer/songwriter applies a similar take-charge approach to her music, overseeing not only the creative side of her career, but also the financial end.

“It’s a business like anything else and if you were working at any other kind of job, you would want to know who’s looking after your money and who’s doing what with what and who’s making decisions on your behalf. So why should the music business be any different?” said the artist born Sherrié Krenn.

“I’m extremely involved in everything. You can’t make all the decisions because other people have to do that, as well. But I think it’s an artist’s responsibility to know what’s going on in their career. It’s your life, so you’ve got to keep an eye on the ball,” said the Aussie in control.

Among her marketing strategies was a lipstick tie-in to May’s release, “Never Been Kissed,” which climbed to No. 1 on Billboard’s country single sales chart. The $13.50-a-pop shade, called Austin-tatious, debuted at Fan Fair ’99.

The music video, however, has overshadowed her cosmetic line. “So far, that’s been my best marketing tool,” Austin said of the “Never Been Kissed” video. The top seller, which was also the most requested by viewers on CMT, features the soprano as Snow White. True to fairy tale form, the protagonist kisses a frog.

The businesswoman also implemented a new marketing method with her sophomore album, Love In The Real World, one she didn’t utilize with her 1997 debut, Words. In-store appearances, Internet promotions and digital delivery of the first single to radio through Liquid Audio created hype and consumer awareness of her second Arista set.

As for the creative side, Austin is as much a songwriter as a singer. She co-wrote 11 of the 12 songs on Love In The Real World, which was released in August. Similarly, she wrote or co-wrote seven of the 10 songs on 1997’s album.

“I grew up with country music and I’ve been writing songs since I was a little girl,” said the 5-foot-1 Austin, who moved to California at 16 and has called the States home for 13 years.

While the acoustic guitarist has accomplished much, Will Rambeaux, the songwriter she approached at a Nashville party and predicted would work with her, has been by her side virtually every step of the way. He is her producer, songwriting partner and romantic lead.

Their talent and effort have garnered Austin her share of recognition. Earlier this month, she was in the running for the Billboard Music Video Awards, nominated for best clip of the year and best new artist for “Never Been Kissed.” At this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards, she was up for top new female vocalist. In 1998, the CMA of Australia named her best new talent and nominated her for female vocalist of the year in 1999.

Austin’s growing fame might be perceived as an overnight success, considering the rapid succession of events once she moved to Nashville, as well as her big break at age 14. That’s when she opened for Johnny Cash in Australia. Two years later, she won the role of Pippa on the TV sitcom “The Facts of Life” and her family relocated to California. Eventually, she moved to Music City. In less than a year, she was writing with Rambeaux, signed to a publishing deal, represented by a manager and picked up by Arista Records.

“I’ve been doing this since I was 14 years old, so it wasn’t like I got to Nashville and it happened overnight, even though it did happen in the first year,” Austin said. “I paid a lot of my dues in Australia and a lot of my dues in California and I’m still paying ’em here. You never stop paying ’em. Vince and Reba still pay them. It’s part of the game.”

Touring is also part of the mix and this month’s release of Love In The Real World’s second single, “Little Bird,” and the accompanying music video, which debuted November 17th, are incentives to keep the momentum building.

“I’ve been out playing every club and pub and honky-tonk and festival and fair by myself and with other artists,” Austin said of her schedule. No stranger to the road, she opened for the Tracy Lawrence/Trace Adkins tour in 1997 and last year, she appeared with Clint Black, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, and Jo Dee Messina.

When the touring stops, she plans to write. “When I’m off the road, I’ll spend the next couple months trying to come up with a third record,” she said. “I didn’t know what I was gonna write about on the second album and it just happened, so I’ll just have to wait and see what interesting stuff I’ve built up inside me for the last year and a half.”

Considering her albums contain material written from personal experiences – her first CD featured songs composed after her first heartbreak and her current release is about growth and survival – she may have touched on the upcoming theme when she revealed one of the greatest lessons she’s learned lately: “to take a break every now and then because it really gets a bit much at times.” Whatever the theme, she’ll tell it like it is.