Not That Far Away

Not That Far Away is the title of a song recorded by American country artist Jennette McCurdy. It was released to country radio on May 24, 2010 and as a music download on June 1, 2010. She also sang an acousic version which is unreleased, but she has a video of herself singing it on her YouTube channel.

Background
"Not That Far Away" is an up-tempo song featuring prominent banjo and electric guitar with steel guitar fills. The song's female narrator describes the scenario of a young girl, who dreams of becoming a country artist, heading out of town to Nashville, Tennessee in pursuit of her dream. In leaving, she finds herself assuring her mother that she's "not that far away" from her hometown in California.

McCurdy said that "this song really captures the last year of my life. I've been in Nashville writing for and recording my record and following my dream while really missing my family and friends back in Garden Grove, California." The single was chosen in a fan-voted poll that featured samples of six songs from her upcoming record; "Not That Far Away," with 30% of the total votes, was selected for release.

Reception
Jim Malec of The 9513 gave the song a thumbs down, comparing the song unfavorably with something Carrie Underwood might record. He stated that while he believes McCurdy "proves herself a generally capable vocalist," he noted that her voice "lacks Underwood’s pristine tonal quality, outstanding vocal control and incredible power."

Jim Kiest remarked, "A perfectly credible, fairly forgettable, country debut about chasing dreams...Fans of her show might have been expecting McCurdy to be a mean-girl counterpart to Taylor Swift; keep hoping, kids, but it hasn't happened yet."

Music video
The music video, which was directed by Roman White and shot in Watertown, Tennessee, premiered on Nickelodeon and CMT on August 14, 2010. In the video, McCurdy is shown moving into a new home, arranging furniture and putting up pictures of her alongside her mother. She then takes her guitar and walks through town, eventually making her way to a coffee shop, where she performs the song during open mic night. Throughout the video, McCurdy is also shown talking on the phone and writing in a journal, as well as singing the song from various locations.

Track listing

 * Not That Far Away (single)

Chart performance
"Not That Far Away" debuted and peaked at number 58 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of July 10, 2010.