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31 Days of Women: Caitlyn Smith

Caitlyn-Smith

Caitlyn Smith has written hits for numerous artists including Meghan Trainor’s “Like I’m Gonna Lose You,” Cassadee Pope’s “Wasting All These Tears,” Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton’s “You Can’t Make Old Friends” and Garth Brooks’ “Tacoma,” among others. After years of writing for other acts, Smith released her excellent debut album, Starfire, in January.

I’ve interviewed her several times over the years and Smith’s energy is contagious. Additionally, her star power is evident in the live setting where her voice soars majestically. Take a listen to “Tacoma” below for further proof.

 

 

“I’ve been writing in Nashville for probably 12 years,” she told me back in 2015. “I tell people it’s 90% disappointing. A lot of times you’ll write a song and be like, ‘Yay! This a masterpiece.’ And maybe you’ll show it to somebody, and maybe it’ll get put on hold, and then it won’t get cut. Or, maybe it will get cut, but it won’t make the record. Or, maybe it will make the record but it won’t be a single. There’s a lot of disappointment.”

This disappointment can be heard on her standout track, “This Town is Killing Me,” which you can hear below. Despite the struggles songwriting can often bring, Smith has learned to celebrate every small success.

“I remember that first couple years that I moved to town. Anytime something awesome would happen I would go and buy a bottle of champagne and we would celebrate, because it’s really an exciting journey. Celebrate the little things,” she adds.

 

 

Smith will be celebrating a new album and headlining tour this week at SXSW. If you’re in Austin, be sure to catch one of her showcases.

https://twitter.com/caitlynsmith/status/971460518828494849

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31 Days of Women: Angaleena Presley

Angaleena Presley

Courtesy: Marushka Media

While I’ve already highlighted Ashley Monroe and the Pistol Annies as part of my 31 Days of Women feature, I figured it might be best to showcase each member of the trio individually. Angaleena Presley has remained one of my favorite interviews because of the honesty she shared in our chat nearly four years ago. I sat down with the singer in a cafe in New York City to discuss her debut solo album, American Middle Class, and throughout our lengthy chat there were tears, laughter and many life realizations.

“I got introduced to the world as Holler Annie with these two blondes beside me,” she tells me of her bandmates Miranda Lambert and Ashley Monroe. “I feel like I had to get in a band, make history and kick down a door so I could walk through it as a solo artist…I’m an older artist and I could sit there and be like, ‘Oh this should have happened.’ No. If it didn’t happen like this, you wouldn’t have had this story to write or this song that so many people connect with. I feel like everything happened the way it was supposed to happen for me.”

Many people resonated with her critically acclaimed debut, where on each of the 12 tracks she gives an honest portrayal of her life covering the moments that others may want to forget. On “Drunk,” she details the hurdles she faced during the “most horrific, tumultuous, part of my marriage” and likens writing the song to therapy.

 

 

Meanwhile, previous single “Ain’t No Man” best describes Presley’s perseverance and perhaps her feminist leanings.

“I just think women are amazing creatures and I’m so glad that I am a woman. I just want to empower women,” she says. “We still have to fight for equality. I think we’re a group of people who have been discriminated against, probably more than any other group on the planet. I just feel like we need to stick together. We need to love our men, but we need to make sure that they don’t take advantage.”

She adds, “Ain’t no man gonna tell me to put a bikini on and wallow around on the hood of a truck. I’m going to sing songs about real things and real problems and real joy and real grief. This is the only thing I know how to do. I can’t fit into the model. I guess I broke the mold and I’m not going away.”

 

 

For more of my interview with Angaleena Presley, visit Radio.com.

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31 Days of Women: Pistol Annies

Pistol Annies ride again…

A post shared by Angaleena Presley (@guitarleena) on

Country fans hoping for a reunion from female trio the Pistol Annies are in luck as Miranda Lambert has surprised several cities during her Livin’ Like Hippies Tour with a special performance by her bandmates Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley.

New music may even be on the way as several weeks ago, Lambert teased a new song that she admits might be a good fit for the band.

If this new music sees the light of day, it will mark the first album for the group since 2013’s sophomore project Annies Up. Each member of the trio is a solo artist and often Pistol Annies takes a backseat to their careers as individual artists. Longtime friends, Pistol Annies made their debut performance in 2011 during CBS’ Girls Night Out: Superstar Women of Country. Several months later they released their critically acclaimed debut album, Hell on Heels.

I covered their tour kickoff in 2012 for Billboard and the concert was a memorable one. The three artists combined sass, wit and talent for a stand-out show, I wrote at the time.

“Sharing drinks onstage, constantly complimenting each other and sharing hugs, it’s easy to see the Pistol Annies are real friends on and off the stage. ‘As you can see, we’re in slumber party mode all the time, Lambert said.”

Their songwriting talent is also showcased in much of their material as is their ability to discuss often taboo topics as can be heard on “Talkin’ Pills” and “Hush, Hush,” which you can listen to below.

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31 Days of Women: Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood

Courtesy: Universal Music Group Nashville

Carrie Underwood has reigned on the country charts for over a decade following her 2005 American Idol  win. With seven GRAMMY Awards under her belt and 26 No. 1 singles, Underwood is one of very few female contemporary country artists receiving steady airplay.

Her pristine vocals are unmatched by any female singer today and her most recent headlining tour, The Storyteller Tour, displayed her vocal talent night after night. The tour was also recognized by Pollstar, who named Underwood as the top female country touring artist.

Underwood has released numerous songs over the years that touch upon female empowerment and embody strong female characters. On “Church Bells,” a married woman cleverly breaks free from her abusive husband and “Dirty Laundry” has Underwood singing of how she refuses to put up with an unfaithful man. Meanwhile, the memorable murder ballad “Two Black Cadillacs” has two women teaming up to seek revenge on a cheating spouse.

 

 

On each track, Underwood’s powerful vocals are at the forefront. The song that perhaps best showcases this is the poignant “Something In the Water,” which you can listen to below.

 

 

Today marks the singer’s 35th birthday so here’s to hoping at least 35 more chart toppers are in her future!

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31 Days of Women: Erin Enderlin

Erin Enderlin

I recently began freelancing for 650 AM WSM, radio home of the Grand Ole Opry, and was lucky enough to spend some time visiting the station’s afternoon show, Nashville Today. One of the guests on the show today was singer-songwriter Erin Enderlin and I was blown away at her lyrics and the powerful storytelling within her music. She performed the poignant “Till It’s Gone” featured on her latest album, Whiskeytown Crier, which you can hear below.

While Enderlin is an engaging solo artist, she has also penned songs for the likes of Terri Clark, Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, Lee Ann Womack, and Luke Bryan, among others. Produced by Jamey Johnson and Jim “Moose” Brown, her 2017 release embodies plenty of heartache, murder ballads and classic country songs that will stop listeners in their tracks. Well aware that she pens her fair share of sad songs, Enderlin told host Devon O’Day that writing is often therapy for her.

“I have chronic depression and I think for a long time maybe I didn’t understand how sad my songs were,” she admits. “For me, music is therapy.”

Enderlin will perform on the Grand Ole Opry for the second time on Saturday (March 10) and an afternoon show at Nashville’s 3rd and Lindsley on Tuesday (March 13). For more of her tour dates, visit her website.

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31 Days of Women: Margo Price

Margo Price

Courtesy: Shore Fire

Margo Price isn’t afraid to speak out about injustice and on “Pay Gap” she sings about the need for equality in the work force. She performed the song last night (March 7) on Conan, a fitting choice ahead of International Women’s Day. Backed by the all-female mariachi band Las Mariachi Lindas Mexicanas, and with “Inclusion Rider” taped across her guitar, she adequately got her point across.

“It’s not that I’m asking for more than I’m owed / And I don’t think I’m better than you / They say that we live in the land of the free / But sometimes that bell don’t ring true . . . Women do work and get treated like slaves since 1776,” she sings on “Pay Gap.”

“When I decided I was gonna put ‘Pay Gap’ on my album, I kind of knew it wouldn’t be a radio hit but really nothing I do is and I’m just trying to make good music — I’m not concerned with the mainstream perception of it,” she said in a recent interview with CBC Music. “I think down the road it will be looked at as one of those moments because it’s insane that in 2018 people still think the pay gap is a myth. It’s pretty mind-blowing.”

She adds, “I think it’s just a very slow, long burn trying to get equal rights. And we go back to the ’60s and the ’70s and we’re thinking that we’re making progress and it’s just very tedious work. Maybe after I’m dead in a hundred years they say the pay gap might be closed. I’m not holding my breath.”

A song about equality, watch Price’s performance of “Pay Gap” below.

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31 Days of Women: Stephanie Quayle

Stephanie-Quayle

Credit: Amaryllis Lockhart

Stephanie Quayle’s latest single, “Selfish,” has the Montana native singing of spending some quality alone time with her husband. All dolled up for a night to themselves, Quayle explains how she’s selfish when it comes to her beau.

“Sometimes I’m like, ‘Man, I just want some more time with my husband,'” she previously told me in an interview. “I was like, ‘I hate sharing him. Man, I’m being so selfish.’ Then [I thought], ‘Oh, that might be a good song idea.'”

Quayle released the music video for the song on Tuesday (March 6). Directed by Jeff Johnson (Carrie Underwood/Cole Swindell/Chris Young), the concept behind the video was to reveal a more intimate, softer side to her fans.

“This video concept is simple — think back to the white T-shirt and jeans style of GAP and Calvin Klein,” Quayle describes in a press release. “The lyrics of this song say it all so we wanted to capture their raw vulnerability on screen without having a literal visual representation.”

During an interview last year with Taste of Country, Quayle said she first moved to Nashville over seven years ago. Instantly in awe at the level of writers in Music City, she hoped to one day fit into the songwriting community. Her unique vision for “Selfish,” among other songs she penned for her latest album Love the Way You See Me, have made this dream a reality for the singer-songwriter.

“One of my greatest desires when I moved to Nashville was to earn the respect of the community. The songwriting community, the artist community, and it be real and authentic. I think what I’m starting to feel is that camaraderie from a real, honest way,” she notes.

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31 Days of Women: Lindi Ortega

Lindi Ortega

Credit: Kate Nutt

Lindi Ortega is gearing up to release her fifth studio album, Liberty, on March 30 and in a new article featured on Lenny Letter, the singer opens up about her lifelong struggle with body-dysmorphic disorder.

Ortega is extremely honest about her often debilitating condition. She cites an experience being bullied as a teen for making her go into a spiral of self-consciousness and obsession with her appearance.

“When I was thirteen, I showed up to a party where I happened to be wearing the same top as one of the ‘pretty girls’ in my class,” she writes. “Noting this, a boy lined us up side by side and decided it would be fun to compare us. His cruel assessment of me, in front of my peers, was devastating. Up until that point, I hadn’t really had any comparison for my looks; I thought I was normal. It wasn’t until people told me I was ugly that I started to believe that I truly was.”

For years, Ortega says she struggled with her appearance. “My self-image grew so distorted that I actually convinced myself I was deformed,” she continues. Thanks to extensive therapy and support from her mother, Ortega has learned to cope with BDD.

“People often ask me where my dark, lonely songs come from. This is that place,” she concedes. Read her heartfelt post here.

Ortega proves to be a positive role model as she speaks out about the struggle one goes through with BDD and works hard to overcome her ongoing battle with BDD. Listen to her new single, fittingly titled “The Comeback Kid,” below.

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31 Days of Women: Ashley Monroe

Ashley Monroe

Credit: Hannah Burton

Ashley Monroe is gearing up to release her fourth album, Sparrow, on April 20 and if her new single “Hands On You” is any indication, listeners are in for a memorable journey. The sultry ballad has Monroe singing of how she wishes she was with a man instead of being alone in bed while thinking about him.

In an interview with NPR Music, the singer says the song’s inspiration came from a weekend beach trip. While she was forced to stay at the hotel due to a stomach bug, her friends were out enjoying themselves and returned with stories of the handsome men they had met. (Read more of her interview about “Hands On You” and her upcoming album here).

Monroe’s newly released acoustic performance highlights the song’s lyrics while her wavering vocals are at the forefront. Accompanied by delicate guitar and violin, the acoustic version of “Hands On You” is striking. Listen below.

 

 

Monroe worked with producer Dave Cobb on the album and co-wrote each of the 12 tracks featured on Sparrow.

“I knew I wanted to work with Dave,” Monroe says in a press release. “All of his records are consistently awesome and classic, timeless, old and new all in one. Country music is a wide genre, and that’s OK. I don’t even know what genre this record is, but I know it’s me.”

Sparrow Track List:

1. “Orphan” (Ashley Monroe, Gordie Sampson, Paul Moak)
2. “Hard On A Heart” (Ashley Monroe, Blu Sanders, Paul Moak)
3. “Hands On You” (Ashley Monroe, Jon Randall)
4. “Mother’s Daughter” (Ashley Monroe, Brendan Benson, Ryan Beaver)
5. “Rita” (Ashley Monroe, Nicole Galyon, Paul Moak)
6. “Wild Love” (Ashley Monroe, Waylon Payne, Brendan Benson)
7. “This Heaven” (Anderson East, Ashley Monroe, Aaron Raitiere)
8. “I’m Trying To” (Ashley Monroe, Kassi Ashton, Jon Randall)
9. “She Wakes Me Up (Rescue Me)” (Ashley Monroe, Waylon Payne, Paul Moak)
10. “Paying Attention” (Ashley Monroe, Waylon Payne, Brendan Benson)
11. “Daddy I Told You” (Ashley Monroe, Angaleena Presley, Josh O’Keefe)
12. “Keys To The Kingdom” (Ashley Monroe, Waylon Payne)

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31 Days of Women: Carly Pearce

Carly Pearce

Credit: Harper Smith

Carly Pearce is making a name for herself in the country genre as a powerful songwriter and artist. Her debut single, “Every Little Thing,” became her first No. 1 last year, making Pearce the only solo female with a charting country debut single certified Gold in 2017 and the highest charting solo female debut since July 2015. The song’s success had Pearce in a distinguished class as she joined Carrie Underwood and Kelsea Ballerini as one of only three women to achieve this feat in the past 12 years.

I chatted with Pearce for a cover story for Sounds Like Nashville and the recent ACM nominated New Female Vocal Artist of the Year says that she hopes to be remembered as a female who helped mold this era of country music. Meanwhile, “Every Little Thing” is breaking the mold for women on country radio and she admits the song’s success still amazes her.

“Never in a million years did I think that song would have broke the records and done what it’s done,” she marvels. “In Nashville, it’s hard enough to break through as a female artist in general, but then with a heartbreak ballad as your debut. That’s kind of the kiss of death. To see what it’s done and maybe start to be one of the females in that line of girls that help to change the mold for new females is really, really exciting, and truly is all I’ve ever wanted to do. I’ve dreamt of singing country music on a mass level since I was a little girl.”

Pearce’s new single, “Hide the Wine,” shows a different side to the singer. An upbeat track, she admits she’s excited to be happy on country  radio. Listen to her new single below and catch her on tour this year with Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett and Rascal Flatts.