Nashville fixture Amelia White is gearing to release her seventh album, Rhythm of the Rain on January 25th. The singer-songwriter, who helped redefine the core sound of Americana, returns with twelve short stories and reflections written largely during a tour of the UK in 2016. Ahead of its release, White kindly took the time to speak about the album, routine as the enemy of creativity, a thoughtful gift from a fan, and much more.

What’s the story behind your album’s title?
“Rhythm of the Rain” was written while I was on tour in UK  the summer of 2015. I had some downtime, and was tuning into the BBC news to follow the tensions that were building in our country. It was disturbing to me, and I wrote the song trying to soothe myself from my feelings of alarm, and  homesickness. I stayed in a small attic room with a skylight window, and often on sleepless nights the tapping of the rain on the window would put me out. 

When/where do you do your best writing?
I often feel like I do my best writing on the road, strangely enough.  For me, routine is the enemy of creativity, and freedom from laundry, chores, and bills make my muse sing. The close connection that comes with an audience every night on a tour puts me in tune with my gift, and I become closer attuned to how to get my ideas across. 

What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician?
When I first moved to Nashville, Angelo ( who did a heavy amount of co-writing with early Kings Of Leon ) told me to throw out the ideas of who and what I was as an artist and just do and try everything for a year here in Nashville. My talented pal Jon Byrd also gave me a memorable tidbit on performing in front of talkers by simply saying, “if you let them get to you, they have won.” 

Singer-songwriter, Ana Cristina Cash, recently released My Christmas Collection, a unique compilation featuring eleven all-time favorite holiday classics and one original song. The project was produced by John Carter Cash and recorded at the historic Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee and features everything from a captivating bilingual track, “Silent Night (Noche de Paz)” that showcases Cash’s rich voice, outstanding harmonies and Hispanic American heritage to a heart-warming duet, “Baby, Its Cold Outside,” with John Carter Cash. Here, Cash kindly took the time to answer her Essential 8 where she shared the story behind the album's title as well as the song "Santa Claus is Real," discussed her songwriting process, and more.

​Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
When I was a little girl, I listened to a lot of Celine Dion’s voice. I think that listening to Celine deepened my appreciation for power ballads and for songs that required a broad range. 

What is the story behind "Santa Claus is Real?"
With the song, “Santa Claus is Real”, that I wrote together with my husband, John Carter Cash, we wanted to document Santa’s visit to a home on Christmas Eve and how he came down the chimney and ate all of the cookies. It was a fun process for the both of us to work on this together and imagine what that would be like. 

Is there a story behind your album’s title?
I named my Christmas album “My Christmas Collection” because it is literally a comprehensive collection of my favorite Christmas songs. I hope that other families will add it to their holiday collections as well.

Texas native Abbey Rowe has been making waves in Nashville with her cleverly written lyrics and unmistakeable vocals, opening for Sara Evans, Tracy Byrd & Deana Carter and co-writing with Shane Stevens, Liz Sharp, Pete Sallis, Leslie Satcher, and Nash Overstreet, among others.

Recently Abbey released her debut EP and here she answers her Essential 8 where she discusses songwriting, shares the story behind "Kitchen Table Super Spy", talks the Opry, Disney, tacos, and much more!
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With any particular song was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect? 
Yes!! When we were writing Kitchen Table Super Spy, when we got to the end and played it back we could not stop laughing! I mean, I may or may not have laughed so hard my abs were sore the next day and that’s when I knew that song was right where it needed to be!

Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination? 
For me it’s a combination of all of those! I think as a songwriter, its important for me to push my limits and go out of my comfort zone whether that be telling a story of my own or crafting one for the sake of the song. With my funny songs I like to take on an experience of mine or a friends and then amplify it for maximum hilarity! haha! 

What’’s your favorite/go-to food on the road? 
Hand’s down tacos with a side of chips and queso. Take me to a Mexican restaurant and I am one happy girl!

Pre-Order Into The Blue

Lauded by the media for her stunning performance at California’s famed honky-tonk, The Palomino, songstress Alice Wallace is ready to carry forward the West Coast country legacy that the legendary venue embodied with her new album Into the Blue – set for release on January 18, 2019. The album will be Wallace’s debut on Rebelle Road Records, a Los Angeles label founded by women and dedicated to balancing equity for female artists and keeping alive the California country sound.
 
Her style on this latest effort reflects distinctive musical evolution and places Alice squarely among a host of West Coast artists who are finding success in the Americana scene with songs that are definitively coastal. The 10 songs (plus a bonus track) shine an even brighter light on this Golden State singer, whose luminous voice and soulful, tremulous delivery is reminiscent of classic country icons but imbued with her own vocally rich, modern style. Here, Wallace graciously answers her Essential 8 where she shares the story behind Into The Blue as well as the song "Santa Ana Winds," discusses her songwriting process, the Ryman, and much more.
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Is there a story behind your album’s title?
The title comes from one of the songs on the album - “The Blue.” It’s a song I wrote after having conversations with fans and friends about the desire to pursue your passions even when the outcome is unknown. I quit my full-time job several years ago to throw everything I had into my music. It took years to get up the guts to do it but I’ve never regretted sailing away “into the blue” to chase this dream of mine.  The best part of this song is that my family added vocals at the end, which means so much since they’ve been the ones supporting me all along. The album title also relates to living on the West Coast - so it’s about California, and the southwest, and all that the environment here entails. The ocean has been a constant presence in my life, and “Into the Blue” captures that aesthetic perfectly.

Please choose one song and tell the story behind it.
The first single on the album is probably the song that hits me the hardest right now - “Santa Ana Winds.” I wrote this song with my good friend Andrew Delaney while watching the horrific Thomas Fire in 2017 that caused so much destruction. This year’s fires have proven to be even more deadly and terrifying. It’s becoming a fact of life for us here in California. Typically, the catalyst for these fires is when the Santa Ana winds come through - hot, dry winds that blow in off the desert. Just one tiny spark can wreak incredible havoc. We are facing natural disasters with more frequency and strength across the country than ever before, so I wanted to capture that experience in song - from the perspective of watching a tragedy unfold and being helpless to do anything to change it.

Multidisciplinary artist, Brian Falduto, brings sincere songwriting and infectious melodies with the release of his new album, Stage Two (November 2nd). The album title draws inspiration from psychologist Alan Downs’ book, "The Velvet Rage,” which documents the 3 stages of the gay man’s psychology: shame, compensating for shame, and authenticity. Brian wrote each of the songs on this album during Stage 2 of his own experience, with the lead single “Rainy Day” documenting the darkest moments in that phase of his life. Here, Falduto answers his Essential 8 where he speaks to the album's title and cover, songwriting, and his calling outside of music, his business, Love Life.

Please share the story behind your album’s artwork.
My entire album is named after a stage in gay psychology titled “Stage Two.” It’s a time of growth in the LGBT community where we look at the shame we’ve lived with in the past in the face and we deal with it, often with overcompensation for our life up till now. These songs and these stories were part of my journey during this time in my life. The goal is to eventually move onto a stage of living in genuine authenticity – stage three. I wanted the artwork to be edgy, moody, and raw; capturing the essence of that deep and dark place, where feeling invalidated can take you. But it was also important to me that the images looked real and authentic as that is reflective of the paradigm that I’m adopting. Therefore, the photos are completely unedited and I’m overall very happy with the self-reflective and hopefully relatable shots we captured.
 
Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
Nothing inspires a lyric more than heartbreak – for me anyway. Relationships and the feelings associated seem to grab my heart in a way that only music can properly express. I feel that’s common in country music or just music in general. It’s such a universal place that love can take us.
 
When/where do you do your best writing?
 While walking, actually. It’s sort of like a mobile meditation practice for me. I’ll literally walk for hours and just see what comes up while my thoughts are given room to just process in an unfiltered way and while my body is focused elsewhere. Then I’ll get down and quickly scribble down everything I came up with. Eventually, I’ll jam it to life with my talented musician friends.

With Electric Blue Dandelion-Nashville Sessions, Washington-based duo Raveis Kole present their debut album in a more acoustic manner reflecting a global view and a spirited search for meaning. Lead singer and chief songwriter Laurie Raveis brings a Joni Mitchell vocal phrasing to material that is filled with descriptive, ethereal phrases strung together in a way that provides the listener room for interpretation. Guitarist and sometimes co-writer Dennis Kole adds a playful mastery as he moves between acoustic guitar, Resonator and other stringed instruments to frame songs that strive for a unifying bar. 
  
Electric Blue Dandelion -Nashville Sessions is an album of "cultural cross-pollination, a mix of Southern California freedom, of Middle Eastern mystery, of European panache, of a gypsy’s adventurous spirit." Here, the duo answer their Essential 8 where they talk about inspiration in songwriting, share the story behind "Aloha," speak thoughtfully on success and struggle, and more.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
 From the dark, subterranean depths of my subconscious ? (Just kidding!).  ”Inspiration" is really an excellent word to use within this creative context because it is related to the breath and the initial ideas often come as powerfully, and as naturally, as breathing. The spark can come from listening to someone tell you about a great story or experience; it can arise in response to a powerful visual image or sensory experience. Playing with musical ideas can create a structure for your emotions to settle into, kind of like a bird's nest, and the words can then almost write themselves. Sometimes I can have a handful of lyrical and/or musical fragments that are like the lonely socks in the drawer that have no mates, yet now pair together in a new and unanticipated way! I think that inspiration is generally easy to find, but that it also generally takes perseverance and perspiration to turn the rough carbon into a jewel!
 
Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination?
 All of the above. That said, I think that songs and stories are generally more engaging and powerful when they are told from a first person point of view. If we are writing about someone else's story or experience, or even about a made-up scenario or story, it is important to use your empathy to bring an emotional depth and awareness to what you are writing about. If I have a strong emotional reaction to something that I am writing: tears, tenderness, grief, joy, etc., it is a good sign that the song is also likely to resonate with other people. If I find that the song has become too self-consciously wordy and a bit of an intellectual exercise, then it is unlikely to grab people where they live emotionally. A song that was created from the neck up is unlikely to affect people from the neck down!
 
Please share the story behind your album’s artwork.
 The cover of our album was largely inspired by the song: “Into Me You See (Here & Now)”. When you say it quickly it begins to sound similar to "intimacy" which fittingly describes a song that celebrates being aware of who you, sharing all of your true self and making a life long commitment with another person. We envisioned people getting married to this song and wanted to create a musical memory of this deeply personal and special moment. Our choice to have this as our cover art developed as an outgrowth of our intention to create and present a unified collection of songs that would invite the audience to share our inner vision of Art in Music, and to invite them to experience and enjoy the songs from their own perspectives.

One of the UK’s most exciting and dynamic roots acts, British duo Foreign Affairs, broke onto the music scene back in 2015 with the release of ‘Sell My Soul’, which received support from BBC Radio and landed them a spot at Glastonbury Festival. Since then, they’ve performed at the likes of Country2Country at The O2, The Cambridge Folk Festival, Summertyne Festival and more, becoming a must-see act all over the UK. 

Recently, they released their highly-anticipated new EP, The Old Fire Station, which features the powerful voice of Lawrence and the flawless harmonies from Adam, combined with their wonderfully intricate style of songwriting on six new tracks. Here, the duo answer their Essential 8 and speak about the album's title, share the story behind "Say What You Want About Me" as well as their favorite albums, their love of breakfast, and more.

Is there a story behind your album's title?
We recorded “The Old Fire Station” in our hometown of Bristol. We worked out of “Invada Studios” which was home to “Portishead” for over 20 years and previous to that was Bristol's main Fire Station so it felt appropriate to name the record after this historic building!
 
Do you write about personal experiences, observations, made up stories, or a combination?
Some of our favourite songwriters have always combined all of these aspects into their songwriting which is something that we definitely do. Lyrically we often create characters and scenarios to write from that are loosely based on ourselves or people we know. It gives it a creative freedom.
 
Please choose one song and tell the story behind it.
“Say What You Want About Me”
This was definitely the song from the album that we feel we collaborated together on the most. We were touring in Switzerland when the initial writing process began. Adam had a loose structure to a soaring melody for a chorus and a rough guitar tone in mind which felt comparable to the Lumineers sound. Lyrically we wanted to have a song on the record that displayed defiance and gave the listener an uplifting feeling and ultimately a message of “Never Give Up”.
 
What are you must have albums for the road? 
Rodney Crowell - The Houston Kid (This is probably our most loved record).
Neil Young - Harvest Moon (It’s got a song to suite every single mood)
James Taylor - Hourglass (This was one of the albums that was always on in the house when we were growing up) 

​Watch "Magical Ending" HERE

Katie Barbato demonstrates great talent and a generous heart on her new record, The Art of Falling (released September 21, 2018), a seven-track collection led by Barbato’s delicate guitar work and angelic voice that is warm, hopeful, and openhearted.
Here, Barbato answers kindly her Essential 8 where she speaks of her mentor, Obie O'Brien, shares the story behind The Art of Falling as well as meeting Beth Orton, and much more.

Do you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
My musical mentor is engineer, producer, and songwriter Obie O’Brien. He has taught me so much about songwriting, recording, and performing. Through his guidance, he has shown me how to work on the narrative in my songs and how to really focus on the lyric writing process. He has challenged me in the studio to get out of my comfort zone with my voice and to really push the limits to get a great take. He has several old jukeboxes at his home where he will play the old hits and talk about what makes a song awesome regarding performance and creative measures. He always sends me YouTube links of amazing live performances from the greats. He keeps me inspired and always reaching for my personal best with his wealth of knowledge of the industry and his take on songwriting. 

What is the story behind your album’s title?
“The Art of Falling”: I had many personal falls and one actual physical fall that inspired the title of my new EP. The title signifies learning to get back up with grace and learning to follow the light after experiencing a period of darkness. I had lost a few important people in my life and decided to leave my day job as a music therapist in a nursing home. I was facing a great deal of grief with losing my work family (my patients and their families were the light of my life), and I was taking a lot of runs down by the Delaware River to clear my mind. Unfortunately, I had a bad fall and ended up with stitches and unable to play guitar for a few months. While I was recovering in bed and facing my grief, I promised myself I would master the art of falling and write as much as I could when I recovered. This is where the songs were born.

​When/where do you do your best writing?
I have lived in the cities of Boston and Philly for a combined 20 years. A couple of years ago, I decided I needed to move out of the hustle and bustle, and headed for the country. I do my best writing on my back porch, sitting with my dog, and this big 200+ year old Sycamore tree watching over me. I mainly write on my guitar, but recently I have been gravitating towards the piano. Co-writing with others is challenging for me so I have been facing my fears and trying to write more with my producers, my husband, and songwriting friends I have made along the way.

Nashville's Ben Cesare Band blend blues, rock, and country on their debut EP, Cesare’s Palace, which currently has well over 350,000 streams on Spotify.  Here frontman Cesare answers his Essential 8 where he talks about his favorite concerts, his go-to road food and dream venue, shares the story behind the EP's title, and much more. 





Do you have a favorite (or first) concert you have ever attended?
It’s a tie between 3 concerts;
1. Bruce Springsteen
2. Garth Brooks
3. Queen feat. Adam Lambert
Bruce is a monster entertainer and I was entertained the entire show. Same with Garth. He's insane on stage! Queen is a legendary band and although I would’ve rather seen Freddie Mercury, Adam Lambert from American idol did him justice.  It was fantastic to see the original band as well.

Is there a story behind your album’s title?
Yes! I’d like to think so. CESARE (pronounces like Caesar Salad), is my last name, and to point out the obvious, Cesare’s Palace is a play on words of the Las Vegas hotel. The hotel in Las Vegas caters to the rich and famous. However, moving to Nashville four years ago and experiencing the city has been my own version of “Cesare’s Palace”. The graphic artwork for the album was taken at Santa’s Pub, a double wide trailer, turned into a karaoke bar and live music venue. It’s a dive bar, but it’s very popular with the locals and celebrities because not many tourist know about it. In fact the front cover of the album is graffiti on the wall of the men’s bathroom! The name and the location of the graphic artwork, I hope, would explain to our listeners that my band and I don’t need fancy things in life to be happy. We just want to play our music, have fun, and make a living doing what we love.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten from another musician? 
“One day you’re eating chicken, and the next day you’re eating feathers!”
-Lance Dary (Guitarist for Randy Travis, Patty Loveless and Mark Collie). 
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He is my mentor, and he explained this quote to me a long time ago. It means you have to appreciate every gig you can possibly get. If one day you’re selling out stadiums, but the next day you’re playing in the corner of a coffeehouse, you have to treat each gig or job with professionalism and integrity. Take pride in what you do. No matter the environment.