 The Young Fables (TYF) - American Idol vet Laurel Wright and accomplished guitarist and vocalist Wesley Lunsford spent much of 2017 on the road, supporting the release of their debut, Two. sharing the stage with Lauren Alaina, Josh Turner, Sara Evans, and more. Securing a win at the Nashville finals of the NASH FM nationwide NASH NEXT competition, the radio giant embraced the duo as a Ty, Kelly and Chuck favorite, regularly highlighting The Young Fables in the Ten Minute Tune segment. This year, TYF have wrapped recording on their sophomore album Old Songs, a ten song collection due May 4th that establishes The Young Fables' sonic home in the Country/Americana community as a modern proclaimer and preservationist of classic country's storytelling roots. In advance of the release, Laurel and Wes took the time to answer their Essential 8+ where they talk about the story behind their album's title, their favorite food stops on the road, the Opry, and more! Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you? Laurel: My musical mentor would probably be Wes. We’ve only been playing together for 4 years and I’ve grown so much in that short amount of time. I feel I owe a lot of that to Wes because of his work ethic and musical knowledge Wes: I’ve had many great teachers and they all taught me the same thing, find what you love and make it your own. We all know what moves us personally in music and it’s up to you to find out what that is. Is there a story behind your album’s title? As you may know, “Old Songs” is also a track on the record, but we believe it perfectly matches our sonic direction and love for the vintage country sound. We like to call our music Modern Traditional Country --- classic country roots with a modern twist! Therefore “Old Songs” and the Young Fables, it just fits!  Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
Everywhere, as cliche' as it may sound. Sometimes from our own lives or things around us. But some of the best songs come from other people’s challenges, because sometimes you just get sick of your own! What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician? Never say no if at all possible. What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out? Hard work will always trump talent. Recently we heard someone say "Hustle beats talent when talent doesn’t hustle”. That sums it up. What’s your favorite food on the road? TACO BELL! And of course the 3 Starbucks stops we have to make per day. What’s the most frustrating thing about being on the road? Laurel has to stop and go to the bathroom literally every hour so it takes a lot longer than it should. What do you love most about being on the road? Meeting new people and discovering new places What has been your biggest struggle so far? That’s a hard question to answer because we feel so lucky to be doing what we do. But if we had to pick something it would be the financial burden of being an independent artist. It requires organization and effective management, but it sure does force you to hold yourself accountable for all your decisions, right or wrong. Who would you love to collaborate with? Laurel— Kacey Musgraves for sure Wes— Willie Nelson Which song of yours gets the best crowd response? A song that we wrote about Laurel’s father called “Daddy’s Girl.” So many people rush up and talk to us about that song after our gigs. And it’s not just women who relate to being a Daddy’s girl, but any guy who has a daughter seems to relate as well. Favorite (or first) concert you have ever attended? Laurel— My first concert was front row at a Keith Urban show in Knoxville, TN. My mom won free tickets off the radio and I was in elementary school. I swear I thought Keith was staring at me the whole time. Wes— I just saw Julian Lage in Knoxville and I was so inspired and blown away. Seeing him live was amazing! Favorite thing to do on a day off? Laurel— SLEEP and Netflix Wes— I am a huge nerd so if I’m not playing or practicing I’m probably watching horror movies, reading, or playing board games. Have you met any of your heroes? If so, how did it go? Sometimes we play in the Nashville airport and you never know who is gonna be walking by. We’ve met so many awesome people by chasing them down. Laurel ran after John Prine to get a picture, we talked with Vince Gill and Marty Stuart and Connie Smith, Dave Mustaine gave us a thumbs up, Laurel got a tweet from Sheryl Crow, and we got a picture with Charlie Korsmo who was the kid off the movie Hook! Is there a professional “bucket list” item you would love to check off? We want to be members of the Grand Ole Opry someday so we can eat for free at the Opry Backstage Grill! Website Pre-Order
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