Debut Album - Made You Look
My debut album recorded in 2015 at The Tracking Room in Nashville, Tennessee.
Free shipping in the USA. Internationally available at CDBaby.com or Amazon.com
Listen to each song for FREE below - check out my "OnLiner" Notes for each song.
Hand Me Down Life - OnLiner Notes
Originally, I thought this song would be a ballad about a girl who didn't want a hand-me-down-life. But then came the idea of the girl realizing that sometimes memories are what make life special. My songwriter friends, Marty Dodson and Clay Mills always say to "go where the song takes you" - and that's exactly what I did.
This song was also awarded an Honorable Mention in American Songwriter Magazine.
The Needle on the Vinyl - OnLiner Notes
Writing this song was a very hands-on experience. It originally was a line in another song we were working on, but we loved the line so much that we decided it deserved its own song. We played some records and noticed how the turntable, vinyl and needle all worked together to make the music play. It's really a song about life and the way life happens. This song was also awarded an Honorable Mention in American Songwriter Magazine.
Let's Make History - OnLiner Notes
This song came about after we attended a songwriters' workshop weekend in Montgomery, Alabama at the Hank Williams Museum. Grand Ole Opry member, Jan Howard mentioned that "we have to make history before we are history" - and it was the perfect inspiration for a song. This one turned out to be one of the more traditional country songs on the album - almost bluegrass. I love what the band did with this arrangement!
Could've Been - OnLiner Notes
During my first photo shoot, I got to pose in front of an old, abandoned house in Nashville. I wondered what kinds of people lived there and why they left. I wrote a song about it that quickly became one of my favorites. The piano player, Randy Harper, made this one so touching. I almost started to cry in the middle of the recording! Randy was so much fun to work with. His section of the studio was right next to mine, and I could watch him play as I was singing. It was great!
Made You Look - OnLiner Notes
My mom heard a girl at her school say, "Take that back or buy me a Cadillac!" and asked me what other things kids say. I thought about all the different sayings I'd heard on the playground at school. I sat down with a list and wondered how I could weave them into a story. But then, I thought of a tune to turn the list into a jazzy mashup of sayings. I said, "Hurry, Mom - get the recorder! I have an idea!" I never thought a jazz song would end up on my country album, but it did.
I Wish I Had Written That - OnLiner Notes
Whenever I hear a great song, I think about how much I wish I had written it. That's what inspired this song. I got to sneak in all kinds of song references, from James Taylor to John Denver. I was even able to mention a certain Disney song that probably still hasn't gotten out of you mind... I love the drums on this one, especially at the end of the bridge. It was really fun having the talented percussionist, Isaiah Lyon, join me in the studio. He did a great job on the whole album!
Old Men - OnLiner Notes
This song is based on a few old men who sit at the a table at our corner store. I thought about all the things they could tell us and teach us. Matt Petty, my friend in Nashville (who also designed the cover of the album), told me some stories about his grandfather and his neighbor that helped me come up with ideas for this song. And, the line about "baseball heroes" is actually inspired by something said by my friend, Carl Jackson.
Sidetracked - OnLiner Notes
This is completely me - I always get sidetracked, no matter what I'm doing. But, I'm not the only country singer to be that way. The line about the "shiny quarter" was actually something Trisha Yearwood said at a concert I saw of hers. I guess she gets sidetracked, too.
Tryin' to Outrun the Rain - OnLiner Notes
We got stuck in a huge rainstorm, and Mom asked Dad if he wanted to stop at a hotel or keep on going and try to outrun the rain. The song grew from there. This song has a really special meaning to me - I was in the audience at a show and Doug Johnson invited me up to play a song - I did not have my guitar with me. Kim Williams, let me borrow the guitar that he wrote many of Garth Brooks's songs with. Kim is no longer with us, but this song is the perfect way to remember him.
Turn It Up - OnLiner Notes
The first verse is basically my morning. I have to wake up at 5:30 in the morning to get to school on time. Singing along to music helps me wake up and get ready for the day. During the second verse, I talk about my first school dance - nobody danced for the first ten minutes. Once good songs came on, the place went nuts with dancing and fun. It just shows the power of music!
The Loveless Cafe - OnLiner Notes
I write songs in the car on my way to school. I was really missing the Loveless Cafe after our Christmas trip to Nashville. After posting it on my YouTube and Facebook pages, I got a message from two very nice women from the Loveless - Jessica and Molly. Molly and her husband, Bob, invited me to play at the Harpeth Room at The Loveless. They were instrumental in helping me create this album project. So, naturally, it seemed fitting to put this song on the album as a special bonus track!