DISClaimer: Sister Sadie, Appalachian Road Show Top Bluegrass Offerings

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Let’s have a quick look today at what’s going on in the bluegrass world.

The stack of platters boasts two excellent live collections, one from Hot Rize and one from The Earls of Leicester. NewTown and Balsam Range have both returned with dandy sets.

The Disc of the Day award goes to the all-female group Sister Sadie, now marketing its second collection.

One of the most consistently enjoyable discs came from Appalachian Road Show, which earns it a DisCovery Award.

LORRAINE JORDAN & CAROLINA ROAD/True Grass
Writers: David Stewart; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Pinecastle (track)
– This has been sitting at No. 1 on the Bluegrass Unlimited chart for months. It is unadulterated ‘grass, stacked with high-lonesome harmonies and stately picking. The head-scratching premise of the song is that “Murder on Music Row” now extends to the bluegrass sound. You see, they’ve killed country music, and now they’re killing bluegrass, too. That’s news to me.

HIGH FIDELITY/The Hills and Home
Writer: John Duffy; Producers: Jeremy Stephens, Corrina Rose Logston Stephens and Brad Benge; Publisher: Fort Knox/Trio;BMI; Rebel
– This band’s debut CD has yielded a tune that’s at No. 5 on the bluegrass chart this month and is rising fast. The highlights are splendid runs on mandolin, fiddle, acoustic guitar and banjo. The group’s vocal blend is smooth and a trifle bland. More excitement, please.

SISTER SADIE/Losing You Blues
Writers: Tina Adair/Doug Barlett; Producer: Sister Sadie; Publisher: Tina Adair, BMI; Pinecastle
-This band has an all-star female lineup — Dale Ann Bradley, Deanie Richardson, Tina Adair, Gena Britt and Beth Lawrence. Tina takes a fiery lead vocal on the CD’s lead-off tune, which is rising rapidly on the bluegrass chart at No. 12. Deanie’s fiddle sizzles throughout this minor-key gem about rising above a heartbreak. Essential.

LARRY CORDLE/Yardbird
Writers: L. Cordle/L. Shell; Producer: Larry Cordle; Publisher: Wandachord/Not Her Money, BMI; Mighty Cord (track)
– This Nashville songwriting treasure has just entered the Bluegrass Unlimited top-20 with this lively ode to pecking chickens. The album is titled Tales From East Kentucky. Like everything Cordle does, it’s a keeper.

APPALACHIAN ROAD SHOW/Dance, Dance, Dance
Writers: B. Cooper/J. Cooper/S. Miller; Producers: Barry Abernathy, Darrell Webb, Ben Isaacs; Billy Blue
– Clocking in at No. 20 on the bluegrass hit parade is this scampering, ear-opening acoustic treatment of a Steve Miller Band rock tune. The cornerstones of this group are lead singers Barry Abernathy (banjo in Mountain Heart, Doyle Lawson’s Quicksilver, IIIrd Tyme Out) and Darrell Webb (mandolin in Lonesome River Band, J.D. Crowe’s New South, Rhonda Vincent’s Rage). Also doing outstanding work here is fiddler Jim VanCleve. The track comes from a highly diverse and immensely enjoyable collection. Buy and believe.

BALSAM RANGE/Get Me Gone
Writers: Walt Wilkins/Jim McBride/Jon Randall Stewart; Producer: Balsam Range; Publishers: Curb Congregation/Reynsong/Rightfield/Songs of Daniel/Tanasi Island/Wha Ya Say/Rezemblance, SESAC/BMI; Mountain Home
– Entering the bluegrass chart this month at No. 25 is this travelin’-man ditty. The lickety-split tempo and ultra cool song craftsmanship are the calling cards here. Balsam Range is the reigning IBMA Entertainer of the Year, and its new Aeonic CD is a clear demonstration why. The set, due on Jan. 4, also includes its proven hit, “The Girl Who Invented the Wheel” and a breakneck-speed cover of The Beatles’ “If I Needed Someone.”

THE EARLS OF LEICESTER/Long Journey Home
Writers: traditional; Producer: Jerry Douglas; Publisher: public domain; Rounder
– This all-star band’s goal is to keep the classic sound of Flatt & Scruggs alive. Its debut in-concert CD is Live at the CMA Theater in the Country Music Hall of Fame, recorded over a two-night stand last February. Its lead single gives Jerry Douglas’s dobro, Charlie Cushman’s banjo and Johnny Warren’s fiddle room to dazzle the ears. Shawn Camp’s guitar and voice set the pace. This band totally rules.

NEWTOWN/Heart of Stone
Writer: Tyler Childers; Producer: Barry Bales; Publishers: Hickman Holler/BMI; Mountain HOme
-NewTown prides itself in painting a little outside the bluegrass lines. Drawing from the catalog of Americana/country sensation Tyler Childers for three of the tunes on its Old World CD is one illustration of this. The tart/sweet lead voice of fiddler Kati Penn takes us through the haunting melody of his hillbilly heartache lament about a wicked temptress. Highly listenable, as is the entire collection.

HOT RIZE/Wichita Lineman
Writer: Jimmy Webb: Producer: none listed; Publisher: Universal PolyGram International, ASCAP; Ten In Hand
– The band celebrated its 40th anniversary this year with a bash in Boulder that featured such celeb guests as Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan and Jerry Douglas. For a bluegrass group (heck, any group) to endure that long is practically unheard of. Even more impressive is the fact that Hot Rize still sounds so scintillating. This cover of the 1968 Glen Campbell classic is just one of many super moments on this outstanding, 26-track live recording. Amazing band. Enduring love from this longtime listener.

TELLICO/Courage For The Morning
Writers: Anya Hinkle; Producer: John Doyle; Publishers: none listed, BMI; Organic
– Released last month, this group’s Woven Waters CD leads off with this inspirational tune about perseverance and strength of character. Anya Hinkle’s slightly bluesy, behind-the-beat phrasing is quite ear catching. The dobro accents by the group’s Aaron Ballance are nifty, too. Don’t have a cow, but there’s an electric guitar in the mix.

Inaugural Reviver Fest 2018 Wraps Up Year On High Note

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Pictured: David Lee Murphy headlines inaugural Reviver Fest 2018 at St. Petersburg’s Jannus Live outdoor concert venue on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018.

Reviver Entertainment Group invited radio industry members and special guests last weekend (Dec. 14 – 16) for a trip of gratitude and relaxation in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Appropriately named Reviver Fest 2018, the outing offered attendees exclusive hotel amenities as the label commandeered the entire Hotel Zamora for its guests for the waterfront excursion. Led by President/CEO David Ross and Executive VP/GM Gator Michaels, Reviver created this trip to thank industry reps for their support by offering a fun getaway as the year comes to a close. The gathering also gave attendees the change to hang with Reviver’s artists and songwriters and hear their music.

Pictured (L-R): Singer-songwriter David DeVaul, Reviver Executive VP/GM Gator Michaels, singer-songwriters Alex Kline, Aaron Goodvin and Michael Tyler, Reviver President/CEO David Ross.

Courtesy of Reviver’s record label and related publishing and label services companies, guests were welcomed with cocktails and dinner on Friday evening, followed by an acoustic show at the hotel featuring Reviver Records artist singer-songwriter Michael Tyler and songwriters Alex Kline, David DeVaul and Aaron Goodvin.

1608 Regional Promotion Manager Roger Fregoso and fishing guide “Roy” in Tampa Bay.

On Saturday, guests enjoyed a variety of offerings including spending time relaxing by the hotel pool, golf at The Mainland Golf Course, fishing in Tampa Bay, spa treatments at Spa Oceana, yoga on the hotel rooftop and kayaking in the hotel’s intra-coastal waterway.

Saturday night had plenty to offer as well with Reviver’s veteran hit-maker and No.1 singer-songwriter David Lee Murphy headlining the popular St. Petersburg’s outdoor venue, Jannus Live.

The free show also featured Reviver artists Tenille Arts, Josh Gracin, and Haley & Michaels. After the show, Reviver’s Regional Promotion Manager Dave Collins shared his gaming skills by offering a poker tournament for guests back at the hotel which lasted long into the night.

Pictured (L-R): Program and music director Mike Thomas (KFAV/Warrenton, MO), singer-songwriter Aaron Goodvin, Mike Thomas’ wife Donna, MusicRow Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson.

Other Reviver executives and management that were in attendance, among all of the company’s staff, included Bob Reeves (Senior VP of Promotion), Jim Malito (VP of Promotion), Paul Williams (VP of Marketing & Artist Development), Hayley Cowoski (Manager of Marketing & Artist Development), Clay Myers and Carole Ann Mobley (Reviver Publishing) and Mark Ziegenfuss (Partner).

Singer-songwriter Tenille Arts demonstrates impressive rowing technique kayaking down the McPherson Bayou behind Hotel Zamora.

Attendees came home with gift bags which included elevated swag items including audio gear from Kicker Performance Audio. Other sponsors of the three-day weekend gathering included MySky, Eskimo Joe’s and Vineyard Vines.

Haley & Michaels perform at inaugural Reviver Fest 2018 at St. Petersburg’s Jannus Live outdoor concert venue on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018.

Josh Gracin performs at inaugural Reviver Fest 2018 at St. Petersburg’s Jannus Live outdoor concert venue on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018.

Tenille Arts performs at inaugural Reviver Fest 2018 at St. Petersburg’s Jannus Live outdoor concert venue on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018.

Aaron Watson’s Night Of Texas At Ryman To Feature Rodney Clawson, Liz Rose, Tom Douglas

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Aaron Watson is set to return to the Ryman Auditorium on Jan. 24, and he’s invited some of the Lonestar state’s hitmakers to open the show for him. The opening songwriter in-the-round lineup for “A Night Of Texas At The Ryman” will include stories and songs by Rodney Clawson, Liz Rose, and Tom Douglas.

Hailing from Gruver, Texas, Clawson’s 24 No. 1 hits include “I Saw God Today” (George Strait), “Amarillo Sky” (Jason Aldean) and “American Kids” (Kenny Chesney). Rose, born in Dallas, had her first hit with Gary Allan’s “Songs About Rain” and went on to co-write 16 songs with Taylor Swift, including “Teardrops on My Guitar,” “You Belong With Me,” and “Tim McGraw,” plus Little Big Town’s mega-hit “Girl Crush.”  Douglas, who previously called Texas home before moving to Nashville, has penned numerous hits, including “The House That Built Me” (Miranda Lambert), “I Got A Car” (George Strait), and “Meanwhile Back At Mama’s” (Tim McGraw).

Tickets to “A Night of Texas” at the Ryman start at $25 and may be purchased here.

Charlie Daniels Celebrates Longtime Friendships On ‘Beau Weevils’ Project

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By age 82, perhaps most people have long settled into their retirement years. But not Charlie Daniels.

This road warrior, frenetic fiddler, and hard-driving lead singer of the Charlie Daniels Band keeps setting new goals and exploring new creative outlets.

In August came Volunteer Jam XX: A Tribute To Charlie Daniels. In November, Daniels released the book Let’s All Make The Day Count: The Everyday Wisdom of Charlie Daniels (Thomas Nelson), which includes a 10-song accompanying CD by the same title.

“The only thing I’ve ever wanted to do was make music and be a professional musician,” Daniels tells musicrow.com. “I’ve been very blessed to get to do that. All the other stuff stems out from that.”

Perhaps his most interesting project came in October, with the release of a new 10-song album Beau Weevils–Songs In The Key Of E. For the project, Daniels teamed with a trio of longtime friends and fellow musicians, including Charlie Daniels Band bassist of 43 years Charlie Hayward, and Billy Crain (whose late brother Tommy was a CDB member) on guitar. James Stroud, who produced several of The Charlie Daniels Band’s hit albums including 1988’s Homesick Heroes, 1989’s Simple Man, 1991’s Renegade, and 1996’s The Roots Remain, spearheads the drums. Daniels, of course, lent his signature, vocals, guitar and fiddle work.

“I love the way James plays drums and the way this whole album is made, I wrote the songs in that framework of the way he plays,” Daniels says. “I call it playing on the backside of the beat, he has a relaxed feeling when he plays drums.”

Stroud was a studio musician when he first met Daniels several decades ago; over time he would also become a producer on those seminal CDB albums, and would spearhead production for artists including Tim McGraw and Clint Black. Later, Stroud made his mark on country music on the label side, spearheading Giant Records, DreamWorks Records Nashville, and serving as co-Chairman of UMG Nashville before launching the indie label Stroudavarious Records and later, R&J Records.

“We became friends through doing all those records and over the years we would talk, and he would say, ‘I wish there was something we could work on together again.’” Stroud says. “Less than a year ago, he called me up and said he had written a couple of songs. I went over to his house and he played me this song ‘Mudcat.’”

The song served as a catalyst for the album (which includes eight new tracks); the project was recorded over the course of three or four sessions at Daniels’ home studio outside of Nashville. As the four-man group would record, the session would inspire Daniels to pen more songs, and then regroup with Stroud, Crain, and Hayward to record more.

As deduced from the album title, all tracks were recorded in the key of E, though Daniels says that wasn’t intentional.

“They just lent themselves to being in that key, with that swampy sound,” Daniels says. “There is something special about the key of E, the way the open strings of the chord sounds. A lot of the old blues players played in that key.”

“We took a song at a time,” notes Stroud. “There is nothing electronic as far as loops or electronic overdubs on the record,” Stroud says. “So we wanted it to be the way we grew up playing music and the way we recorded records. All the overdubs and percussion I did by hand and that’s unheard of nowadays. As Charlie would play the songs for the musicians, we just let ourselves jam like we used to and fool with the music until it felt right. That was what was so much fun on the record.”

For Daniels, the tell-tale sign that it’s a good record comes from repeated listens.

“When I make a record, I usually finish it up and I’m on to something else. I don’t go back and listen to records a lot. But this record I’ve listened to more than any record I’ve recorded in a long time.”

Kelly Clarkson Teammate Chevel Shepherd Victorious On ‘The Voice’

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Chevel Shepherd from Team Kelly Clarkson took home the trophy Tuesday evening (Dec. 18) The Voice finale, besting three other finalists to become the latest champion of the singing competition’s fifteenth season. Her win over fellow country singers Kirk Jay and Chris Kroeze, along with teen pop singer Kennedy Holmes, was notable in that it marked the first time in the show’s history that a country singer won who was not part of judge Blake Shelton’s team.

The 16-year-old from New Mexico impressed judges this season with performances of songs like LeAnn Rimes’ “Blue,” George Strait’s “You Look So Good In Love,” and an original song “Broken Hearts,” which she performed on the first part of the finale on Monday night that helped clinch her victory. 

The Raconteurs Return With First New Music In Over A Decade

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The Raconteurs (Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler) are releasing their first new music in more than 10 years. The two new songs released by Third Man Records, “Now That You’re Gone” featuring Brendan Benson on lead vocals, and “Sunday Driver” with Jack White singing lead, are available digitally worldwide today (Dec. 19).

Both tracks are joined by companion videos that are being released, and the songs coincide with the delivery of the only physical version of the tracks available on 7″ vinyl as part of Third Man’s Vault Package #38 celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the bands’ acclaimed second album, Consolers Of The Lonely. Released in March 2008, Consolers Of The Lonely took its title from an inscription on the frieze of a Washington D.C. post office and proved a phenomenon, making a top 5 debut on the Billboard 200 on its way to earning the Grammy for “Best Engineered Non-Classical Album,” as well as a nomination as “Best Rock Album.”

“Now That You’re Gone” and “Sunday Driver” both stem from recent sessions for the long-awaited new Raconteurs LP, due out in 2019.

“We’re knee deep in the trenches of our first new album in a decade,” White said to Mojo Magazine. “We have a vast amount of genre-pushing songs that bridge the gap between Detroit and Nashville rock and roll. The album sounds like a World War. It’s great to be co-writing songs with Brendan Benson again, the man is a song craftsman.”

 

Industry Pics: Brett Eldredge, CMA, ASCAP Foundation, Jimmie Allen

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Brett Eldredge Celebrates The Holidays With CMA Theater Performance

Pictured (L – R): Marc Dennis of CAA, Darin Lashinsky of NS2, Fielding Logan of Q Prime, Brett Eldredge, and Kyle Young of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Photo: Amiee Stubbs

CMA Award-winning artist Brett Eldredge brought his holiday tour “Brett Eldredge’s Glow Live: A Night of Holiday Hits” to the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum on Dec. 14 and Dec. 15. The powerhouse vocalist treated the sold-out crowds each night in Music City to a performance that included holiday classics “Let It Snow,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “O Holy Night.”

 

ASCAP Foundation Holds Christian Music Songwriters Workshop

Pictured (L-R): (front) Denita Gibbs, Stacey Willbur, Brandon Billing. (back) Dan Terry, Setnick Sene, Abigail Sloane, Joanna Endsley, Isaiah Carrell, Charles Watts

The ASCAP Foundation Christian Music Songwriters Workshop was recently held at ASCAP’s Music Row offices, led by industry veteran Full Circle Music’s Stacey Willbur. The workshop is part of an ongoing series designed to focus on the development and education of promising new songwriters. The sessions included intensives on the craft of songwriting, developing an eye for objectively looking at your songs, expanding your sources of inspiration, nurturing a creative community, marketing your songs and an overview of music publishing. Support for this workshop is provided by The ASCAP Foundation Bart Howard Fund.

 

Jimmie Allen Visits KWBL

Pictured: KWBL’s Denise Plante, KWBL’s Jojo Turnbeaugh, iHeart’s Rod Phillips, KWBL’s Chelsea Thomas, Jimmie, KWBL’s B-Dub, iHeart’s Eddie Haskell, KWBL’s VP of Sales Bob Murphy, Stoney Creek’s Lexi Willson

BBR Music Group artist Jimmie Allen recently played at KWBL/Denver’s Sold Out “The Bull’s Birthday Bash.” Allen has recently enjoyed three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart with his debut single, “Best Shot.”

Longtime Grand Ole Opry Guitarist Jimmy Capps Releases Autobiography

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Guitarist Jimmy Capps is releasing a new autobiography, The Man In Back, sharing stories from his 60-year career as a studio session player and guitarist on the Grand Ole Opry. 

In the new book, Capps shares memories of working with some of country music’s biggest names on songs iconic to country fans everywhere, including Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler,” Barbara Mandrell’s “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool,” The Oak Ridge Boys’ mega-hit “Elvira” and the song thought of by many as the greatest country single of all time, George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”

The Grand Ole Opry will celebrate Capps’ Opry career during a special show Dec. 21 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, and May 2019 has been designated as “Jimmy Capps Month” in his hometown of Benson, North Carolina.

Capps was inducted into the Musicians Hall Of Fame and the North Carolina Music Hall Of Fame in 2014, and he was honored as a “Nashville Cat” by the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2012. The Tennessee Senate passed a Joint Resolution in 2015 proclaiming Capps’ contributions to the music industry, and Tennessee governor Bill Haslam named him “Goodwill Ambassador” in 2015. Capps was also honored with many of NARAS’ “Super Picker Awards,” including “Most Valuable Acoustic Player.”

Currently he can be seen every week on RFD-TV’s Larry’s Country Diner as the guitar-playing “Sheriff,” and also on the Country’s Family Reunion shows.

“Jimmy Capps is a fascinating human being, as you are about to find out,” said Barbara Mandrell. “He is so gifted and talented. But he is also such a kind and wonderful person. Jimmy Capps is the real deal and a real friend.”

The book is available through jimmycappsbook.com or by calling 615-804-0361.

Ronnie Milsap To Launch 2019 Tour With Birthday Show At Ryman Auditorium

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Ronnie Milsap

For nearly 76 years, Ronnie Milsap‘s life has been consumed with music. His breakthrough hit may have come in 1973 with a track called “I Hate You,” but his fans have loved the classic music (and 40 No. 1 hits) he has offered for the past 45 years. Among those are his signature hits “Daydreams About Night Things,” “A Stranger In Love,” “Smokey Mountain Rain,” “Stranger In My House,” and many more.

Milsap will celebrate his upcoming 76th birthday (Jan. 16, 2019) by launching his 76 for 76 Tour on his birthday with a show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

Two days later (Jan. 18), he will release the album The Duets, which features collaborations with artists including Kacey Musgraves, Dolly Parton, Jason Aldean, Little Big Town, George Strait, Steven Curtis Chapman, and more.

76 For 76 Tour Dates:

JANUARY
16 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
17 – Mayetta, KS – Prairie Band Casino & Resort – Great Lakes Ballroom
18 – Stafford, TX – The Redneck Country Club
19 – Bossier City, LA – Horseshoe Bossier City – The Riverdome
27 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Country Music Cruise 2019
28 – Key West, FL – Country Music Cruise 2019

FEBRUARY
9 – Glasgow, KY – Plaza Theatre MOVE FROM PRIOR
16 – Shelby, NC – Malcolm Brown Auditorium
21 – Morgantown, WV – Metropolitan Brown Auditorium
22 – Madisonville, KY – Glema Mahr Center For the Arts
28 – Lexington, KY – Opera House

MARCH
1 – Lorain, OH – Palace Theater
2 – Lancaster, PA – American Music Theater
8 – Hinckley, MN – Grand Casino Hinkley
9 – Lac De Flambeau, WI – Lake Of The Torches Casino
22 – St. Louis, MO – River City Casino
24 – Austin, TX – Travis County Expo Center

APRIL
4 – Mobile, AL – Saenger Theatre
5 – Beaumont, TX – Jefferson Theatre
6 – Texarkana, TX – PRIVATE Pleasant Grove
26 – Hopewell, VA – The Beacon Theatre
27 – Cincinnati, OH – JACK Casino – Event Center

MAY
3 – Eutis, FL – Lake County Fairgrounds Expo Center
10 – Quapaw, OK – Downstream Casino Resort
11 – Hinton, OK – Sugar Creek Casino
17 – Riverside, IA – Riverside Casino and Golf Resport
23 – Charenton, LA – Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel

Lauren Duski Finds Her Voice On New Music

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Lauren Duski performs. Photo: Haley Crow/MusicRow

Last month, singer/songwriter Lauren Duski was named part of CMT Next Women of Country’s current class.

In front of several of her music industry peers, the Michigan native offered a rendition of her first single, “Costume Party,” an uplifting and confessional ballad born from years she has spent overcoming self-doubt to pursue her dream of music.

Duski began performing at age seven, took up guitar at 13, and by her teens, she was balancing her schoolwork at a private Catholic school with evenings and weekend performances with a country band. Creative-yet-practical minded, Duski then put music on the back burner while she enrolled at University of Michigan. After initially pursuing a major in pre-dental, Duski earned her Bachelors in Biopsychology, Cognition and Neuroscience in 2013.

“After graduating I thought, ‘If I don’t move to Nashville and try to pursue this dream, I’ll never forgive myself.’”

Even after arriving in Nashville, Duski struggled to find herself as a performer. “I was so nervous and I was dealing with a lot of self-confidence issues that I have no idea where they came from, and I let the opinions of others control me. I moved here five years ago, but after the first three years had gone by, I realized I didn’t have much to show for those years.”

In fact, Duski came very close to abandoning her hopes of a music career and returning to dental school—until The Voice came calling.

“It was a path I never envisioned for myself. I told my mom I was going back to dental school, and then I got a message two days later from The Voice to come audition.”

Lauren Duski with MusicRow Magazine Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson. Photo: Haley Crow/MusicRow

After a successful blind audition with her rendition of Jewel’s “You Were Meant For Me,” Duski kept winning, ultimately being named Season 12’s runner up.

“The Voice was a crash course for me in confidence; I had no choice.” She says. “I was nervous at first, but you realize it’s one big family. The hardest part is not having a lot of creative control and you are just one of 98 people auditioning and there are a lot of producers involved. But I was on team Blake [Shelton] and he was such a champion for me. Blake was a hoot to work with and it was such a gift during that process. He’s got a heart of gold.”

While most artists who earned runner-up status would release a single immediately after the show to make the most of television exposure, Duski has taken her time to write, record and develop her craft and message.

“I’ve never been in the business of releasing music just to release music. I came off the show and there was a lot of ‘When is the single coming?’ And I didn’t have a single then. I had no idea what I wanted to say as a woman, as a young artist.”

Instead, she asked her music fans to share their experiences with her.

“I asked them to be my pen pal, and write me letters,” she says. “I expected 20, maybe 30 letters, but I got hundreds. That was my full-time job, just reading and responding to them. I couldn’t believe the vulnerability coming from complete strangers, just sharing their stories.

“It gave me the courage to open up in the room that day to write “Costume Party.” It’s for anyone who has ever felt uncomfortable in their own skin and I definitely am, most of the time. I’ll probably always be a work in progress and I’m finally feeling like that’s ok.”

During a visit to the MusicRow offices, Duski performed a trio of songs, including “Costume Party,” as well as the love song “Heart For good,” and “The Weather,” which was penned after Duski’s grandmother died just over a year ago.

“We knew it was coming because she was sick for a long time,” Duski recalls. “The hardest part about losing her is watching grandpa live life without her. When I came back from that trip a year ago I wrote ‘The Weather.'”

Earlier this year, Duski performed shows opening for Bobby Bones and Raging Idiots tour. Duski has a manager and is with WME for booking, but is currently not signed to a publishing or recording deal.

The fanbase she has earned since her time on The Voice won’t have to wait much longer for new music. Duski revealed plans to release her first EP, titled Midwestern Girl Part 1, in January 2019.

Lauren Duski with MusicRow staffers.