Drenched in authenticity, barstool charm and Tennessee limestone gravel in her voice, Nashville-born and bred songbird Lauren Watkins writes, breathes, and lives country music. She grew up mesmerised by a jukebox rotation of country music: from outlaws like Willie Nelson and Sheryl Crow to chart-toppers Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, and Chris Stapleton.
Moving back to Nashville after four years at Ole Miss, Watkins’ unyielding, turn on a dime lyricism quickly caught the attention of GRAMMY-nominated songwriter Nicolle Galyon, who signed her to publishing and recording contracts with Songs & Daughters / Big Loud Records almost instantly and her ‘Introducing Lauren Watkins’ release earlier in the year was the result. Later in the year a second EP ‘Introducing: The Heartbreak’ was released. You can read our thoughts on both EPs right here.
Appearing in the UK last weekend for the first time as part of the CMA’s ‘Introducing Nashville’ trio, we were able to grab 15 minutes of her time to talk all about life, her career and what we can expect from her for the rest of this year.
It’s great to talk to you today, Lauren, thank you for your time. You’ve been in Europe for a week or so now playing shows in other countries. How are you adjusting to the culture and the lifestyle?
I’m definitely starting to adapt now. (laughing) It’s been a week so the jet-lag is starting to be not a thing now. I’ve adjusted. It’s my first time across the pond and only my second time out of the United States. The only other time I have been out of the country was to Canada and I guess that really doesn’t count, right? (laughing) This is totally new to me!
The whole trip is both good and bad in that we’re getting to see a lot of places but the experiences in each one are so quick. We’re getting to see so much but for just a short amount of time. I’m trying to take it all in. Somebody recently asked me where I’d been yesterday and my mind completely blanked! (laughing) Touring in the US, I’m used to doing three cities at a time each weekend and then going back home and even that can be tricky, so over here? I’m all out of whack!
You had a great year last year but this year’s started off great with the CMT ‘Next Women of Country’ accolade. What does that mean to you?
It’s such an honour because every other girl on the list or in the class this year is also an artist that I love. It’s so cool to be in that group with a bunch of young, new artists who are all in it together at the same time.
The announcement day itself was such fun because we’re all artists at the same stages of our careers so we never get to be in the same room all at one time, right? We’re always all out on tour or playing shows or radio stuff. Just getting to hang out with the rest of the girls and watching them play a song was really special, as was hanging out and getting to talk to them backstage too. I’m very honoured that I got chosen by CMT for that.
‘Anybody But You’ was also a two week number one on radio station The Highway. We’re you expecting that to happen?
No, i was not expecting that at all. You never know what’s going to happen with songs or which song is going to be the song that takes off. ‘Anybody But You’ came from a batch of seven songs that I put out on my first EP but it’s one that I’m really proud of as it captures my experience with college and that whole scene, which was such a huge part of my life.
I guess I’m not shocked that that was the one that took off as it’s probably quite relatable to a lot of people who have experienced the same thing, whether it was recently or a few years ago. I love The Highway, they’ve been really good to me.
Last time we spoke I said that ‘Dark Places’ might be my favourite song of yours. It might be ‘Cowboys on Music Row’ now. Both of those songs you wrote with your sister, Caroline. How much of yourselves are you and Caroline prepared to share with each other as sisters and writers – is anything off limits or are there no boundaries between you?
(laughing) There are no boundaries! None. To both of us, we think that’s why we work together so well. We’ve known each other for our entire lives, we know everything about each other and that makes writing together easier. There’s something special about writing a song with someone that you know and are comfortable with, you know?
Caroline was the first person that I ever wrote a song with and we have something really good together that just works. She knows what I would and wouldn’t say in a song and it saves time when we write together because we don’t have to beat around the bush pretending ideas are good – we just say, ‘Nah, I don’t like it, move on!’ (laughing)
What does your wider family think about you girls writing together? I suppose you haven’t aired a lot of family secrets…………………….yet?!
(laughing) My family always knew we would always end up working together. We grew up playing together, we grew up singing together – which is how I got into music, really, it was because of Caroline. She started it first and I kinda looked at her and thought, well, if she’s doing it it must be possible for me to do it too! The family always saw it coming!
Which of you is going to be the biggest Bridezilla? (Both Watkins girls are now engaged!)
(laughing) That’s a great question!
Congratulations, by the way!
Thank you! I would love to say it’s going to be her because I am a mean sister! Honestly, I think both of us are pretty laid back when it comes to that sort of thing. We are going to try and make our weddings unique from each others’ and we’re both trying to stay away from the crazy hoopla and keep things pure and casual right now. Neither of us wants stress and both of us want to be happy! Maybe talk to me in a few months time and I’ll give you a different answer! (laughing)
Your christmases round the piano at the Watkins house are going to be fantastic, given your future husband (Will Bundy) is also a songwriter!
I know, right? (laughing) It’s so special! My family is not really super musical even though Caroline and I have gone on to be in the industry. We’ve got some cousins who sing so I’m even more excited to have some more people in our family that are musical – Will’s family is musical so there will be lots of singalong opportunities! (laughing)
When we spoke last year you said that ‘Shirley Temple’ was the song you were most proud of. Is that still the same or has one of the new ‘Heartbreak’ songs supplanted it?
I would say that I’m still just as proud of ‘Shirley Temple’ but the songs from the ‘Introducing: The Heartbreak’ EP show a little bit more of a mature side of me, they get a little bit more under the surface of things. They show a little bit of a deeper side of me, ‘Fly on the Wall, especially. I’m proud of how classic sounding that one is and having Jake Worthington as a collaborator on it was amazing.
He’s here at the festival this weekend in London but I think your London – Belfast – Glasgow schedule might well mean the two of you won’t be able to sing it together.
He is! I haven’t got to see him as yet. Our schedules, unfortunately, have not lined up this time but we are trying to work out a way, at some point this year, to be able to sing the song together. I think he’s awesome.
‘Cowboys on Music Row’, as I’ve mentioned, might well be my favourite song of yours now. The writers on that song are insane! (Lauren, Caroline and then Jessie Jo Dillon, Carter Faith, Lauren Hungate and Ashley Monroe)
They are aren’t they! It’s a stacked list! We were all on a retreat, a trip together! We all know each other really well and were on this retreat and had gotten super close on the trip. The day we wrote that song we had been writing separately all day, we’d split off into various groups and that night we were going to try and relax and just hang out, not write.
We were sat on the couch watching old concert footage and documentaries of older Country music artists that we love. You know, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, George Jones – a bunch of the old greats that we loved. It was so inspiring listening to their stories and laughing about how crazy their lives were and somebody just said ‘Oh, I wish there were still cowboys on music row today.’ The lightbulb moment happened and we wrote the song right there just sitting around the couch.
We’ve had two ‘Introducing’ EPs from you now – what can we expect to get next?
Lots is coming next! (laughing) Without saying too much, I’ve been working on a ton of new music to share this year. I feel like I’ve heard people say it feels like it takes your entire life to put out your first album and I feel like that phrase is so true, I get it now. I’ve been writing for so long and gathering these songs for my entire life and I’m hoping it turns into an album that we can release this year.
I see the two ‘Introducing’ EPs as kinda like the prequels to what is coming next. I’ve set the scene with those releases and you’ll soon see what is coming next!
Caroline’s on her honeymoon, Nicole Galyon is not picking up her phone – which writer would you love to get into a room with for the next album and write a song with?
That’s a great question. I’d love to work with Shane McAnally again. The only time we’ve worked together so far was when we wrote ‘Dark Places.’ I’ve been able to write with so many of my dream co-writers and he was always at the very top of my list – I’m a huge Kacey Musgraves fan and so Shane was one of the first songwriters that I ever became aware of. Him and Nicole Galyon were always the two biggest inspirations on me so I’d love to work with Shane again – he’s off travelling the world right now but if he ever comes back to Nashville he would be the one I’d choose!
When I ask that question to men they all say HARDY now but I can’t see you screaming into a microphone!
I do love HARDY, though, and the cool thing about him is that he can write with and for anyone. So, hey, I could see that happening as well. I haven’t written with him yet, that would be cool. I might be more ‘mockingbird’ than ‘Crow’ though! (laughing)
You’re playing the main stage at this year’s C2C festival in London, Belfast and Glasgow. The main stage! How much are you in your head about which 3 songs to play?
That’s a good question. I wouldn’t say that I am super in my head about it, in fact I don’t have a plan as yet, as to which three songs to play. I am an over thinker, a classic over thinker (laughing) but those songwriter rounds are fun because you have two other people up on stage with you and sometimes I’ll change my mind because of what somebody else is playing before me.
The good thing about this tour is that we are playing so many shows which means there has been so many different opportunities to play so many different songs. As much as I want every town to hear every song, I’m getting the chance to disperse them well. I might try a couple of new ones out……….I’ll definitely play one new one.
Songwriters are typically in their heads during these rounds and they will chop and change what they were planning to do based on what other people in the round do, it’s fascinating to watch. I love playing writers rounds, they are a bit more casual and yet the format still makes everyone feel connected to each other and the songs being played, they are my favourite things – I’ve changed my mind on every single show I’ve played on the tour so far! (laughing)
Check out Lauren Watkins’ two EPs ‘Introducing: Lauren Watkins’ and ‘Introducing: The Heartbreak’ on all the usual platforms right now.
