Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, Hale adored Faith Hill and Shania Twain, performed two Martina McBride songs during a talent competition at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills and ultimately left for Los Angeles to seek success as a Read more →
Early in 2013, Dan Smyers threw a party at his place. Among the folks who showed up was Shay Mooney. They’d never met, though both had been drawn to Nashville to take their chances in Country Music. (Smyers grew up in Pittsburgh, while Mooney came from Natural Dam, Ark.) After playing a few tunes together, Read more →
Dallas Smith got into Country Music by Default. Default, of course, was the superstar band whose neo-grunge anthems shot them to the top of Canada’s indie-rock pile in the early ’00s. Their No. 2 smash in the U.S., “Wasting My Time,” exemplified their sound, particularly in Read more →
The Well is a semi-bohemian hangout in Nashville’s Green Hills neighborhood. The parking lot is a grid of potholes and chipped concrete. There’s rust on the metal panels on the ceiling. The wooden tables are notable for their fading varnish and the gaps between their slats that allow all kinds of stuff — crumbs, coffee, Read more →
It’s been a while since Paige Logan and Heather Looney chased their dreams to Nashville. Logan came from Safford, Ariz., where she studied piano, taught herself guitar and mandolin and soaked up the sounds of her dad’s LP and 8-track collection. In 1993, she and her sister hit the road for Music City; a year later, Paige was there alone, beginning a long stretch of Read more →
Charley FarleyIt’s official: Rap has crossed over to Country. What was a novelty just a few years ago is now a subgenre, whose ties to hip-hop are as fascinating as they are Read more →