In Conversation With… Carly Pearce

Carly Pearce’s new record is out today. We chat to her about the legacy of the record, tapping into the emotional depth of the record and her favourite tracks.

 

First up, congratulations on such an incredible record. The legacy of Every Little Thing was your introduction to the world and the emotional depth of that title track, what did you hope would be the legacy of this record and the tracks that would have staying power? 

I hope it elevates me to be one of the staple females of country music.

It feels like you’re so comfortable and natural in this record and you’ve obviously had so many developments in your personal life, but do you feel like there was something that also changed musically when you entered the studio this time? 

I think there’s just more confidence in who I am as a person and what my place is in country music.

With regard to the prose of the record, you’ve fallen in love and that was such a huge part of it, but it also felt like this record was also a love letter to the country genre itself. Would you agree with that assessment?

Yeah I really wanted to take it to my roots and really, like I said, make sure that when people listen to this record, they know who I am and they know that I want to be a country artist.

‘Dashboard Jesus’ was one of my favourite tracks on the album. It felt very autobiographical in content – the theme of leaving home to pursue a dream?

Absolutely, that’s one that I immediately knew I had to cut because it was my story.

There’s so much emotion in this record, you could hear it in your voice. You’re in such a happy place personally, so with tracks like ‘I Hope You’re Happy Now,’ is it hard to tap back into the emotion you previously went through?

No (laughs). I’m naturally a sad soul, so it’s very easy. I actually do better singing sad songs, which is weird but I do, I think that’s why my biggest songs are sad songs.

‘Finish Your Sentences’ was your gorgeous new duet with Michael. It really felt that you both brought out the best in each other’s voices. Was that a really hard process to find a song, in terms of the content and the best fit with your voices? 

It actually was really easy. Thomas Rhett and Scott Borchetta sent it and it was just kind of meant to be. We knew.

‘Woman Down’ was another of my favourite tracks on the record. I feel like it almost inverted the country stereotype of the woman that’s left and cheated on – was that a message you really wanted to bring out in the record? 

Yeah I think all those women of the 90s were so good at empowering women and as soon as I heard that song, I knew that it needed to be heard.

Hannah Ellis put out a message on Instagram today about the track ‘Lightning in a Bottle,’ and women supporting women. How do you think women in the industry and outside it can continue to support other women and progress their place in the industry?

I would say just for songwriters in the industry, just making sure that they write truths. I’ve built a lot of relationships with people in the industry who are women, I don’t see it as competitive – I mean obviously we’re all competitive – but if a girl brings me a song that I love, I’m going to listen and I’m going to cut it – I don’t care that she’s an artist that’s trying to make it as well.

My favourite track from the record is ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This.’ I feel like there are so many nuances of emotion in that track and so many ways to interpret it. Have you had many different responses to the track?

Oh yeah, people can really insert their own story into that one, and I think that’s what I wanted for it – just a universal subject that everybody goes through in life.

‘Halfway Home’ was another favourite. I think it’s just the most stunning representation of your voice on that track, what was the inspiration behind that track?

I wrote that before I wrote ‘I Hope You’re Happy Now,’ about that same sentiment – that’s the most vulnerable song I think I’ve ever written – when I was struggling with guilt.

Massive congratulations on such a beautiful record!

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Read our review of the album here.