May 27, 2025 • 33 mins
Join @thebuzzknight for this new episode with country music singer, songwriter Cyndi Thompson.
We catch up with Cyndi, the acclaimed singer-songwriter behind hits like “What I Really Meant to Say.” In this heartfelt conversation, Cyndi opens up about her journey through the music industry, stepping away at the height of her career, and what inspired her to find her way back to songwriting. Along the way, she shares stories from the road, insights into her creative process, and the lessons she’s learned about life, love, and following your heart. Whether you’re a longtime fan or discovering her for the first time, this episode is a celebration of resilience, authenticity, and the power of music to heal and inspire. We talk with Cyndi about her successful jewelry company called Haybelle, worn by the likes of Lainey Wilson, Olivia Culpo and Kimberly Williams Paisley and we talk about her new music "Acres of Diamonds" and "Five More Minutes" and the inspiration behind it.
A Note to our Community
Your support means everything to us! As we continue to grow, we’d love to hear what guests you might find interesting and what conversations you’d like us to explore nest.
Have a friend who might enjoy our conversations? Please share our podcast with them! Your word of mouth recommendations help us reach new listeners that could benefit from our content.
Thank you for being part of our community. We’re excited for what’s ahead!
Warmly
Buzz Knight
Founder Buzz Knight Media Productions
Support the show: https://takinawalk.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Taking a Walk.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
So many things influence me and songwriters in general. I
think just moments we might see in real life, happening
in front of us, or you know, I just know
myself pretty well, and I know if I'm singing a
song to you or writing a song, I want you
to believe me.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Welcome to the Taking a Walk Podcast, hosted by Buzznight.
Buzz speaks with musicians and songwriters of all genres about
their passion for their work and their newest projects. Today,
we step into a new chapter with country singer songwriter
Cindy Thompson as she returns to the Spotlight, bringing her
signature heartfelt storytelling and soulful vocals to a brand new project.
(00:42):
On this episode with Cindy, she opens up about her
journey and gives us an exclusive look at her highly
anticipated EP Acres of Diamonds.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Joined Buzznight now.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
For an intimate conversation with Cindy Thompson rediscovering old treasures,
embracing new beginnings, and celebrating the Acres of Diamonds right
now on the Taking a Walk Podcast.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
Cindy Thompson, thanks for being on the Taken a Walk Podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Thanks for having me so since.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
We call this this little podcast taking a Walk, I
want to ask you first, if you could take a
walk with somebody. I'll make it very suspenseful. If you
could take a walk with somebody living, you're dead. They
could be involved with music, they don't have to be.
Who would you take a walk with and where would
(01:32):
you take a walk with them?
Speaker 3 (01:35):
That wasn't that suspenseful, was it?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
It sounded kind of cool? I felt it. Wow, Okay,
you know, I might take a walk with my great grandfather.
I never got to meet him, but we have this
amazing photograph in our house, and he's so handsome, and
(01:58):
he came from Scotland. He was a pastor and he
came from Scotland to become a preacher here. And he
just looks really cool and I just love to pick
his brain.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Ah, that's so special.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
I could I could visualize the cool look you know
the picture.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Yes, he's so good looking, and I'm like, you know,
he just I don't know. I don't know what we
would talk about. I'm sure all kinds of things that
he's so intriguing to me. Every time I see that picture,
I'm like, I just want to know him. But I don't, sir.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
That's nice. It's amazing the array of answers that we
get with the question. We get everybody from Johann Sebastian
Bach to fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
It goes all over the place, it really does.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Well, if I had a lot of time to think
about it, I'd probably pick not pick my great grandfather.
But you know, there are so many people that I'm
intrigued by and stories, and so it's a good question.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
Well, thank you, thank you for that answer, and we're
going to talk about the brand new music. Certainly get
into that acres of diamonds and a pretty amazing sound
and cast of collaborators. So we'll get in the midst
of that conversation. But I do want to start at
(03:24):
the beginning with you and talk about some of your
earliest memories of music that certainly have shaped you.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
To this day.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
You know, my favorite memories are always getting in the
car with my dad and he would always have the
oldies station playing. He was a big You know, my
parents weren't musical that they loved music. My mom played
the piano a little bit from time to time, like
hymns and things. My dad listened to oldies and we
(03:57):
just I don't know so much great music. And it
was just constantly on in his car, even if we
were talking or whatever. It was just kind of playing
in the background. But then we'd turn it up and listen.
And so and then my sisters were older than me.
I was kind of the baby of four and kind
of an afterthought, although my mom said she was done
(04:19):
having kids and my dad was like, I just want
one more. And it wasn't to have a boy, they swear.
But anyway, my sisters had their own, uh, you know,
loves of music. One loved jazz, like Manhattan transfer was
always playing. One liked urban music, and one just like
popular music. And so I really had a you know,
(04:42):
amazing you know intro to music. It was always kind
of playing somewhere in the house, all different kinds.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
So, and that was in the Nashville area.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
No, I'm originally from South Georgia, So I grew up
in Tifton, Georgia. And yeah, so it was just a
small town and that's where I'm from.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Probably knew everybody's name there.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
I'm thinking, yes, yeah, you do, you do. It's gotten
bigger now, but yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
And was there a moment, you know, being impacted by
that music that you just described that you know you
first knew that you were going to make a career around.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Music, you know, I didn't until I was around twelve years.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Old, So that old cheese, yeah, so old.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Well, you know, you know, some you'll hear these stories
of kids that sung their whole lives, and mine is
a little bit different in that I came out of
middle school out of this really bad bullying situation and
so it really I think created this part of me
that just wanted to be quiet, kind of disappear and
not be seen. So it was kind of solidified in
a way, and I got into marching band and junior
(05:58):
high school, my sister had a clarinet. I thought she
was really cool, and I was a terrible clarinet player
and I was the last chair and that was just
so bad. But I got into marching band thinking I
could be a part of something really big, so that
it wasn't just me right, but because of music, I
wanted to do something. And one afternoon, the choir teacher
(06:21):
came in and said, is Cindy Thompson in here? And
I didn't want to raise my hand right away because
I didn't want to be seen or heard or noticed.
But I went with her outside the classroom and she said, listen,
I heard that you could sing. And I was like,
I don't know if I can sing. She had heard
about me, I think through a couple of solos i'd
(06:41):
done at church in our youth group, you know, but
my bully went to my church. So I didn't ever
want to sing, you know, because she was a good singer.
I mean, it was just this whole thing. So she
took me in her choir class, put me in front
of the piano. All the students were sitting there, and
she began to play scales. They were really easy, they
got really hard, and I just sang them all back
to her and she said, I don't care what you
(07:03):
do with that clarinet. This is your classroom. This is
where you're going to be. So she was the first
person to ever say to my parents, she's a star.
There's really something special about her. And I find it
ironic because I was so withdrawn and so sha and quiet,
but she heard something in my voice. And I'm so
grateful to her for that because it was really what
(07:27):
that was the catalyst in turning this whole thing around,
and after that, it was really seeing you asked me
if there was a moment one Saturday morning around this
season of My Life. I saw Trisha Eyarwood singing She's
in Love with the Boy on TV and it stopped
me in my tracks. I was like, I don't know
what that is, but that's what I want to do
and I want to be her friend. And you know,
(07:49):
she was from Georgia. It was just perfect timing on
that Saturday morning.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Were you looking ahead at some of the questions I prepared.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Because no, I'm teasing you because because the reality is
that I was next going to ask you about your
musical heroes. So you mentioned Tricia, who's a great one.
Were there others that really had a profound impact just
on you know, kind of giving you that further creative spark.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Yes, there were. I mean because of all the music
that was in my house, you know, and I was
also a young teenager, so you know, your friends kind
of influenced your musical taste, and you know, listen to
popular radio and at the time it was Whitney Houston.
Debbie Gibson was huge because she was so young and
(08:40):
it made it feel like I can do that too.
If that, if someone that young can sing, I have
that chance. Because back then there was no the Voice
or American idol. It was truly just a dream, you know,
to to be in a tiny little town wishing to
be this country singer. But yeah, I would say what
Houston the most? I just loved so much of what
(09:03):
she did, and I don't know, she was a big influence.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
So your songs really have this incredible emotional honesty. Where
do you find that inspiration over your career? In still
for your lyrics?
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Oh don't I don't know. You know, sometimes I'm driving
down the road and I'll think of something and think, well,
that would be a really good title, or you know,
I think so many things influence me and songwriters in general.
I think just moments we might see in real life
happening in front of us. Or you know, I just
(09:42):
know myself pretty well, and I know if I'm singing
a song to you or writing a song, I want
you to believe me. You know, I don't want to
sing something that's just it's just really important. And so
you know, I'm just inspired sometimes through reading, sometimes movies,
and just sometimes just a phrase that I hear, and
(10:03):
then you know, you get together with a collaborator and
they bring what they have to the table and it
just becomes a story. I like to tell stories and
I like to you know, one thing that I do
when I write a lot is I can actually see
the like music video sometimes playing out or as if
it's a movie, like what would be the thing that
we would say? What would the next thing be that
(10:24):
would happen that would make sense? And so inspiration for
me though, just comes from all over the place.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Do you dream in technicolor?
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Sometimes? I do dream a lot. There are seasons I'll
dream every night, and yes, they're very vivid, they're very
movie like and very very detailed and long. I'm surprised
I'm not tired the next morning. It's not all the time,
but fairly often sometimes.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
Yeah, is there a place or a routine that you
feel sparks your creativity?
Speaker 2 (11:00):
I wish I could say yes. I think back when
I was a younger writer without a family, you know,
just kind of that first go around. You know, I
was writing every day, five days a week, sometimes you know,
two different rights a day, and it was just being
at the publishing company. You know, being in the in
(11:22):
the space where writers were in rooms, you could hear
the music coming out of them, and just that world
of Nashville at that time was so great. And now
it's so interesting because I have two children, I'm you know, married,
and I have a jewelry company. Things that I really
am pulled in so many different directions, and so now
(11:42):
it's just you know, making sure I planned to write
with someone, like getting it on the books, and then
you know, preparing in some sort of way before I go.
But no, I don't have a routine because my life
is so busy that it's not the same as it
was back then, you know. So I've had to really
learned to pull into the parking lot, walk into the
(12:03):
writer's room and focus. And you know, obviously I keep notes,
I keep ideas in my phone for those moments that
I get inspired, But no, I really don't have like
this routine that I do.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
Just keep it that way then if it's working right, right,
we don't want to disrupt it. Your debut single, What
I really meant to say, it was a big, big hit.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Tell us about that.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
Time in your life and about that moment with that
great song.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Sure, sure, I was in love with this boy who
played baseball, and I met him in Georgia, and you know,
just I think we dated so long seven years. We
broke upon an awful lot throughou seven years, but it
was really that first whole record is really written around
(12:54):
that relationship because that was the one that meant the most,
and then being young and growing up in Georgia. But
that particular song, what I really needed to say, I
wrote because we had broken up. It was final, it
was done where we're not playing the games anymore. And
his dream was always to be the sculpture artist. He's
a baseball player, but he came from artists and he
(13:18):
really had this idea that was different. No one had
done it, and I just really believed in him and
I wanted that for him, just like he wanted for
me to be a singer. So that didn't happen within
the span of our relationship. He did start making art,
but not the big gallery opening, like to have a
real place where you could hang your art. And so
(13:40):
we broke up, and I found out not too long
after that that he got his first gallery opening. So
I was struggling with what to do, and I just
decided who cares. I drove down to Georgia and went
to see this art opening, and he didn't know I was,
(14:02):
you know, coming in at that time, Like he didn't
know I was coming in the room. I think he
knew I was going to be there. But I came
in and I saw him just walking around the room
talking about his art. Everything he had dreamed about, everything
that I had dreamed for him was happening. And I
was so proud of him because we were really good friends too,
and I remember seeing it. We made eye contact and
(14:23):
I just told him, I'm proud of you. This is amazing.
And I ended up leaving not too long after that.
I walked out the door. It was very busy that
night for him, and out in the street it was
like a movie. The street lights were shining down perfectly
lit street Atlanta, in this particular area Atlanta, and I
(14:44):
hear him calling my name in the street. Wow, he's
left his gallery opening. He's out in the street and
he's like, don't leave, and I'm like, I have to go,
and I'm really proud of you. And so I left,
and you know, the next day, went back to Nashville
and I got a notebook like a notepad out and
(15:08):
I wrote what I really meant to say at the
top of the paper, because what I really wanted to
say was I still love you. I still feel all
these feelings. But the right thing to do was for
me to go because we weren't meant to be together.
And I took that into my co write and we
wrote what I really meant to say.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Wow, what a great story.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
There you go, dreaming and visualizing in technicolor again.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
I know it's so great.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Would you ever consider scoring a movie or or being
in the movie itself?
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Oh? Yes, we've talked about that, you know, I've never
I've had some people recently talk to me about would
you want to do some acting or and yes, if
it made sense. You know, I don't want to be terrible,
and you know, so who knows. I mean, it's it's
on the bucket list.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Maybe Cindy be terrible.
Speaker 4 (16:06):
I don't think those two words exist for you.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
You are very kind. You never know when you know,
I've never done I did some acting in high school
on the school play. So we'll see.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
We'll be right back with more of the Taking a
Walk Podcast. Welcome back to the Taking a Walk Podcast.
Speaker 4 (16:29):
So you did step away from the spotlight at one point,
and what motivated that decision was that really a life
sort of you know, balance and kind of reassessing moment.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Yes, absolutely. You know, artists don't really know what that
life is like until they just jump into it, right.
You don't get like a crash course or boot camp.
And for me, it happened really fast, you know, just
the life. It turned into a dream come true. I
(17:05):
don't want to paint this picture that I had a
bad experience at the label or you know, that I
was mistreated or anything like that. Truly everything was beautiful.
It was like from the outside looking in especially, it's
like this is exactly what you would want to happen
as an artist, Like you want your song to go
number one that you wrote, you want to be able
(17:28):
to open fur trash yard, which I did, you know,
Alan Jackson. All of it was lining up perfectly, and
I would say a year in two it I started
having major panic attacks and I didn't know what they were,
and so it scared me because I thought, what is this.
I'm a very peaceful person. I have a great face
(17:51):
that I rely on, and I pray a lot and
for whatever reason, I felt very lonely and I felt
I can't describe it to you, but I was having
panic attacks and night terrors and a lot of anxiety,
and you know, back then, nobody was talking about those things.
(18:11):
And I felt like if I brought it up, I
kept it a secret for a while, that it would
look as if I didn't want to work hard or
that I didn't appreciate my opportunity. So I just kept
kind of trucking along. I had a doctor that would
kind of monitor my heart weakly because it was like
crazy beating out of control. And I kept doing the work,
(18:34):
you know, And I loved singing. I loved the fans.
I loved just getting to meet people and hear you know,
there are stories about how my song had affected their life,
and there was so much beauty in that. But there's
also this other side to fame, and it's really unnatural
to be famous, first of all, but you can do
(18:57):
that well. And for me at the time, I just
couldn't find the balance, and I felt like the best
answer was to like self preservation. You know, I couldn't
really look at the meetings that we were having with
businesses or companies to partner with them, like this projected
career that was on the table we were having meetings about,
(19:18):
and I couldn't look at that and make this decision.
I really had to say, if you are doing something
that you love to do and you're meant to do it,
you're gifted in that area, and you feel like you
are falling apart at the seams doing that job, right
at that second, I think it's okay to step back
(19:40):
and go what's going on, you know? And so that's
what I did. I just laid it down. I always
knew I would sing again. I didn't know what that
would look like, but I just felt like for me,
it was just saving something that really mattered.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
I'm so glad you mentioned you know, there was a
period in the world that you know, wasn't as easy
to talk about those things and be public about it,
or just make that decision. It's now, it's it's it's different,
I think, but it still is something that's often in
(20:22):
the shadows, and the fact that you confronted it and
are still talking about it must now lead you to
a greater appreciation of life. Balance, doesn't it?
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Yes, absolutely, And and to be able to have another
dream of mine come try, which was to be a
stay at home mom. I wanted to have a family
like my mom did. And I'm so grateful that I
got to do that and it really taught me a lot.
And in coming back and choosing to sing again and
do it this way, I don't know for me, just
(21:01):
there's such a richness to it that I don't think
would have been there had I not walked away.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
Behind you.
Speaker 4 (21:09):
I see some beautiful jewelry. It must have something to
do with this little venture called the Heybell Company. Tell
us about how that became a reality and how it's
then become this wave of popularity among some really cool people.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Well, I feel like it fell from the sky. Was
very divine. You know. At the time, I wasn't singing yet.
This is about four years ago, and I was like,
I just want to be creative, and I didn't know
what that was. You know. Yes, I had written some
songs and that kind of thing, but I just wanted something.
I don't know. I wanted something for myself. And I
(21:52):
was just trying to process it all and think about,
like what is that? And I was being very peerful
about it, like okay, God, like I want something I
want something to do, you know. So I don't really
have a lot of jewelry. I wasn't a big jewelry
wearer of things, you know. I didn't even as an artist.
I didn't even wear a lot of necklaces.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
Like.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
I was just really, I don't know, minimal. And I
went to the beach one summer with my family four
years ago, just for a little week, little getaway, and
I see these earrings hanging in the shop and I
was like, I think I'm gonna make jewelry, and my
husband was like, okay. So I got home and I
(22:34):
went to some local antique stores and just kind of
grabbed pieces that were broken and discarded and kind of
just one of like one offs, maybe a pair of bearings,
but they weren't a pair anymore because one was missing.
And I just came home and started creating things at
my dining room table, thinking it was a hobby. And
within two weeks it was on the red carpet at
(22:55):
the CMA Awards, which I think is interesting. And it
didn't come through a music contact. That came through a
friend who knew Hannah Billingsley, you know, Shane Mooney's wife,
and she called me, and I drove to her house
and took the joy that I had and none of
(23:18):
it matched her dresses, and so I said, I can
make you something, And so I went home that night
and dug in this box and made these star earrings
that ended up being at the Red carpet. She was
photographed because they were doing well. They're always doing well,
but this particular CMA Awards, they had gotten a lot
(23:39):
of nominations, and so she was just everywhere. She was
on the TV, every like TV, like it was crazy,
sitting in her seat and you could just see my earrings.
And it was a little hard because I was so
proud of Haybell. I couldn't believe that that happened. But
I also was sad because I wasn't sitting there and
(24:03):
I had to really think about that, like what is that?
Pay attention? What does that mean? And I think that
was the first the catalyst in Okay, I think God's
prepping my heart for maybe what's coming. But I just
kept making the jewey and the stylists and the artists
kept calling, and it's really just one of a kind pieces.
I do have an everyday line that's you know, not
(24:24):
one of a kind, but most of my pieces. What
I love about what I do is that, you know,
I just get to be creative all the time with
whatever I find all over the world. I shop all
over the world, and I just put these things together
and it's so fun.
Speaker 3 (24:40):
You make it so matter of fact.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
I mean it kind of is. I mean even my husband,
like I did my own website, I take those pictures,
I did my own logo. Like for me from a
business standpoint, it really felt good to sit in my
jewelry room, this little space I have and listen to
podcasts how I built that, you know that podcast like
listening to Kendrick Scott talk about jewelry, listening to Oh Gosh,
(25:07):
the Spanks founder Sarah Blakely talking about how she started
spanks and hearing these crazy stories of people that sailed,
that failed, that failed, you know, and then they just
stuck with it. So all the while I'm doing this,
thinking I'm crazy, I'm listening to these people say don't
give up, don't give up, don't give up, and I haven't.
(25:29):
It's the little engine that could. But I'm really proud
of it. And my husband, like I was saying earlier,
he would come in here, and you'd go, I can't
believe you're doing this. It's really good. I'm like, I know,
it's interesting, isn't it, because i'd I'd never done anything
like that, so I don't know, it's just finding. I
always say to people, just be open to new adventures
(25:53):
in life. Life doesn't have to be empty and stagnant
and broken, really, you know, carefully be adventurous and you know,
not give up on dreaming. And I'm living proof. I'm
in my forties and starting all over with this crazy thing.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
Follow in your.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
Heart, Yeah, following your heart and just being passionate about it, right, yes, yeah, which, now, okay,
I'm sorry it took so long.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
Brings us to Acres of Diamonds.
Speaker 4 (26:24):
Congratulations on, thank you, the the the upcoming EP or
new music. Five more Minutes is the single. Talk about
some of the work behind that, some of the collaborators,
and what folks can.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
Expect to you well.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Acres of Diamonds is the title of the new EP
we have coming out May twenty third, and you know
it is a labor of love. You know, we had
a lot of songs to choose from, and we just
all kind of my team came together and said, these
are the ones acres of diamonds. Is the title cut
because it's about what I've been building outside of the
(27:05):
music industry, this simple life. To me, that is full
of diamonds. You know, my kids are the acreage and
they are the diamonds, and that's what we've built, my
husband and I this life. So I thought that was
important for the listener to know, Hey, this is where
I've been. Five more Minutes is the latest single, and
(27:26):
it's really just about not something where you look back
and regret that you weren't present in a moment, but
just a favorite moment that, gosh, if I could just
go back for five more minutes to be so fun.
Like one of the lines in the song is riding
my pink huffey bike. My daddy got me this amazing
pink huffy bike and I loved it and I wrote it.
Every day barefoot, they're all over the place, and sometimes
(27:50):
I'll look outside and see kids riding their bikes and
I think, oh, I wish I could just do that
again for five more minutes, you know, like that. So
it's just a song to just kind of maybe just
hopefully make us all more aware of the places and
times in front of us that we can be really present,
you know, and so it's it's one of my favorites.
(28:14):
And then we have this big song coming out. It's
a song called Black Selica. My daughter was like, what
is that? And I'm like, it's a car that was
really cool back in the day. But I wrote it
with Ashley Monroe and Mickey Reeves and Ashley I was like,
why don't you sing on it? You know, why don't
(28:37):
you let let's feature you on this song because she's magnificent,
Like her voice is stunning. It's I called it like
a beautiful butterfly the other day. You know, it knows
where to land, it knows how to surround the lead,
like she just has her place in this track, and
I'm so proud of it. Paul Sykes did it for us.
(28:57):
So that is something that she really exciting to me
that we got to do that together. And in fact,
Black Silica is kind of based off of that boy,
that baseball player that I dated back and with what
I really meant to say, so we kind of put
all of our minds together and had our own little
contribution to the song that meant something to us and
(29:19):
so that's exciting. And then I did a cover of
a Harry style song fall In. We had a list
of covers and I was like, what do we do?
I listened to all kinds of music, and I was like,
I just love that song. So that kind of became
the one that we decided on. I just love the
lyrics of that song, like I love the intimacy and
the pain. I love paint, like I love the love
(29:40):
song kind of paint right, So it just worked. It's
a Cindy song. And then a song called so Glad
You're Mine I wrote a while back about I've been
married twenty three years and it's kind of a song
about just really solidifying being in love even this far
into it. Like I just love the idea of telling
(30:00):
his love songs, telling this story. So I'm proud of it.
You know. It's again, a lot of people have worked
really hard. My team has worked really hard on helping
bring this to life, because because we're independent, we're doing
it a different way, and so it feels good and
I'm excited.
Speaker 4 (30:17):
I love the independent aspect of it. I love more
and more that artists are able to be independent in
their thinking and their strategy with it. I think one
of the beautiful things about what's happening with maybe by
necessity in some cases, but in general, that artists can
have the confidence to be independent. I think that's really cool.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
It is it's scary, you know, it's scary at first
because I had come back from just the time frame
where it was only a record deal and then radio.
When I jump back into this, it's like, this guy's
the limit. You can do it any way you want
to do it. And I'm like, well, I need some structure,
like what I need? I need amateurs. I'm not designed
(31:01):
that way. And so I just found an amazing manager
and she's a believer, she's a champion and she's she's
just amazing. And we just started building this like learning
about how to do it independently, and it's it's been
(31:22):
really hard and really beautiful and we have learned a lot.
I feel like sometimes we laugh. I'm like, we've accomplished
a lot in our little you know, almost two years
of doing this together. Like, but I'm very excited about
what's to come. And the good thing about independence too
is just the freedom to pivot when we need to,
(31:45):
if we want to also, I get to just go
pick up my son from school until he's driving. Officially
she can do the same for her daughter. We just
kind of, hey, I'm out at three, I got to
go to some baseball games. You know. There's just there's
a beauty of it. Now that it's getting busier, it's
getting busier, but we'd both agree that we put the
(32:07):
things that mattered most in first, you know, in its family.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
Will you be taken taken to the road a bit?
Speaker 2 (32:16):
I absolutely want to go on the road. I mean
my hope is to you know, be a part of
some sort of tour at some point. We have a
few shows coming up, one in the fall that's being
solidified now in Georgia. But ultimately i'd love to be
back just on some sort of tour. It's so fun
to do that, and you know, so we'll see what
(32:38):
lies ahead.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
You have such a great attitude with it all. It's so.
Speaker 4 (32:44):
You know, authentic and empowering and inspiring, and the music
is really awesome as well.
Speaker 2 (32:53):
Thank you so much. Well, I know I try to.
I'm not always as positive. There are days are hard,
you know, in all aspects of life. I think we
all go through moments where we're like, is this the
right thing to do? And you know you just have
to backtrack and think of how it all fell into place.
I can't deny the open doors. You know that it's
(33:15):
just been really divine and really beautiful.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
Well, Cindy Thompson, congratulations on everything.
Speaker 4 (33:21):
I'm so grateful that you came on Taking a Walk
and I know our audience, including me, are rooting for
you in this exciting next chapter of your life.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
Thank you so much. I'd love talking with you.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a
Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends
and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking
a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
and wherever you get your podcasts.
Taking a Walk.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
So many things influence me and songwriters in general. I
think just moments we might see in real life, happening
in front of us, or you know, I just know
myself pretty well, and I know if I'm singing a
song to you or writing a song, I want you
to believe me.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Welcome to the Taking a Walk Podcast, hosted by Buzznight.
Buzz speaks with musicians and songwriters of all genres about
their passion for their work and their newest projects. Today,
we step into a new chapter with country singer songwriter
Cindy Thompson as she returns to the Spotlight, bringing her
signature heartfelt storytelling and soulful vocals to a brand new project.
(00:42):
On this episode with Cindy, she opens up about her
journey and gives us an exclusive look at her highly
anticipated EP Acres of Diamonds.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Joined Buzznight now.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
For an intimate conversation with Cindy Thompson rediscovering old treasures,
embracing new beginnings, and celebrating the Acres of Diamonds right
now on the Taking a Walk Podcast.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
Cindy Thompson, thanks for being on the Taken a Walk Podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Thanks for having me so since.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
We call this this little podcast taking a Walk, I
want to ask you first, if you could take a
walk with somebody. I'll make it very suspenseful. If you
could take a walk with somebody living, you're dead. They
could be involved with music, they don't have to be.
Who would you take a walk with and where would
(01:32):
you take a walk with them?
Speaker 3 (01:35):
That wasn't that suspenseful, was it?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
It sounded kind of cool? I felt it. Wow, Okay,
you know, I might take a walk with my great grandfather.
I never got to meet him, but we have this
amazing photograph in our house, and he's so handsome, and
(01:58):
he came from Scotland. He was a pastor and he
came from Scotland to become a preacher here. And he
just looks really cool and I just love to pick
his brain.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Ah, that's so special.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
I could I could visualize the cool look you know
the picture.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Yes, he's so good looking, and I'm like, you know,
he just I don't know. I don't know what we
would talk about. I'm sure all kinds of things that
he's so intriguing to me. Every time I see that picture,
I'm like, I just want to know him. But I don't, sir.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
That's nice. It's amazing the array of answers that we
get with the question. We get everybody from Johann Sebastian
Bach to fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
It goes all over the place, it really does.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Well, if I had a lot of time to think
about it, I'd probably pick not pick my great grandfather.
But you know, there are so many people that I'm
intrigued by and stories, and so it's a good question.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
Well, thank you, thank you for that answer, and we're
going to talk about the brand new music. Certainly get
into that acres of diamonds and a pretty amazing sound
and cast of collaborators. So we'll get in the midst
of that conversation. But I do want to start at
(03:24):
the beginning with you and talk about some of your
earliest memories of music that certainly have shaped you.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
To this day.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
You know, my favorite memories are always getting in the
car with my dad and he would always have the
oldies station playing. He was a big You know, my
parents weren't musical that they loved music. My mom played
the piano a little bit from time to time, like
hymns and things. My dad listened to oldies and we
(03:57):
just I don't know so much great music. And it
was just constantly on in his car, even if we
were talking or whatever. It was just kind of playing
in the background. But then we'd turn it up and listen.
And so and then my sisters were older than me.
I was kind of the baby of four and kind
of an afterthought, although my mom said she was done
(04:19):
having kids and my dad was like, I just want
one more. And it wasn't to have a boy, they swear.
But anyway, my sisters had their own, uh, you know,
loves of music. One loved jazz, like Manhattan transfer was
always playing. One liked urban music, and one just like
popular music. And so I really had a you know,
(04:42):
amazing you know intro to music. It was always kind
of playing somewhere in the house, all different kinds.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
So, and that was in the Nashville area.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
No, I'm originally from South Georgia, So I grew up
in Tifton, Georgia. And yeah, so it was just a
small town and that's where I'm from.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Probably knew everybody's name there.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
I'm thinking, yes, yeah, you do, you do. It's gotten
bigger now, but yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
And was there a moment, you know, being impacted by
that music that you just described that you know you
first knew that you were going to make a career around.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Music, you know, I didn't until I was around twelve years.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Old, So that old cheese, yeah, so old.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Well, you know, you know, some you'll hear these stories
of kids that sung their whole lives, and mine is
a little bit different in that I came out of
middle school out of this really bad bullying situation and
so it really I think created this part of me
that just wanted to be quiet, kind of disappear and
not be seen. So it was kind of solidified in
a way, and I got into marching band and junior
(05:58):
high school, my sister had a clarinet. I thought she
was really cool, and I was a terrible clarinet player
and I was the last chair and that was just
so bad. But I got into marching band thinking I
could be a part of something really big, so that
it wasn't just me right, but because of music, I
wanted to do something. And one afternoon, the choir teacher
(06:21):
came in and said, is Cindy Thompson in here? And
I didn't want to raise my hand right away because
I didn't want to be seen or heard or noticed.
But I went with her outside the classroom and she said, listen,
I heard that you could sing. And I was like,
I don't know if I can sing. She had heard
about me, I think through a couple of solos i'd
(06:41):
done at church in our youth group, you know, but
my bully went to my church. So I didn't ever
want to sing, you know, because she was a good singer.
I mean, it was just this whole thing. So she
took me in her choir class, put me in front
of the piano. All the students were sitting there, and
she began to play scales. They were really easy, they
got really hard, and I just sang them all back
to her and she said, I don't care what you
(07:03):
do with that clarinet. This is your classroom. This is
where you're going to be. So she was the first
person to ever say to my parents, she's a star.
There's really something special about her. And I find it
ironic because I was so withdrawn and so sha and quiet,
but she heard something in my voice. And I'm so
grateful to her for that because it was really what
(07:27):
that was the catalyst in turning this whole thing around,
and after that, it was really seeing you asked me
if there was a moment one Saturday morning around this
season of My Life. I saw Trisha Eyarwood singing She's
in Love with the Boy on TV and it stopped
me in my tracks. I was like, I don't know
what that is, but that's what I want to do
and I want to be her friend. And you know,
(07:49):
she was from Georgia. It was just perfect timing on
that Saturday morning.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Were you looking ahead at some of the questions I prepared.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Because no, I'm teasing you because because the reality is
that I was next going to ask you about your
musical heroes. So you mentioned Tricia, who's a great one.
Were there others that really had a profound impact just
on you know, kind of giving you that further creative spark.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Yes, there were. I mean because of all the music
that was in my house, you know, and I was
also a young teenager, so you know, your friends kind
of influenced your musical taste, and you know, listen to
popular radio and at the time it was Whitney Houston.
Debbie Gibson was huge because she was so young and
(08:40):
it made it feel like I can do that too.
If that, if someone that young can sing, I have
that chance. Because back then there was no the Voice
or American idol. It was truly just a dream, you know,
to to be in a tiny little town wishing to
be this country singer. But yeah, I would say what
Houston the most? I just loved so much of what
(09:03):
she did, and I don't know, she was a big influence.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
So your songs really have this incredible emotional honesty. Where
do you find that inspiration over your career? In still
for your lyrics?
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Oh don't I don't know. You know, sometimes I'm driving
down the road and I'll think of something and think, well,
that would be a really good title, or you know,
I think so many things influence me and songwriters in general.
I think just moments we might see in real life
happening in front of us. Or you know, I just
(09:42):
know myself pretty well, and I know if I'm singing
a song to you or writing a song, I want
you to believe me. You know, I don't want to
sing something that's just it's just really important. And so
you know, I'm just inspired sometimes through reading, sometimes movies,
and just sometimes just a phrase that I hear, and
(10:03):
then you know, you get together with a collaborator and
they bring what they have to the table and it
just becomes a story. I like to tell stories and
I like to you know, one thing that I do
when I write a lot is I can actually see
the like music video sometimes playing out or as if
it's a movie, like what would be the thing that
we would say? What would the next thing be that
(10:24):
would happen that would make sense? And so inspiration for
me though, just comes from all over the place.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Do you dream in technicolor?
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Sometimes? I do dream a lot. There are seasons I'll
dream every night, and yes, they're very vivid, they're very
movie like and very very detailed and long. I'm surprised
I'm not tired the next morning. It's not all the time,
but fairly often sometimes.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
Yeah, is there a place or a routine that you
feel sparks your creativity?
Speaker 2 (11:00):
I wish I could say yes. I think back when
I was a younger writer without a family, you know,
just kind of that first go around. You know, I
was writing every day, five days a week, sometimes you know,
two different rights a day, and it was just being
at the publishing company. You know, being in the in
(11:22):
the space where writers were in rooms, you could hear
the music coming out of them, and just that world
of Nashville at that time was so great. And now
it's so interesting because I have two children, I'm you know, married,
and I have a jewelry company. Things that I really
am pulled in so many different directions, and so now
(11:42):
it's just you know, making sure I planned to write
with someone, like getting it on the books, and then
you know, preparing in some sort of way before I go.
But no, I don't have a routine because my life
is so busy that it's not the same as it
was back then, you know. So I've had to really
learned to pull into the parking lot, walk into the
(12:03):
writer's room and focus. And you know, obviously I keep notes,
I keep ideas in my phone for those moments that
I get inspired, But no, I really don't have like
this routine that I do.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
Just keep it that way then if it's working right, right,
we don't want to disrupt it. Your debut single, What
I really meant to say, it was a big, big hit.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Tell us about that.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
Time in your life and about that moment with that
great song.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Sure, sure, I was in love with this boy who
played baseball, and I met him in Georgia, and you know,
just I think we dated so long seven years. We
broke upon an awful lot throughou seven years, but it
was really that first whole record is really written around
(12:54):
that relationship because that was the one that meant the most,
and then being young and growing up in Georgia. But
that particular song, what I really needed to say, I
wrote because we had broken up. It was final, it
was done where we're not playing the games anymore. And
his dream was always to be the sculpture artist. He's
a baseball player, but he came from artists and he
(13:18):
really had this idea that was different. No one had
done it, and I just really believed in him and
I wanted that for him, just like he wanted for
me to be a singer. So that didn't happen within
the span of our relationship. He did start making art,
but not the big gallery opening, like to have a
real place where you could hang your art. And so
(13:40):
we broke up, and I found out not too long
after that that he got his first gallery opening. So
I was struggling with what to do, and I just
decided who cares. I drove down to Georgia and went
to see this art opening, and he didn't know I was,
(14:02):
you know, coming in at that time, Like he didn't
know I was coming in the room. I think he
knew I was going to be there. But I came
in and I saw him just walking around the room
talking about his art. Everything he had dreamed about, everything
that I had dreamed for him was happening. And I
was so proud of him because we were really good friends too,
and I remember seeing it. We made eye contact and
(14:23):
I just told him, I'm proud of you. This is amazing.
And I ended up leaving not too long after that.
I walked out the door. It was very busy that
night for him, and out in the street it was
like a movie. The street lights were shining down perfectly
lit street Atlanta, in this particular area Atlanta, and I
(14:44):
hear him calling my name in the street. Wow, he's
left his gallery opening. He's out in the street and
he's like, don't leave, and I'm like, I have to go,
and I'm really proud of you. And so I left,
and you know, the next day, went back to Nashville
and I got a notebook like a notepad out and
(15:08):
I wrote what I really meant to say at the
top of the paper, because what I really wanted to
say was I still love you. I still feel all
these feelings. But the right thing to do was for
me to go because we weren't meant to be together.
And I took that into my co write and we
wrote what I really meant to say.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Wow, what a great story.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
There you go, dreaming and visualizing in technicolor again.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
I know it's so great.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Would you ever consider scoring a movie or or being
in the movie itself?
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Oh? Yes, we've talked about that, you know, I've never
I've had some people recently talk to me about would
you want to do some acting or and yes, if
it made sense. You know, I don't want to be terrible,
and you know, so who knows. I mean, it's it's
on the bucket list.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Maybe Cindy be terrible.
Speaker 4 (16:06):
I don't think those two words exist for you.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
You are very kind. You never know when you know,
I've never done I did some acting in high school
on the school play. So we'll see.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
We'll be right back with more of the Taking a
Walk Podcast. Welcome back to the Taking a Walk Podcast.
Speaker 4 (16:29):
So you did step away from the spotlight at one point,
and what motivated that decision was that really a life
sort of you know, balance and kind of reassessing moment.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Yes, absolutely. You know, artists don't really know what that
life is like until they just jump into it, right.
You don't get like a crash course or boot camp.
And for me, it happened really fast, you know, just
the life. It turned into a dream come true. I
(17:05):
don't want to paint this picture that I had a
bad experience at the label or you know, that I
was mistreated or anything like that. Truly everything was beautiful.
It was like from the outside looking in especially, it's
like this is exactly what you would want to happen
as an artist, Like you want your song to go
number one that you wrote, you want to be able
(17:28):
to open fur trash yard, which I did, you know,
Alan Jackson. All of it was lining up perfectly, and
I would say a year in two it I started
having major panic attacks and I didn't know what they were,
and so it scared me because I thought, what is this.
I'm a very peaceful person. I have a great face
(17:51):
that I rely on, and I pray a lot and
for whatever reason, I felt very lonely and I felt
I can't describe it to you, but I was having
panic attacks and night terrors and a lot of anxiety,
and you know, back then, nobody was talking about those things.
(18:11):
And I felt like if I brought it up, I
kept it a secret for a while, that it would
look as if I didn't want to work hard or
that I didn't appreciate my opportunity. So I just kept
kind of trucking along. I had a doctor that would
kind of monitor my heart weakly because it was like
crazy beating out of control. And I kept doing the work,
(18:34):
you know, And I loved singing. I loved the fans.
I loved just getting to meet people and hear you know,
there are stories about how my song had affected their life,
and there was so much beauty in that. But there's
also this other side to fame, and it's really unnatural
to be famous, first of all, but you can do
(18:57):
that well. And for me at the time, I just
couldn't find the balance, and I felt like the best
answer was to like self preservation. You know, I couldn't
really look at the meetings that we were having with
businesses or companies to partner with them, like this projected
career that was on the table we were having meetings about,
(19:18):
and I couldn't look at that and make this decision.
I really had to say, if you are doing something
that you love to do and you're meant to do it,
you're gifted in that area, and you feel like you
are falling apart at the seams doing that job, right
at that second, I think it's okay to step back
(19:40):
and go what's going on, you know? And so that's
what I did. I just laid it down. I always
knew I would sing again. I didn't know what that
would look like, but I just felt like for me,
it was just saving something that really mattered.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
I'm so glad you mentioned you know, there was a
period in the world that you know, wasn't as easy
to talk about those things and be public about it,
or just make that decision. It's now, it's it's it's different,
I think, but it still is something that's often in
(20:22):
the shadows, and the fact that you confronted it and
are still talking about it must now lead you to
a greater appreciation of life. Balance, doesn't it?
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Yes, absolutely, And and to be able to have another
dream of mine come try, which was to be a
stay at home mom. I wanted to have a family
like my mom did. And I'm so grateful that I
got to do that and it really taught me a lot.
And in coming back and choosing to sing again and
do it this way, I don't know for me, just
(21:01):
there's such a richness to it that I don't think
would have been there had I not walked away.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
Behind you.
Speaker 4 (21:09):
I see some beautiful jewelry. It must have something to
do with this little venture called the Heybell Company. Tell
us about how that became a reality and how it's
then become this wave of popularity among some really cool people.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Well, I feel like it fell from the sky. Was
very divine. You know. At the time, I wasn't singing yet.
This is about four years ago, and I was like,
I just want to be creative, and I didn't know
what that was. You know. Yes, I had written some
songs and that kind of thing, but I just wanted something.
I don't know. I wanted something for myself. And I
(21:52):
was just trying to process it all and think about,
like what is that? And I was being very peerful
about it, like okay, God, like I want something I
want something to do, you know. So I don't really
have a lot of jewelry. I wasn't a big jewelry
wearer of things, you know. I didn't even as an artist.
I didn't even wear a lot of necklaces.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
Like.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
I was just really, I don't know, minimal. And I
went to the beach one summer with my family four
years ago, just for a little week, little getaway, and
I see these earrings hanging in the shop and I
was like, I think I'm gonna make jewelry, and my
husband was like, okay. So I got home and I
(22:34):
went to some local antique stores and just kind of
grabbed pieces that were broken and discarded and kind of
just one of like one offs, maybe a pair of bearings,
but they weren't a pair anymore because one was missing.
And I just came home and started creating things at
my dining room table, thinking it was a hobby. And
within two weeks it was on the red carpet at
(22:55):
the CMA Awards, which I think is interesting. And it
didn't come through a music contact. That came through a
friend who knew Hannah Billingsley, you know, Shane Mooney's wife,
and she called me, and I drove to her house
and took the joy that I had and none of
(23:18):
it matched her dresses, and so I said, I can
make you something, And so I went home that night
and dug in this box and made these star earrings
that ended up being at the Red carpet. She was
photographed because they were doing well. They're always doing well,
but this particular CMA Awards, they had gotten a lot
(23:39):
of nominations, and so she was just everywhere. She was
on the TV, every like TV, like it was crazy,
sitting in her seat and you could just see my earrings.
And it was a little hard because I was so
proud of Haybell. I couldn't believe that that happened. But
I also was sad because I wasn't sitting there and
(24:03):
I had to really think about that, like what is that?
Pay attention? What does that mean? And I think that
was the first the catalyst in Okay, I think God's
prepping my heart for maybe what's coming. But I just
kept making the jewey and the stylists and the artists
kept calling, and it's really just one of a kind pieces.
I do have an everyday line that's you know, not
(24:24):
one of a kind, but most of my pieces. What
I love about what I do is that, you know,
I just get to be creative all the time with
whatever I find all over the world. I shop all
over the world, and I just put these things together
and it's so fun.
Speaker 3 (24:40):
You make it so matter of fact.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
I mean it kind of is. I mean even my husband,
like I did my own website, I take those pictures,
I did my own logo. Like for me from a
business standpoint, it really felt good to sit in my
jewelry room, this little space I have and listen to
podcasts how I built that, you know that podcast like
listening to Kendrick Scott talk about jewelry, listening to Oh Gosh,
(25:07):
the Spanks founder Sarah Blakely talking about how she started
spanks and hearing these crazy stories of people that sailed,
that failed, that failed, you know, and then they just
stuck with it. So all the while I'm doing this,
thinking I'm crazy, I'm listening to these people say don't
give up, don't give up, don't give up, and I haven't.
(25:29):
It's the little engine that could. But I'm really proud
of it. And my husband, like I was saying earlier,
he would come in here, and you'd go, I can't
believe you're doing this. It's really good. I'm like, I know,
it's interesting, isn't it, because i'd I'd never done anything
like that, so I don't know, it's just finding. I
always say to people, just be open to new adventures
(25:53):
in life. Life doesn't have to be empty and stagnant
and broken, really, you know, carefully be adventurous and you know,
not give up on dreaming. And I'm living proof. I'm
in my forties and starting all over with this crazy thing.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
Follow in your.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
Heart, Yeah, following your heart and just being passionate about it, right, yes, yeah, which, now, okay,
I'm sorry it took so long.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
Brings us to Acres of Diamonds.
Speaker 4 (26:24):
Congratulations on, thank you, the the the upcoming EP or
new music. Five more Minutes is the single. Talk about
some of the work behind that, some of the collaborators,
and what folks can.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
Expect to you well.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Acres of Diamonds is the title of the new EP
we have coming out May twenty third, and you know
it is a labor of love. You know, we had
a lot of songs to choose from, and we just
all kind of my team came together and said, these
are the ones acres of diamonds. Is the title cut
because it's about what I've been building outside of the
(27:05):
music industry, this simple life. To me, that is full
of diamonds. You know, my kids are the acreage and
they are the diamonds, and that's what we've built, my
husband and I this life. So I thought that was
important for the listener to know, Hey, this is where
I've been. Five more Minutes is the latest single, and
(27:26):
it's really just about not something where you look back
and regret that you weren't present in a moment, but
just a favorite moment that, gosh, if I could just
go back for five more minutes to be so fun.
Like one of the lines in the song is riding
my pink huffey bike. My daddy got me this amazing
pink huffy bike and I loved it and I wrote it.
Every day barefoot, they're all over the place, and sometimes
(27:50):
I'll look outside and see kids riding their bikes and
I think, oh, I wish I could just do that
again for five more minutes, you know, like that. So
it's just a song to just kind of maybe just
hopefully make us all more aware of the places and
times in front of us that we can be really present,
you know, and so it's it's one of my favorites.
(28:14):
And then we have this big song coming out. It's
a song called Black Selica. My daughter was like, what
is that? And I'm like, it's a car that was
really cool back in the day. But I wrote it
with Ashley Monroe and Mickey Reeves and Ashley I was like,
why don't you sing on it? You know, why don't
(28:37):
you let let's feature you on this song because she's magnificent,
Like her voice is stunning. It's I called it like
a beautiful butterfly the other day. You know, it knows
where to land, it knows how to surround the lead,
like she just has her place in this track, and
I'm so proud of it. Paul Sykes did it for us.
(28:57):
So that is something that she really exciting to me
that we got to do that together. And in fact,
Black Silica is kind of based off of that boy,
that baseball player that I dated back and with what
I really meant to say, so we kind of put
all of our minds together and had our own little
contribution to the song that meant something to us and
(29:19):
so that's exciting. And then I did a cover of
a Harry style song fall In. We had a list
of covers and I was like, what do we do?
I listened to all kinds of music, and I was like,
I just love that song. So that kind of became
the one that we decided on. I just love the
lyrics of that song, like I love the intimacy and
the pain. I love paint, like I love the love
(29:40):
song kind of paint right, So it just worked. It's
a Cindy song. And then a song called so Glad
You're Mine I wrote a while back about I've been
married twenty three years and it's kind of a song
about just really solidifying being in love even this far
into it. Like I just love the idea of telling
(30:00):
his love songs, telling this story. So I'm proud of it.
You know. It's again, a lot of people have worked
really hard. My team has worked really hard on helping
bring this to life, because because we're independent, we're doing
it a different way, and so it feels good and
I'm excited.
Speaker 4 (30:17):
I love the independent aspect of it. I love more
and more that artists are able to be independent in
their thinking and their strategy with it. I think one
of the beautiful things about what's happening with maybe by
necessity in some cases, but in general, that artists can
have the confidence to be independent. I think that's really cool.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
It is it's scary, you know, it's scary at first
because I had come back from just the time frame
where it was only a record deal and then radio.
When I jump back into this, it's like, this guy's
the limit. You can do it any way you want
to do it. And I'm like, well, I need some structure,
like what I need? I need amateurs. I'm not designed
(31:01):
that way. And so I just found an amazing manager
and she's a believer, she's a champion and she's she's
just amazing. And we just started building this like learning
about how to do it independently, and it's it's been
(31:22):
really hard and really beautiful and we have learned a lot.
I feel like sometimes we laugh. I'm like, we've accomplished
a lot in our little you know, almost two years
of doing this together. Like, but I'm very excited about
what's to come. And the good thing about independence too
is just the freedom to pivot when we need to,
(31:45):
if we want to also, I get to just go
pick up my son from school until he's driving. Officially
she can do the same for her daughter. We just
kind of, hey, I'm out at three, I got to
go to some baseball games. You know. There's just there's
a beauty of it. Now that it's getting busier, it's
getting busier, but we'd both agree that we put the
(32:07):
things that mattered most in first, you know, in its family.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
Will you be taken taken to the road a bit?
Speaker 2 (32:16):
I absolutely want to go on the road. I mean
my hope is to you know, be a part of
some sort of tour at some point. We have a
few shows coming up, one in the fall that's being
solidified now in Georgia. But ultimately i'd love to be
back just on some sort of tour. It's so fun
to do that, and you know, so we'll see what
(32:38):
lies ahead.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
You have such a great attitude with it all. It's so.
Speaker 4 (32:44):
You know, authentic and empowering and inspiring, and the music
is really awesome as well.
Speaker 2 (32:53):
Thank you so much. Well, I know I try to.
I'm not always as positive. There are days are hard,
you know, in all aspects of life. I think we
all go through moments where we're like, is this the
right thing to do? And you know you just have
to backtrack and think of how it all fell into place.
I can't deny the open doors. You know that it's
(33:15):
just been really divine and really beautiful.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
Well, Cindy Thompson, congratulations on everything.
Speaker 4 (33:21):
I'm so grateful that you came on Taking a Walk
and I know our audience, including me, are rooting for
you in this exciting next chapter of your life.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
Thank you so much. I'd love talking with you.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a
Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends
and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking
a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
and wherever you get your podcasts.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.