Getting Real with Lauren Watkins: Heartbreak Never Sounded So Good

Lauren Watkins has been chasing songs since her early days making music with her songwriting sister Caroline. Along the way, she fell in love with her producer (and now husband) Will Bundy, and together they’ve built more than just records—they’ve built a life in music. Now, with her debut album “The Heartbroken Record” and a dream spot on tour with Lainey Wilson, Lauren is living out the country music story she once only sang about.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
Carl Line. She's a queen and talking and a song
she's getting really not afraid to fail. It's so so
just let it flow. No one can do were quiet,
car Line's time for Caroline. Oh okay, I am so

(00:31):
excited to be here with you, Lauren Watkins.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
I'm so excited to be here.

Speaker 1 (00:35):
I mean, you are just like blowing it up.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
I'm doing the best I can, but you, I mean,
you are so busy.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
You just put on an album last year called The Heartways.
It was called Hearbor, the Heartbroken Record, yep, because you
were very heartbroken.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
I was not anymore. And I were like, mar so,
is it one human that broke your heart on this record?

Speaker 2 (00:59):
On the on the Harbor?

Speaker 1 (01:00):
Yeah, on the first one.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
No, it was many, it was many.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
It was dating difficult. I had a hard time dating.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah, it was. It's funny, like I barely even remember
it now. I don't even like I know what was
I doing.

Speaker 1 (01:11):
I don't know. It feels so big though, when you're
in it. Oh yeah, I remember feeling that way too.

Speaker 3 (01:15):
I was such a terrible dater and I would date
all these artists and musicians and just like get drunk
and make out with them and then.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
Have horrible experiences. It was awful. What were you like
as a dater?

Speaker 2 (01:24):
How was your in college?

Speaker 1 (01:26):
So you're very young?

Speaker 2 (01:27):
Yeah, I was when I wrote that album. It was
like fresh out of college and it shows, and so
I was like coming off of college heartbreaks, which like
I don't even know if that I mean it counts,
but it's like not even.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
What is called heartbreak?

Speaker 2 (01:41):
Like these days well these days, I don't know. But
when I was in college, it was like people didn't
even go on dates. It was like you just go
out to the bar or like you meet people out
and it was just or you go to date parties
or formals and yeah, yeah, which was so fun. But
I got my heartbroken a few times.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
So where did you go to college?

Speaker 2 (02:03):
Ole? Miss?

Speaker 1 (02:04):
Oh okay, so that's like the party place.

Speaker 2 (02:06):
Party Central, Yeah, okay, but.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
You're from Nashville originally. Yeah. And then did you think
you're gonna marry any of these guys that broke your heart?
Or was it like quick dates? Oh?

Speaker 2 (02:16):
It was quick? Yeah, it was quick.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
People have a hard time committing right, yes.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
Oh my gosh. Yeah, Like I I think you pro
I think while you're in it, you probably think like
this guy is the one. I definitely thought that about
ten different times. But then now, like looking back, I'm going,
thank god, what yeah, thank God? I know, thank God?

Speaker 1 (02:39):
Oh my gosh.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
So then you're like, you grow up in Nashville, you
go Inay to college, you have a lot of college heartbreaks,
you write your first album. Yeah, did you write that
album before you had a record deal or did you
write it after you had a record deal? And Nicole
Gallian's a big player in your story.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
Right, Yeah, she's a big player because you know Nicole.
I love Nicole. Yeah, she's awesome.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
Did she start Songs and Daughters for you?

Speaker 2 (03:02):
Right?

Speaker 1 (03:03):
No?

Speaker 2 (03:03):
No, no, no, definitely not.

Speaker 1 (03:04):
But you're on are you on Songs and Daughters?

Speaker 2 (03:06):
I am a part of it. She definitely didn't start
it for me, but she she picked me up and
took me under her wing. Okay.

Speaker 1 (03:13):
And that's.

Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah, so fun, so great.

Speaker 1 (03:16):
With Morgan Wallen, Yes, and you've toured with him, yes,
I have. So he's kind of your friend.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
I mean, I guess you could say we could ask
him to see what he says. Okay, yeah, no, it's
been it's been a journey. I so I did grow
up in Nashville, and I always sang, always sang. I
always like I have I have three sisters, and so
I'm the second one. So my older sister she also
sang she's her name is Caroline, by the way, oh okay,

(03:44):
And we just grew up singing together. She like picked
up a guitar and started writing songs when she was
so young, like I don't even remember. I don't ever
remember a time where she wasn't like writing and singing,
and so I quickly followed suit.

Speaker 1 (03:57):
And so you want she you're oldest. You wanted to
be like here.

Speaker 2 (04:00):
Oh yeah, I was like, okay, so that's what's cool,
I'm doing that. Yeah, and yeah, we started singing together
and it was just like really fun. Like it was
we were so little. I remember her bedroom was next
to mine upstairs, and I would like hear playing guitar,
and I'd go knock on her door and I'd be like,
can I sing with you? And we would just sing
all day. We would just sing cover songs and just

(04:21):
have fun.

Speaker 1 (04:23):
That is sweet.

Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yeah, it was really sweet, and it was it was
so fun. And then we started playing gigs when we
were old enough to where people weren't like you guys are.

Speaker 1 (04:31):
Children, and the other two sisters did not want to
do it, not really, no.

Speaker 2 (04:35):
I mean I think they all everyone in my family
loves music, but they didn't have the like I want
to sing, I want to play, so they just kind
of watched and probably got so sick of coming to
our gigs. But we played all around town and then
I was like my sister she knew, like, I want
to be a songwriter. I care what I want to do. Yeah,

(04:57):
And I was a little bit like, wait, what is
a career. I don't think I'm ready for that. I
just like it was just fun for me. And so
I went to Ole, Miss thinking like I'm never going
back to Nashville. I was like, I got to get
out of here.

Speaker 1 (05:08):
I got to get out of Nashville. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (05:10):
It was like everybody feels that way about their hometown,
even Nashvilleville. Okay, wait, where are you from?

Speaker 1 (05:15):
Waco, Texas?

Speaker 2 (05:16):
Oh my gosh, Okay my best friend went to Baylor.
Oh so I've been to Waco, right, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (05:20):
Chip and Joy I have really really change the dynamic.

Speaker 2 (05:24):
That's what they said. That's what everybody said.

Speaker 1 (05:26):
But you used to have a very bad reputation with
David Krush and the branch Davidians. But now it's like
a tourist destination.

Speaker 2 (05:31):
It's beautiful.

Speaker 1 (05:32):
It is it is.

Speaker 2 (05:33):
But yeah, so I went. I went to Ole Miss
and then it was just like the it just pulled
at me. It pulled out at me the entire time
I was there. I was like, and I loved college, Like,
I'm so glad I went, but I was like, when
this is over, I know I have to go back.

Speaker 1 (05:47):
You and so you were writing and singing in college.

Speaker 2 (05:49):
I started writing when I was in college. I sort
of took a break from like singing and performing. And
I think that's why it pulled out me so much,
because I was like, I miss it. I missed it.
I can't like not be doing it. And so I
started up again like my junior year. And that's when
I started writing, Oh sorry, you're.

Speaker 1 (06:07):
Not used to handhold this much. We like to keep
it reall around here. It's called get rid. I like it.

Speaker 2 (06:12):
You would think I'm used to holding a bikes. I'm like,
but yeah, so what was I even saying?

Speaker 1 (06:22):
You miss singing and writing? Yes?

Speaker 2 (06:23):
I just missed it. And before I started writing and
I started writing by myself because no one nut Ole
miss was like writing songs at least that I knew of.
I didn't find those people, so I just started doing
it by myself, and then Caroline would write with me.
And then I think I met Nicole when I was
either a junior or senior. I remember she reached out.

Speaker 1 (06:43):
To me and I was already reached out to you
through social media.

Speaker 2 (06:46):
Yeah, she found you. She discovered me, and actually it
was Rodney, her husband, who discovered me.

Speaker 1 (06:52):
Okay, so people, you were discovered.

Speaker 2 (06:54):
I was discovered. Yeah, sort of like you know, Usher
discovered Justin Bieber. I think I was also discovered.

Speaker 1 (07:00):
Yes, So were you putting like covers up online or something?

Speaker 2 (07:04):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (07:04):
I was.

Speaker 2 (07:04):
This was before like like covers went viral, Like TikTok
wasn't a thing. Nothing, Nothing was going viral by any
means at all. Like I had like probably less than
a thousand followers and it was just for my friends
to see. And somehow Rodney Clawson came across.

Speaker 1 (07:22):
And what did he say? Did he send you a DM?

Speaker 2 (07:24):
No? He did not contact me at all. I doubt,
like I didn't even know this until years later, but
he showed Nicole and was like, hey, who's this girl?
Like you should you should like pay attention to her
because she was starting to sign people, and so she
reached out and I was already a big fan of
her because I knew, I mean, everybody knows who she is.

Speaker 1 (07:43):
She's a great songwriter.

Speaker 2 (07:44):
I know who she is. Yes, And so I saw
her name and I was like, nobody move And she
was like, do you want to be an artist? And
I was like yes, and she met she she had
breakfast with me like I would. This was my either
my junior or senior year, so it was during COVID,
so all my classes were online, so I had literally

(08:06):
all the free time in the world. So I would
just come back to Nashville. I'd go to breakfast with her,
and then she started setting me up on rights and
so then I got to write with people outside of
like my sister and like one of our other friends.
And yeah, it's been a journey.

Speaker 1 (08:22):
So what do we do with Caroline your sister? Oh?

Speaker 3 (08:26):
Well she's still around, Okay, still very much because she's like, wait,
aren't we supposed to be doing this together?

Speaker 2 (08:32):
Well, okay, so she had already, So we grew when
we grew up and she's one of my most like
we write almost all my songs together. Now she's a songwriter,
Oh yeah, songwriter. Well, and she's got her own thing
going on too as a songwriter, but she we write together.

Speaker 1 (08:47):
Want to be an artist?

Speaker 2 (08:48):
No, she wants to write, so this is perfect. Yes,
So at the time, so like we grew up playing
together and we were kind of like a duo. Then
she was like, I want to be a songwriter, Like
I don't really want to be in our and I
think a lot of people feel that way. Like when
you're a kid and your dream is to do music,
you just think, okay, well, I guess I have to
be an artist, right, and the reality is you get

(09:10):
into it and there's one million other jobs that are
doing music. And she figured out like, okay, actually my
love is writing. I don't need to be doing them performing.
So she started that journey, and I was sort of like, okay,
well I'm not going to be doing this by myself,
Like I guess I'll just you know, go to college.

Speaker 1 (09:28):
And and okay, so she branched off, so she's saying
I'm not going to do Yeah, she was like just
writing okay, and so.

Speaker 2 (09:38):
Sorry, I'm going to college. And and then I just
like I knew that, I knew God was pulling me
to do it by myself, like and that's why I
was running it for running from it for a while,
because I was just scared. And eventually I just had
to say a few to the fear and just start
doing it by myself. And so by then she was
already like she had already signed a publishing deal and

(10:00):
was like doing her thing songwriting. Okay. So it's been
this beautiful full circle thing where now we write together
for my mother.

Speaker 3 (10:07):
That makes you so happy, because I feel like it
could have gotten sticky in there, like if one of
y'all worked out and the other one didn't.

Speaker 2 (10:12):
Oh yeah, Because people ask a lot they're like, are
you all competitive? And it's like, no, I mean I
think there's always like a healthy competition between any artist
in any creative field or anything at all. But we're
doing different things, like we have different goals and different lanes,
and so we're able to work together and that it
doesn't work against each other.

Speaker 1 (10:32):
That's amazing. Yeah, that's so beautiful. It's really great, and
that's that feels very comforting to have your sister in
this career with you.

Speaker 2 (10:39):
It's very comforting because it's just overwhelming. Yeah, I mean,
as you know, it's like a unique thing that not
everyone fully understands. And yes, like even my parents they're
so so supportive, but like there's just things that happen
in your day to day that they wouldn't fully know about,
and so it's nice to have somebody to lean on that.

(10:59):
And I feel the same way about my husband too,
because he produces and writes.

Speaker 1 (11:02):
I know, did j'all meet in the studio and fall
in love because he your producer and y'all fell in love?

Speaker 2 (11:07):
No, he this record the first one he's produced.

Speaker 1 (11:10):
Yeah, Will Will Bundy and he has noticed he wants
some awards recently too.

Speaker 2 (11:13):
Yeah, he's a big he's awesome, big deal. He's a
big Yeah, everyone just like you. He's so behind the scenes.
I'm like, he's just a bigger deal than I am.
Oh yeah, it's very kind of nice.

Speaker 1 (11:24):
Oh yeah, he totally gets it totally doing his own thing.
You you're good at like find being with people who
are all creative, but everyone has their own spot, which
is nice.

Speaker 2 (11:34):
Yes, I don't know if that was intentional, or if
it's just still working out but it is really working out.
I don't know what that says about me. Either I
have an ego or I'm just no hurt.

Speaker 1 (11:42):
Smart smart because everyone's super talented in their own right
and y'all all work together the same spot.

Speaker 2 (11:48):
Yeah, exactly, because what I've figured out about this town
it's and I feel like I've pretty much figured out nothing.
But if there's one thing I've figured out, it's that
you have to be able to collaborate. You literally can't
succeed if you can't collaborate. And that's the first thing
I learned about songwriting is like, my songs got better
when I started writing with other people. So if you
are so competitive to where you can't even collaborate, then

(12:11):
you won't go anywhere.

Speaker 1 (12:13):
So how did you meet in Paul Love with Will Bundy?
So are we Lauren Bundy? Legally?

Speaker 2 (12:18):
Yes? Okay, legally like Bundy by day wat kids. I
love that I kept my I kept my Now. I
guess I technically have a stage name, you could say,
because I kept that all the same. Just you know,
I don't know. Yah, Yeah, maybe we'll change one.

Speaker 1 (12:33):
It's probably nice to have a little separation from like
you know, it's like people.

Speaker 2 (12:38):
Are not confused, like because I have fans from before
that they're not like, wait where did you go? But
legally I'm a Bundy. Okay, in my heart I'm a
Bundy and.

Speaker 3 (12:47):
You're like madly in love like this is y'all felt
heart fell fast? How did the love story happen? And
he produced Yley Green and Ella Langley.

Speaker 2 (12:56):
Yes, so he produced Ella record so so that song too? Yes, Okay, ye,
he's awesome. He okay, So we met years ago actually
through songwriting, believe it or not.

Speaker 1 (13:08):
And he also writes.

Speaker 2 (13:10):
He also writes yes, and he Rodney claws in again
we always do, like Rodney has had a hand in
so many of the different milestones at your wedding.

Speaker 1 (13:20):
Did he become the offishient or whatever?

Speaker 2 (13:22):
No, but we should have considered that. But he Rodney Man,
we gotta we kind of give him credit because he
I was supposed to write with Rodney and he pulled
Will onto the right like he was like, hey, man,
I'm writing with this new artist. Do you want to
hop onto it? And he was like, oh yeah, of
course because Will knew my sister Caroline through writing because
she'd been.

Speaker 1 (13:42):
Caroline Watkins is your sister. Yes, she used to babysit Sonny.
I'm just all putting all this together.

Speaker 3 (13:48):
Oh my gosh, she had used to babysit Sunny like
every Thursday for a year.

Speaker 2 (13:53):
Wait, are you serious?

Speaker 3 (13:54):
I just realized I should have like I should have
known that all Carolyn Watkins on your album credits, and I.

Speaker 1 (14:02):
Like, are you laughing because you knew that? Oh my gosh,
why am I just not putting all this together? I
did not.

Speaker 2 (14:10):
I had no idea she's so great or something? Right?
She does? Yeah, she's.

Speaker 1 (14:17):
I cannot believe that either.

Speaker 2 (14:19):
Was this like a long time ago?

Speaker 1 (14:21):
Yes, Sunny was probably like two okay, so she.

Speaker 2 (14:24):
Was like the music ro babysitter like she babysit everybody's.

Speaker 1 (14:27):
Yes, yes, now she's probably not babysitting anymore.

Speaker 2 (14:30):
No, she has her own kid.

Speaker 1 (14:31):
Now, she's got a kid. Now. Is she married? Yeah,
she's married with a child.

Speaker 2 (14:36):
Yes, she's married and they just had their first baby.

Speaker 1 (14:40):
Boy, he's so, so you're that's the baby you've been
posting pictures of. I guess, so, yeah, you have you
know when you do there you're holding like a child
in one of them child not mine? Yeah, but you
do want children?

Speaker 2 (14:51):
Oh yeah, one day for sure? No, not right now, definite?

Speaker 1 (14:54):
Yeah, Oh my gosh. Okay, yes, wait, that's crazy. I
didn't know that. So CAROLYNWS is totally thriving, no I know.

Speaker 2 (15:01):
Oh yeah, No, she's crushing and your friends.

Speaker 1 (15:03):
Is like Tranny Anderson too. She writes with you.

Speaker 3 (15:05):
She's from my hometown of Waco, Texas, and she has
Oh I didn't know that. Yes, she I've known her
her whole life.

Speaker 2 (15:11):
She's the best.

Speaker 1 (15:11):
And she is on your album too.

Speaker 2 (15:13):
I love that.

Speaker 1 (15:13):
So she like good, good.

Speaker 2 (15:16):
Good around me. Yes, it's so important you have to
have that.

Speaker 1 (15:20):
Oh amg. I don't know why this just exploded in
my mind now that I know your sister very well. Wait,
I can't believe that either.

Speaker 2 (15:26):
I was just texting her before. I can't wait to
tell her where I am. Yeah, doesn't know what I'm
doing right?

Speaker 1 (15:31):
How did I meet her through? Maybe like Miley Stover
or something?

Speaker 2 (15:33):
Yeah, okay, my other sister. I have three sisters, but
one of my little sisters babysits for Miley a time.

Speaker 1 (15:41):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (15:41):
She loves, loves, loves.

Speaker 1 (15:43):
Loves those kids. Oh I know they're so well. I
don't know the kids so much, but I know Miley,
so I know her kids have to be great because,
oh my gosh, they're so cute and love Jeremy Stover.

Speaker 2 (15:51):
Oh my gosh, I know. My husband works with Jeremy
a lot. They're going on a trip this weekend. Actually
no writing.

Speaker 1 (15:57):
Writing, yeah, okay, they would do that too, you hunt
as well, I do. Yeah, I'm like, my mind is well.
I love a good small world. It makes me so
happy too.

Speaker 2 (16:07):
This is so I bet we have a million I mean,
I know we have a million mutual friends.

Speaker 3 (16:11):
Yes, okay, okay, yeah, So Caroline is on a bunch
of your album. Okay, So Will Bundy came in.

Speaker 2 (16:17):
We're going to so Rodney.

Speaker 1 (16:20):
He comes in the door. Do you see him and
you like draw you like I love you? Well, yeah,
that's that way about you.

Speaker 2 (16:25):
Actually, this is all I ever want to talk about.
So I'm glad, I'm so happy. I love Oh I am.

Speaker 1 (16:32):
Well, And it's so great when people find wonderful love.
I especially in this day and age, I feel like
it's a little tricky out there. It is.

Speaker 2 (16:38):
It is tricky, it definitely is. But so we actually
met a few weeks before the right. We were at
the songwriter the Nationale Songwriters Hall of Fame induction. Neither
of us had a valer reison to be there. We
were plus ones punishers yes okay, and we were oh, oh, oh,
who is it? Oh Bill, it's a celebrity guest.

Speaker 3 (16:58):
No, Michael, my husband, michaels a thousand horses, and literally
Bill is his bandmate and he comes over all the time.
You know that show where it's like the neighbors just
like walk into the house.

Speaker 1 (17:07):
Yeah, full house. Oh yeah, Kimmy or whatever Bill is. Kimmy.

Speaker 2 (17:11):
So Bill tell him to come in.

Speaker 3 (17:13):
He said that I saw him last night at the
Sporters Call event yesterday and he's like, I don't even
like say hi anymore when I come to your house.

Speaker 2 (17:18):
I just like walk in.

Speaker 1 (17:19):
I'm like, yeah, it's great, Like go get you a snack,
come in your kids.

Speaker 2 (17:23):
I do too. That's so fun.

Speaker 1 (17:24):
It's really fun. That is really it's I love a
big just you know, you never know who's going to
show up. I know that's great, okay, But because of that,
now I was like, squirrel, So here comes a little

(17:45):
Monday at this event.

Speaker 2 (17:46):
So yes, Okay, We're at this event and it was
sort of like the intermission or something, and we're in
this little area and there's you know when you're at
a music business event and you see every single person
you've ever known. Yeah, it was like that, except for
I was brand new, so I didn't know anybody I knew.

Speaker 1 (18:01):
The girl was very overwhelming because there's so many celebrities
and famous people and important people.

Speaker 2 (18:06):
Yes, and you're walking Actually, who's who and who's important?

Speaker 1 (18:09):
And are you feeling like nervous? Oh? Yeah?

Speaker 2 (18:11):
And I was wearing I think the ugliest outfit I've
ever worn in my life.

Speaker 1 (18:14):
Nothing you could ever wear.

Speaker 3 (18:14):
It would be ugly, Lauren, you are so dropped out
gorgeous it's impossible you and ugly don't go into sentence together.

Speaker 1 (18:20):
Well, I'm sure you're distress.

Speaker 2 (18:23):
You're very sweet. But it was like one of those
things where I got invited to it like an hour before.

Speaker 1 (18:28):
Like what the dress looked like.

Speaker 2 (18:30):
It was like the same color as my skin, which
is awesome. Great, so you pale at the time, Yeah,
and then I put this jacket over it that didn't
match at all at whatever. Will says, he doesn't he
says it.

Speaker 1 (18:43):
He's like he just saw you're like an angel of vision.

Speaker 2 (18:46):
Loved it. I'm like, you don't even remember it, probably,
But I was standing there, like meeting some people, talking
to people, and he came up because he recognized me
because he knew we were going to write together, and
he came up to me, and I'll never forget he
like sort of tapped me on the shoulder. And he's
got long hair, he's beautiful hair. And he was wearing
a blue suit, which since this day, I haven't seen

(19:08):
him wear a suit. Like he's not a suit guy.
He's a jeans sky but he's wearing this blue suit
because it was a black tie event. And he was like,
he's the countryest person you'll ever hear. I don't know
if you've ever heard him talk now, like he is
the country's person.

Speaker 1 (19:21):
Did you grow up country?

Speaker 2 (19:22):
I mean I grew up here, so I mean I
grew yeah, But you feel like country? Yes, I'm I
am yeah. I But he was like, hey, I'm I'm
Will Bundy, said his full name. I'm Will Bundy. I'm
I know your sister, and we're gonna be rotting soon.
And I just wanted to introduce myself, and I.

Speaker 1 (19:43):
Was like, did you love him right away? Hello?

Speaker 2 (19:47):
Yes, I seriously did, Like I remember he walked away.
I'm guys, yes, it's like what you'd been dreaming of. Yes,
and like his voice was so like soft.

Speaker 1 (19:58):
You want my country boy?

Speaker 2 (19:59):
Oh yeah, oh yeah, And I had only ever been
with like fake country boys.

Speaker 1 (20:03):
Oh yeah, well college college.

Speaker 2 (20:07):
I want to be country boys. Truly can do it.

Speaker 1 (20:10):
They probably couldn't even like kill a beer a beer.
They can kill a beer, that's for sure.

Speaker 2 (20:16):
You can do all that. But he walked away, and
I literally thought like, okay, so this is what like
the guys are like here, Like I could probably see
myself marrying him, but he's probably I actually thought he
was a lot older than me. So I literally thought
to myself, man, like I would love to marry him,
but I.

Speaker 1 (20:32):
Would love to marry him right away. I did.

Speaker 2 (20:34):
I really did think that, But I thought he probably
has wife and kids at home, Like he definitely he's
like way older than me.

Speaker 1 (20:39):
So have you been romantically charged your whole life? Like,
have you wanted to fall in love? Oh? Yeah, I've
always charged.

Speaker 2 (20:45):
I've never heard that, but that's a great way of
describing I was.

Speaker 1 (20:48):
Always romantically charged. Oh yeah, like every person I met,
I was like, is this it?

Speaker 2 (20:53):
Yeah, just the one, and you've got to be careful
with that sometimes, like they could get yourself into some trouble. Yeah,
but I really did think like, oh, will buddy him?
And then but so anyway, so we met, you wrote.

Speaker 1 (21:03):
With him the next dight, nolags like I am romantically charged. Yes,
that is my nature romantically. She's very romantically charged. She
wants to be loved.

Speaker 2 (21:12):
Pretty, she's got like eyelashes that I wish I had.

Speaker 1 (21:14):
She's like, tell me more.

Speaker 2 (21:16):
But so we wrote and then but to tell you
the truth, we were both like kind of seeing other
people at the time.

Speaker 1 (21:21):
And so someone in Nashville, like in the music community.

Speaker 2 (21:24):
No, no, done that until him.

Speaker 1 (21:27):
Will Bunny is the only one, the only music I
love that you don't have a trail of tears out there.

Speaker 2 (21:33):
Yeah, I know, thank god, Like everyone from my past
is someone who'll never be around because they were in college. Yes,
but yeah, we wrote and then just instantly became friends,
like you read again, So yeah we did. Actually it
hasn't seen the light of dead, but it was a
great song. Okay, and yeah, we just became friends and
we started writing a ton and that was that.

Speaker 1 (21:54):
It was like, in the writing session, did you feel
the sparksone You're like, this could be something great?

Speaker 2 (21:58):
Yes, I every single time. We from there, we started
writing together pretty regularly.

Speaker 1 (22:03):
And he had a girlfriendish and you had a boyfriendish,
so y'all both were just kind of like, yeah, so
we weren't thinking, I'll get to know each other ye
a songwriting session, oh yeaheh.

Speaker 2 (22:12):
Well, and yeah, it was just it was like I
every time I would go to write with him, I
would like have butterflies and I would be nervous and
like I kind of knew I had a crush on him,
which probably should have been like assigned to maybe break
up with the other one, right, but I just I
don't know, I can't explain it. But and then he
also felt the same way, like there was just kind

(22:33):
of this tension. And then we ended up singing at
the same time, and by then we had built such
a friendship.

Speaker 1 (22:39):
Then how did you get the first kiss?

Speaker 2 (22:41):
Okay, so here's what happened.

Speaker 1 (22:42):
I love a good first kiss story.

Speaker 2 (22:44):
So we had been like kind of texting, I guess okay,
and we were this is so annoying and like so songwriter,
but have you heard of demo jail, Like when you
put somebody in demo jail when you're basically making them
send to your demos that like nobody cares about.

Speaker 1 (23:02):
Oh, like as an artist, like you want to just
play your songs for people.

Speaker 2 (23:06):
Well no, not me specifically, but like if someone's playing
you their songs that aren't out, it's like, oh my god,
I'm in demo jail. Well, we were basically putting each
other in demo jail, like they were sending songs back
and forth and it was warranted, like something brought it
up and he was like, oh, well, here's this one.
I'm like, oh, well, here's this song. And we're just
like totally being so annoying.

Speaker 1 (23:23):
But it's also like, here's a peek into my soul.
Who I yeah, And here's my talent and hear what
I wrote about, here's what I care about. It's kind
of like a way to show yourself exactly.

Speaker 2 (23:33):
Okay, And so I was driving around and he had
sent me. We started got we got on the subject
of cigarette songs, like songs that have cigarettes in them,
and you may or may not know, but when I
was in college, I dabbled in some cigarettes I loved
every once in a while. Yeah, and I hadn't like
I had sort of, you know, left that behind me.

(23:53):
And then we started sending all these cigarette songs and
I was like, I really want a cigarette. So I
smoked a cigarette while I was driving around, and I
was like, this would be he's such a cool girl
thing if I like sent him a video of me
smoking a cigarette and said I And I did, so
I took a video and I'm like smoking my cigarette
and I said, thanks to you, I relapsed because of
your cigarette songs. And he immediately picks up the phone

(24:15):
and calls me and he's like, where are you right now?

Speaker 1 (24:18):
Can I come to a cigarette with Yeah?

Speaker 2 (24:20):
And I was like, I'm just driving around like I
was just thought it was so cool and long story short,
he was like, well, why don't you come? Like why
don't you let me drive around with you? Like, let's
go right around. So I ran home. I said, okay,
you can pick me up.

Speaker 1 (24:35):
You know that this is it, you are entering a
new zone.

Speaker 2 (24:38):
You ran home and immediately showered so I didn't smell
like cigarettes even though you're gonna already knew. Yeah, got
to smoke them together, right, I mean kind of that
was just the catalyst. Yeah, yeah, exactly. That was the
conversation starter.

Speaker 1 (24:49):
Okay. And so then he picked me up, and so
he came over, had you ever been to your house?

Speaker 2 (24:54):
No?

Speaker 1 (24:55):
Okay, do you like come in the house? Did you
walk out?

Speaker 2 (24:58):
Yeah? I guess he probably knocked on the door. I
was like, my apartment. So it was kind of like
you the door is like, which this is not relevant,
but yeah, he knocked on the door, and I'm like
and we just rode around for hours drive music. Yeah, music, Okay,
there was no more of that, okay, okay, but we
just drove around all these back roads and just talking,

(25:20):
just talking, and it was like I had this moment
of panic when he first picked me up, because like
we at this point, we're still friends, you know, And
I was like, wait, now are going night cruising? Yeah?
I was like did I mess up?

Speaker 1 (25:32):
Like?

Speaker 2 (25:32):
Is he not thinking of this? Like I'm thinking of this?
And now when we look back on that, he's like, yeah,
no shit, I was coming to your apartment to come
pick you up to like obviously about.

Speaker 1 (25:42):
It like that and you'll go anywhere.

Speaker 2 (25:45):
Cruise. We just cruised. We cruise, and he there was
like this. He knew about some of course, like some
very remote like dirt roads that I'd never seen before,
and so we drove all around those. And he's got
this old His truck is from nineteen ninety eight. I
was born in nineteen ninety nine, so gets older than me. Okay,

(26:06):
it's the only truck he's ever had.

Speaker 1 (26:09):
All his memories are in that truck.

Speaker 2 (26:10):
And it's a stick shift and there's a dear antler
on the stick shift.

Speaker 1 (26:14):
This is all. And I was like, this is good.
We're loving a check check. This is what I was
looking for.

Speaker 2 (26:20):
So that happened, and that was like, oh my gosh.
I was just like I can't believe that just happened.
And literally the next.

Speaker 3 (26:27):
Wait, how did the cruise end? Did he y'all just
cruise for a few hours and he just drops you out?
Then he dropped No kiss that night?

Speaker 2 (26:32):
No, no we kiss? We kissed?

Speaker 1 (26:33):
Oh well, how did that?

Speaker 2 (26:34):
Are we stop for? Here's a comet?

Speaker 1 (26:36):
Where were do you pull over inside of the road?
And just like, how do you do that? That feels
like an awkward could be an awkward moment.

Speaker 2 (26:42):
Okay, So I'm trying to remember. On these dirt roads,
there was like a creek at one point, and so
we like get out of the cars and we're looking
at the creek and we're just like talking nervous feels. No,
I'm too, I'm like going back in this moment, like
what is he going to do?

Speaker 1 (26:57):
How are you going to bridge this moment?

Speaker 2 (26:58):
Well, I remember we got back in the car and
we were both kind of like leaned on the center
console and then he just like leaned in. No, I
feel like I'm in high school.

Speaker 1 (27:11):
No, it felt like that, like a long kiss, quick kiss.
I don't, I mean, it was probably long. So then
after that, y'allre like in it. Now you're in it.
You're holding hands now. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (27:22):
Now it's like okay, now I know he likes me. Yeah,
you have crossed. The next day or I guess this
was either no, two days later, I had a write
with him. Convenient, so convenient. It was with my sister
and then someone.

Speaker 1 (27:37):
Else does she know now that y'all are making up?

Speaker 2 (27:40):
Well she knew that night because I'm first texting her
like you'll never guess what I'm doing, right, now and
she loves him like everybody loves him. He's just the best,
and so she was so excited. But yeah, like literally
two days later we had to write and we were
kind of like what do we do? Like, how are
we supposed to act?

Speaker 1 (28:00):
No, it really wasn't.

Speaker 2 (28:01):
We just sort of fell back into like just be normal,
be like I always are, and then we probably oh,
and then we went out to dinner after that, right,
like we just went.

Speaker 1 (28:10):
And then was at it where you all like officially
together after that.

Speaker 2 (28:13):
I mean pretty much. Yeah, he asked me to like
be his girlfriend, like a couple of weeks later, probably, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (28:21):
How did he ask you to be a girlfriend? The
dogs are trying to get it.

Speaker 2 (28:23):
Do you mind letting the dogs come in?

Speaker 1 (28:25):
This is Sugar. I know, there're paus. This is Sugar.
This is her mark. That's Sugar once in. Yep, there's
Sugar and there's Ruby. We got them all so fun.
Sugar is very like gentle, she's like and Ruby. That's Sugar.
She was our rescue. She's a human and a dog. Body. Wait,
my sister has a dog named Sugar, Okay, and.

Speaker 2 (28:46):
She kind of looks like this, but she's a little
like taller.

Speaker 1 (28:49):
Sugar is like a wise sage. She's the protector of
all the house.

Speaker 3 (28:53):
She doesn't need a leash. She's always observing, taking in
Ruby over here. She's never seen a bad day, she's
never had a bad moment. She doesn't know what danger is.

Speaker 1 (29:02):
She is just like throwing herself on anyone, anything, at
all time.

Speaker 2 (29:05):
So cute and friendly.

Speaker 1 (29:06):
Yeah, Ruby will run into the mouth of danger. We
have dogs that will bite you. She will run straight
into their jaws, will protect them. So it's a good balance.

Speaker 2 (29:14):
That is a balance.

Speaker 1 (29:14):
Yeah, okay, So how does someone ask you to be
a girlfriend and that's so cute? Traditional?

Speaker 2 (29:18):
Okay, No, I know we are pretty traditional. I'm trying
to think what Jane is average average Joe at the
end of the day, because we are thank you one.

Speaker 1 (29:26):
Of your songs, which I love, and I feel like
that's about you and your husband.

Speaker 2 (29:29):
Oh yeah, one hundred percent. But we were in Okay,
this is funny. Actually we were in Rome, Georgia. I
was playing a show and my sister. He drove down
with my sister and her now husband.

Speaker 1 (29:41):
Is her husband a songwriter?

Speaker 2 (29:43):
No he's not. No, he's so normal.

Speaker 1 (29:46):
It's just a normal dude so normal, he can meet
one of them.

Speaker 2 (29:48):
He keeps us all. They got set up on a
blind date. Love that that's how you meet him, and
so he keeps us all like you know, sane.

Speaker 1 (29:55):
It's a good combo. I do tell you guys, you're grounded.

Speaker 2 (30:00):
Yeah, I try to be that's intentional.

Speaker 1 (30:02):
Yeah, you got good family and good career around you.

Speaker 2 (30:04):
Yeah, well thank you. But we were so we were
in realm, Georgia, and he drove down with them and
they said that literally, Bobby is my sister's husband, and
he's so funny and like the most blunt direct person
you'll ever meet. And you're like that and now him
and Will are really good friends. But he was like,
let's see what this guy's all about.

Speaker 1 (30:24):
Bobby was gonna grill Will.

Speaker 2 (30:25):
He grilled him, however, what is Rum Georgia like three
hours away? Oh no, he did not. He grilled him
and he was like, so, what are your intentions with Lauren?
And he said, I wish I remembered the exact answer,
but he said. Bobby was like, I said this to
be like what's up? Like what's going on? And he
said his answer He was like, I couldn't even ask

(30:47):
him any more questions because he said like the sweetest answer,
and he was like, I can't remember exactly what he said,
but it was just so will It was just like,
I mean, I just think she's a really great girl
and I really see something special in her and I
think this could be the real thing. And Bobby was like, Okay,
he's genuine.

Speaker 1 (31:04):
Yeah, he's very sweet.

Speaker 2 (31:05):
I don't need any more questions, but so yeah, I
guess I think it was like that night he said
we were like, I don't even remember what we were
talking about, but I just I just vividly remember he said, Wow,
are you gonna be my girl? That's what he said.

Speaker 1 (31:20):
No, he did not, and are you gonna be my girl?
Did you?

Speaker 2 (31:28):
That is so so cute?

Speaker 1 (31:30):
Was so cute?

Speaker 2 (31:31):
Oh he's so cute.

Speaker 1 (31:32):
What is sweet?

Speaker 2 (31:33):
Such a sweetheart. But he's also like so tough and
manly at the same time.

Speaker 1 (31:37):
Combo. Yeah, that's a great combo, sensitive and tune of
his feelings. Songwriter.

Speaker 2 (31:43):
Yeah, but not like he's not like, you know, he's
not beta.

Speaker 1 (31:48):
I love that he's just like, yeah, he's also so
how long did you'll date before you got married? Not long?

Speaker 2 (31:54):
Okay, I think it was like exactly a year. It
was like exactly a year from and we got engaged
and then we got married two months later. Nice kind
of kind yeah, we sort of did like a glorified elopement,
like it wasn't exactly an elopement, like our family knew
and we planned it, but honestly we were just we

(32:15):
were planning like a big traditional wedding and we were
like that, why are we doing this. We don't want
to do this. I feel you, and it just wasn't
It wasn't nice.

Speaker 1 (32:25):
Michael and I eloped for the same reason did because
I was on the beach. We just got married. I
was like, literally I got married in swimsuit cover up.
I was like, I just feel stressed out because and
I was also deep in my people pleasing face back then.

Speaker 3 (32:35):
Me too, and I was like, if I have a wedding,
I'm going to be worried about every single person and
it's not gonna be for me, It's gonna.

Speaker 1 (32:41):
Be for all of them.

Speaker 2 (32:42):
That's exactly how I felt, and I felt I was
obsessed with the invite list. I didn't want to leave anyone.

Speaker 1 (32:46):
Out because then you leave someone, especially now that you're
in the national industry.

Speaker 2 (32:49):
Yeah, how do we actually invite this person? Then we
have to buy this.

Speaker 1 (32:52):
Person five hundred people wedding and you have.

Speaker 2 (32:54):
All your parents' friends that you're like, I don't even know.

Speaker 1 (32:57):
You, and you have to invite them?

Speaker 2 (32:58):
Did you have to? I know? So we just decided
that's the way to do it.

Speaker 1 (33:03):
How are you with people pleasing these days?

Speaker 2 (33:05):
I'm getting better.

Speaker 1 (33:06):
Yeah, it's a journey destination.

Speaker 2 (33:08):
Yeah, it's about the client. It is right, But I
struggle with it. I'm not gonna lie.

Speaker 1 (33:14):
I struggled. Really me too, But I finally turned a corner.

Speaker 2 (33:18):
What changed you?

Speaker 1 (33:19):
I realized as a high functioning codependent.

Speaker 2 (33:22):
I did not know that.

Speaker 1 (33:23):
So really what it was is like I will come
into a room and you will think I'm the most
easy going, chill person, Like get along with everyone. I'm
gonna like feel your soul out. We're gonna have a
great conversation. But really, what I'm doing, and that is
all genuine, is I'm secretly getting your temperature so I
know what you need from me, so that I can
give you what you need. And I will be the
version of myself that like matches what you need. I

(33:44):
will just energy match everybody.

Speaker 2 (33:46):
That's so exhausting, so exhausting.

Speaker 1 (33:48):
But I get it, and so now I just don't
I just don't go out anymore. I hired a life coach.
I had my daughter, and I was like, I can't
be this way anymore. No. Yeah, And then I realized,
So I learned from this momentary that by me trying
to control the situation with like putting my personality to
match others, that's just a deep form of control. And

(34:08):
I'm trying to control the situation covertly.

Speaker 2 (34:11):
I think that's I think everybody's people pleasing is different,
Like that's a different version than I have. I know
exactly what you mean, though, Like I think it's all
rooted in control.

Speaker 1 (34:20):
What's your version?

Speaker 2 (34:21):
Mine is like, I just don't want to disappoint anybody.
I don't thinking anyone's upset with me. If I even
sense in the slightest that someone is upset with me,
like I am, I can't think about anything until it's resolved.

Speaker 1 (34:34):
And so, yeah, is it because do you feel like
you need them to love you?

Speaker 2 (34:40):
Yeah? Or I just need them to be happy. I
don't like to be at odds. I don't like yeah,
And I don't want to disappoint anybody. We want to
make everyone happy, Like I want my decisions to make
everyone happy.

Speaker 1 (34:53):
But and that's hard when you're making big decisions like
you are.

Speaker 2 (34:56):
It is hard. And I will say, like I've gotten
a whole lot better about it, and like you said
having a kid, like I don't have kids yet, so
I'm sure that I'll grow even more when that comes.
But getting married like change my priorities. Tell me how
because now it's not just about me, it's about us,
Like we're a unit now, and.

Speaker 1 (35:17):
You can't sacrifice him to please other people.

Speaker 2 (35:19):
And he's your number one and it's the most it's
the most constant, steady thing in my life, and I
will protect it at all costs. And so what I've
figured out is you have to surround yourself with people
who are down to do that, like especially in business,
Like everyone on my team is so supportive of that,
and they are like they will also help me protect

(35:40):
it at all cost huge, and I think the two
of you have to be on board with that. But
it just has changed my priorities, Like now I'm I'll
say no to something that might disappoint somebody if I
know that like my marriage needs this specific thing in
that moment, like I need to do this instead. And
I think it's just like you have do not care, Like, yeah,

(36:02):
my mom is so good with this too because she
has it like she feels it too. She's a people pleaser,
but she's just like, okay, and so they're upset with you,
and what like someone's always gonna be upset with you,
and their job as an adult is to tell you
that and if they don't, right, too bad?

Speaker 1 (36:19):
Right?

Speaker 2 (36:20):
So yeah, ah, I love that so much.

Speaker 1 (36:23):
Okay, So you did a quote, and I think this
is so good. I've talked to a bunch of women
who are in the music industry and they feel this
way too, what you said.

Speaker 3 (36:30):
Growing up, I was made to believe you can't do both.
If you're gonna have pick a crazy career, you can't
have a simple life. And if you have your simple
life that you can't have anything cool outside of that.

Speaker 1 (36:39):
I didn't even mean for it to have them, but
somehow I just looked up in one day I was like, wait,
I'm living both right now. Neither one was perfect, but
they're beautiful.

Speaker 2 (36:46):
But wow, I'm so wise.

Speaker 1 (36:48):
But there is a lot of fear. I talked to
Maddie and Tay.

Speaker 3 (36:51):
I talked to Runaway in June, and so many women
feel this way, like getting married, having kids, being a female,
Like you have to give everything you have to this
career and you can't have a marriage. That's great, and
you can't have a family if you've picked a career
that demands everything.

Speaker 1 (37:06):
And I feel like people, especially women, are like, that's
not cool. I'm not doing that. I'm going to have
it all. I'm not going to sacrifice my true happiness
for a career that can spig you out and throw
you away.

Speaker 2 (37:18):
Yes, any day of the week. It is so true.

Speaker 1 (37:20):
When then when your career loves you, it loves you,
but it can like drop you too, right, Oh, it's brutal.

Speaker 2 (37:24):
It's true. And I think like, yes, you can have both.
And at some times one thing is going to take
precedent over the other, and that's fine. Like, I'm sure
there's going to be times in my life where my
personal life is the prominent thing and I'm not super
worried about my career, and then there's other times like
right now, where like I'm hustling so hard and it's
like I'm gone a lot of the time, and it's

(37:44):
just a big priority right now. And that's okay too, A.

Speaker 1 (37:47):
Great time for that.

Speaker 2 (37:47):
Yeah, And I don't know who even said that to me.
I don't even know if it was something that someone
said or if it was just sort of like as
a culture, you kind of just feel that way. But
I seriously thought like, Okay, I either am going to
go to college and get married and live settle down,
or I'm going to do music, like it was one
or the other. I don't know why I didn't just

(38:09):
think you could have both, but because.

Speaker 1 (38:11):
It really hasn't been presented until Rea, well, yeah, doing
that prioritize.

Speaker 2 (38:15):
And actually, speaking of Maddie and Tay, I went on
I opened for them for a couple of shows, like
right after I got married, and I just they were
so sweet. I hadn't met them, so there's the sweetest girls,
and one of them, I think it was Tay, was
like super pregnant, and then Mattie was talking about like
there how they prioritized like their husbands and kids, and

(38:37):
I was so refreshed. I was like, they were so
encouraging to me because I was like, wait, I just
got married, like I want to have kids someday. I
y'all are out here doing this and they were like, yes, girl,
yes we're doing it. And it's really hard and we
take care of each other and but we're doing it.
And I just thought that was they were just so

(38:57):
sweet about it.

Speaker 1 (38:58):
I love that. Yeah. Okay, So have you loved in
your new album coming out October tenth? You have tons
of great songs in a perfect world? How do we
come up with that title? It's like the first song
you wrote for it? Right?

Speaker 2 (39:18):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (39:19):
It was?

Speaker 2 (39:19):
Yeah, I think it was probably the first song I
wrote for it. I well, I think it was Caroline's title. Actually,
I think that was her to think she came in
with that title. Okay, And I don't remember what her
idea was, but I I can't remember what the idea was,
but she, I do know she had that title. And
we landed on like, Okay, what if it was just

(39:40):
like in a perfect world, we'd have this and that
we'd have money and we'd have a steady job with
the steady income I mean nice, yeah, or like we
would never fight and whatever, But that would be so
insanely mooring and we would not have all the amazing
things that come with like all the shit that happens
in life. Do you casts on here? Yeah? Okay, sorry,

(40:04):
but yeah, And so we wrote it and it was
like it was really sweet because her and I had
both She was with her husband at the time her
husband now boyfriend at the time, and I had just
started dating Will and so we were kind of in
the same stage of life where we were like both
in a really good, healthy relationship for the first time,
like neither of us had really been there, and we

(40:25):
were like, wait, this is awesome. Why isn't this like
we should all be striving for this, Like this is
a great thing. And that doesn't mean it's perfect though,
Like there's so much imperfect stuff that happens in reality
and all of that makes up life and it's beautiful,
and we were like, let's start to talk about it,

(40:46):
and so we did, and then from there my songs
all just started, like I started writing about a lot
of stuff like that because that's just the life I
was living and living, and they all kind of just
started to fall into that theme. And I thought, in
a perfect World has to be the title track, Like
this has to be what we say throughout the whole
record is that life is imperfect. But this is what

(41:07):
it is, all of this, all of these songs, the good,
bad and the ugly.

Speaker 1 (41:10):
Okay, And so you've already released some like average Zone
playing Jane, Which which ones have which ones have been
released to the world so far?

Speaker 2 (41:18):
So lose My Cool?

Speaker 1 (41:19):
And that one's like infectious love that so good? Thank you?

Speaker 2 (41:22):
Yeah, that's like it's just a fun, feel good breezy.

Speaker 1 (41:24):
So you're doing a duet with John Morgan too.

Speaker 2 (41:26):
Yes, do you know John?

Speaker 1 (41:28):
I had him on too.

Speaker 2 (41:29):
He loves isn't he the best?

Speaker 1 (41:31):
You are both y'all got that good old school country vibe,
but like making it modern. I just feel like that's
kind of.

Speaker 2 (41:36):
Coming back too. It is, yeah, exact top.

Speaker 1 (41:39):
Yes, it is in like el Langley.

Speaker 2 (41:41):
Yeah, people are.

Speaker 1 (41:42):
It definitely is.

Speaker 2 (41:43):
And I love I mean, I love old school country.
I love and I love like two thousands country. That's
what I grew up on. And I also love the
evolution of country. I think it's cool. I think a
lot of people have really cool new ideas and I
think that why not embrace it. So I just like
music if it's sound, if it sounds good, and it
feels good to me. Then I like it.

Speaker 1 (42:04):
I love the yard You're doing a duet? Was that
fun with him?

Speaker 2 (42:07):
So fun? I mean he's the best. You know, he's
so like it's funny you he comes across as like
very quiet and reserved, but then you get to talking
to him and you realize, like, oh, he's really not.
He actually has a lot to say. And I kind
of knew that though, because he's really good friends with
Will okay, and they're like Yin and yang, like they're

(42:27):
so their souls are like so similar. But Will is
like so talkative and so just like hey man, life
very friendly. And then John is sort of this like cool,
like you know, you can't quite get a read on.

Speaker 1 (42:40):
It and take a minute for him to just like
spill his guys.

Speaker 2 (42:43):
Yes, yes, yes, yeah, but he just crushed that song
like he can. It's called Slippery Slope. Yeah and yeah,
I mean I just knew he could sing it, like
it's a hard song to sing for the guy part,
and I was like, John can do it, m yeah,
and he did.

Speaker 1 (42:58):
Okay, do you have a favorite song on the album?
Oh I don't, marble man, is that about your husband?

Speaker 2 (43:05):
I wrote that before we were dating, but then yeah,
I sort of like I think it was Yeah, yeah,
of course, I mean I had to have. But you
know what, that's one of the songs I sent him
during that exchange. That was one of the cigarette songs. Yeah,
so yeah, it's kind of a big deal. Yeah, but yeah,
I don't know. I mean, I will say average Joe

(43:26):
and Plain Jane is the most special to me. I
can't pick a favorite. I'm so I feel so strongly
about all of them, but that one's just really special.

Speaker 1 (43:35):
And wedding pictures like the cover, yeah, which I.

Speaker 2 (43:38):
Love, thank you. Yeah, our polaroid from our wedding, from
our tiny wedding. It was awesome.

Speaker 1 (43:45):
I love that.

Speaker 2 (43:47):
Thanks So how is.

Speaker 1 (43:48):
It out there? Is it overwhelming to be in the
spotlight where you like, I'm made for this. I can handle.
This is like fame, social media, people's opinions like energy,
is it different these days? Because like I feel like
when I grew up, I thought thing was like this beautiful, amazing,
glorious adventure and now it's like there's just like so
many sides to it, and yeah, you're in the spot

(44:09):
like people gonna have so many opinions. Has that been
have you navigated all that.

Speaker 2 (44:12):
Yeah, I mean it's definitely been like uncharted territory. And
I will say I think there's people, well there's millions
of people who are a lot more famous than I
am that could really speak into this. I feel like
I'm literally just dipping my toes in the water and
like kind of just getting started. So that means I've
experienced like people's opinions kind of for the first time

(44:33):
and just like the pressure of that. But and it
has gotten to me a lot this year, I'll be honest,
it has. This year I think has been just a
different like because you put out your first record and
it's like, Okay, I feel passionate about this music. I
thought it was really great, and then you put out
your second one and you feel like, okay, wait, there's
all these people paying attention now because I've already done

(44:54):
the first thing, and it it just is like a different,
un added layer of pressure. But what I have tried
to remind myself more recently is that like, Okay, why
did I do this in the first place, Like why
did I get into this in the first place? And
the truth is because one, I have this deep, deep
love for music, and that should trump everything else is

(45:14):
the music, Like if this is ever about anything other
than the music, then like stop the songs, Like that's
it's gotta stop.

Speaker 1 (45:21):
So that.

Speaker 2 (45:21):
But then also like this was a calling that God
put on my heart and I feel so strongly about that,
and I'm just sort of like, Okay, God, use me
however you need to. Like, if it whatever it looks like,
if it means that, like it just reaches whatever shows
I'm playing to that night, great, If it reaches millions
and millions of people and that was the plan, great,

(45:42):
Like I'm just trying to kind of go off of that,
and then it takes a pressure away because it's not
on me, right, I'm just here to live out this
this calling.

Speaker 1 (45:51):
Yeah, I totally agree with you. I feel like I
finally have hit that in my late thirties early forties
where I'm literally like I know what my gifts strengths
are now, I know what I feel called to do,
and it's literally like if you just show up and
do that work at the best of your ability and
just like God, do whatever he wants you. Really, it
really does take the pressure off. It sure's not the

(46:13):
only way to live it.

Speaker 2 (46:14):
Really is, and I'm still figuring it out. I'm not
like some days I'm.

Speaker 1 (46:18):
Like everything sucks and I suck.

Speaker 2 (46:21):
But that's what I'm just keep trying to remind myself.
It's like she said, what do I need to do today? Yeah,
that's all I can do.

Speaker 1 (46:27):
Yeah. So your faith is important to you? Very Okay,
me too?

Speaker 2 (46:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (46:31):
I feel like I love that people are speaking about
their faith so much more. I feel like we just
aren't realizing how much we need it.

Speaker 2 (46:36):
I know, you know well, And it's like I think
we get confused thinking it's just like a part of life,
but it is life. It's literally the reason we're here.
So why wouldn't I talk about it?

Speaker 1 (46:47):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (46:48):
You know?

Speaker 1 (46:48):
Yes, So I love that. I feel like you are
very emotionally well.

Speaker 2 (46:53):
Like I am emotional, but you know about well.

Speaker 1 (46:56):
But you're very grounded. You have you have a great relationship,
you have a great understanding of like what this industry is,
you know, because it can get very unbalanced, but you're
very aware.

Speaker 2 (47:07):
Yeah. Well thanks, I'm definitely I'm I have. I mean,
I have a lot to learn, but I I.

Speaker 1 (47:13):
You know your priorities. I can tell like you you
already know what matters to you.

Speaker 2 (47:16):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (47:17):
You're setting yourself up for success by claiming that and
speaking that, yes, for sure, these are the things that
are important to me, all of it, not just some
of it. And you're willing to like create boundaries and
take a stand for what matters to you.

Speaker 2 (47:28):
That's huge, It's radical. It's the only way you can
survive it really is, or it's the only way you
can be truly happy. Like I think that. My husband
always says, like he's like when I get really when
I'm spiraling or something, He's like, Okay, what how are
you measuring success? Like are you measuring success by how
many followers you have or how many streams you're getting,

(47:52):
or are you measuring success by like look at the
who are your favorite artists when you were growing up
like that they sometimes like they didn't have all the streams,
but you loved them, like you love their music. And
also like you should be measuring success by like are
you fulfilled and happy?

Speaker 1 (48:10):
So true?

Speaker 2 (48:10):
And are you in a good place and so yeah,
and like again all that to say, I'm not that's
not to say that, like I'm always living by that
and I'm always remembering that, but I think that you
got to say it out loud sometimes just to keep
yourself like, Okay, why are we really doing this?

Speaker 1 (48:28):
I love that. Okay, we're gonna wrap up soon. But
what's the biggest bucket list moment this happened for you?

Speaker 2 (48:31):
I know you played the Opry and the Opry it
I yeah, that was That was like such a big
dream of mine as a Nashville native. I know everyone.
I mean, like it's a huge deal for anybody, but
like as a national native, I was so emotional about it,
and you were, oh my gosh, yes, And because I

(48:51):
grew up going there, like I grew up going to
the Opry, and then as an adult, I still love going,
like I can never get tired of just go and
seeing shows there. And so that was a huge, huge
moment and my whole family got to be there. Another
bucket list moment I had was so I went to
Ole Miss in Oxford and there's two venues there, Proud

(49:11):
Larry's and the Lyric and I got to play both
of them and I sold out Proud Larry's.

Speaker 1 (49:16):
That's a big deal.

Speaker 2 (49:17):
It was a huge deal. I could not believe it.
I was like, if I would have known this that
five years ago.

Speaker 1 (49:23):
Such a full circle moment.

Speaker 2 (49:25):
And then I got to open for Zach Top at
the Lyric and it was, oh my gosh, so fun.

Speaker 1 (49:31):
So who are your like, who are you coming up with?
Are you coming up with? Like Zach Top, who's like
your crew?

Speaker 2 (49:35):
Who's in your I mean I love Zach. I mean,
Zak is ten million miles ahead of me. But he
is awesome and he's a good friend. Like we we
went on tour with him earlier this year and and
this doesn't always happen, but like we were like, Okay,
they're going to be our lifelong friends. Like his crew
is so great. Everyone in his band, everyone on his

(49:55):
team is just actually good people, and they just really
we're so welcoming to us, and we've really stayed friends, like,
and he's just been able to give good advice too,
because like I said, he's he's further along and he's
like seeing things that I haven't seen and doing things
that I haven't done, and so I'm able to be like, Okay,

(50:15):
what did you do about this? Like how did you
do that? And so yeah, he's awesome. And then I mean,
so many songwriters, like I feel like keep me really
grounded too, because we're all coming up together and like
my sister and so yeah, that's there's so many good
people in this town. I love it.

Speaker 1 (50:32):
I'm so happy for you. Thank you. What a fun
ride you're on.

Speaker 2 (50:35):
It is fun, Yes, I say, it's so exciting.

Speaker 1 (50:38):
And I loved your style. I love your clothe You're sound,
You're just so cool.

Speaker 2 (50:44):
You're so nice, You're so cool.

Speaker 1 (50:46):
Oh, I'm so cool you are.

Speaker 2 (50:47):
Like I said, I've been a fan of you for
so long. I used to listen to your podcast, like
when I was first getting into the music business, and
it was literally like my way of studying. Like I'd
be like, Okay, what are you What do these people
talk about?

Speaker 1 (50:59):
What they like?

Speaker 2 (51:00):
What's cool?

Speaker 3 (51:02):
Well, honestly, I guess I would interview so many people
in the music industry. You to get like an inside
Oh I didn't realize that, but yeah, you could get
an insight into their brain.

Speaker 2 (51:09):
Yeah. When I was like in college and my friends
were like doing homework, I'm like, I'm doing homework too,
so you can to grow and help me. This is
the best. I'm serious.

Speaker 1 (51:18):
You are freaking amazing and I love that so much.
And your are are on the couch with two dogs.
Hamber Helper is like all over the floor, cousins everywhere,
neighbors knocking on the back. This is what it is, Laura,
This is what I want. Like, this is it?

Speaker 2 (51:31):
You're inspiring me?

Speaker 1 (51:32):
Okay, great?

Speaker 2 (51:33):
Is this?

Speaker 1 (51:34):
We have reached the you know, the climax here?

Speaker 2 (51:37):
Love it? I love it? Okay.

Speaker 3 (51:38):
I always wrap up with leave your light, and it's
super open ended. What do you want people to know?
Just drop some inspiration?

Speaker 2 (51:44):
Okay, Well, I feel like I've probably said this throughout
this conversation already, but if I haven't, I think what
I really want to accomplish with this record specifically is
like to use your word. I want to shine a
light on the good thing in life, like I think,
and I'm guilty of this too. I think we're always
glorifying and romanticizing unhealthy relationships and like the grunge and whatever,

(52:09):
and like I said, I've done it. I love that stuff.
I love cigarette every now and then. But I really
want to show people that like healthy relationships are awesome,
Like simple things in life are awesome and beautiful, and yeah,
that's what I really want people to get out of
this is just you feel light on the healthy.

Speaker 1 (52:27):
I'm I'm not joking with you, Like you feel like
a very healthy person.

Speaker 2 (52:31):
So nice, you feel very.

Speaker 1 (52:35):
Like, let me just wonderful. No, but you seem very
aware of the things in life that create good mental
and spiritual health.

Speaker 2 (52:45):
Like I feel that in you that is really nice.

Speaker 3 (52:47):
You don't, I mean, and so many people have so
many traumas and like everyone does, but I feel like
whatever you have dealt with, you are at a piece
with it feels like and you've come to a place
of like you're it seem like you're just like very
content in life and you have like a good picture.

Speaker 1 (53:03):
I mean, you just that's the energy you put off.

Speaker 2 (53:05):
Well I am, I will say, I'm very like, I'm
very content and and don't get me wrong, I have
a lot of goals and I have a lot of
places I want to go and do, but at the
end of the day, like what makes me happy are
like things that I already have. So I think that's
what keeps me going and keeps me sane. That is
a good song. I know. I love it Average Show

(53:26):
and Plaine Jane. I think I've written it, I know
right exactly.

Speaker 1 (53:30):
I love that so much. Okay, tell everyone where they
can find all the stuff that they need to know
about you. Album's coming out October tenth.

Speaker 2 (53:36):
YEP Album's coming out October tenth in a perfect world.
You can find me on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook. Instagram is
Lauren dot Watkins. TikTok is Lauren wait lar dot la
Is that a thing right?

Speaker 1 (53:50):
People who his name is Lauren go by.

Speaker 2 (53:51):
La people as a nickname. Not a lot of people,
but some people call me Lark. I can't even think
of who, but now every somebody does. She doesn't. Nobody
calls you that is this your manager? Some of it
is my manager.

Speaker 1 (54:06):
And I feel like you'll have a lot of fun together.
You have collected a good They're awesome and.

Speaker 2 (54:12):
Amazing girls.

Speaker 1 (54:13):
I know you're like pulling up. I was like, this
is just a fun spot to hang out with. Like
I met we were walking in.

Speaker 2 (54:20):
We all went to a show together a couple of
weeks ago. We were walking in and I was like,
look at this absolute posse.

Speaker 1 (54:26):
We have walking Yes, I love it.

Speaker 2 (54:29):
It's so funny.

Speaker 3 (54:30):
How fun I just like to have fun with the
people that you work with too, you know the best.
It's the best Live in the Dream, Lady in the Dream. Okay,
so we can find you on TikTok.

Speaker 2 (54:41):
I think it's lar Dot Walkins. Should we confirm? Okayte Walkins.
You see how good I am? Media? And then everywhere
you can stream music Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Pandora everywhere.

Speaker 1 (54:52):
Are you Lauren Call?

Speaker 2 (54:54):
Are you? Yes? I'm about to go in toour with
Landy Wilson and Cameron Marlowe two separate tours.

Speaker 1 (55:00):
Gonna go on tour with Laney Wilson because that's I know,
no big deal. A lot of dates.

Speaker 2 (55:06):
Yeah, it's like well three weekends, so I think it's
like nine shows, eight or nine.

Speaker 1 (55:09):
Are you all friends? I feel like you would be friends.

Speaker 2 (55:11):
I know, but I want to be You're gonna be
I mean, I just don't know her, but like I
just feel like we're company.

Speaker 1 (55:15):
How cool is she actually?

Speaker 2 (55:16):
To go on tour with her? I know, and I've
met her by the way, I have met her and
she's the nicest person ever. Were you like wow?

Speaker 1 (55:22):
Oh yeah, because like Lady Wilson is as big as
it gets forty.

Speaker 2 (55:25):
Music, I know, and I do like I was starstruck.

Speaker 1 (55:29):
That's a huge honor that says a lot about you too,
you know, like the company that you keep.

Speaker 2 (55:33):
Yeah, I do feel anytime someone like that, anytime I've
gotten to go on tour with somebody that I look
up to, it's like very validating. You go like, Okay,
I guess I'm doing something right.

Speaker 1 (55:42):
Because you've let's just run three people you've toured with.
We've gone with Morgan Wallen, You've already tour with Camra Marlowe, right,
or you're going on to No.

Speaker 2 (55:50):
I've been on some of the same shows as him,
but I've never gone on tour with him. He's so great.
Oh my gosh. He is the craziest voice ever. He's awesome, I.

Speaker 3 (55:58):
Know, and he interviewed him or forgot, Like I feel
like a weird Discovery story. I can't remember how really
I can't remember. I can't remember anything, Like I have
an interview and I love it so much and then I.

Speaker 2 (56:07):
Blackout because many people I don't know how you it
just leaves.

Speaker 1 (56:10):
It leaves the house, It leaves my brain, It leaves
the house.

Speaker 3 (56:13):
It literally, I like, talked to Maddie afterwards about what
we talked about, and I have no idea.

Speaker 2 (56:17):
Well, I think that's fair. I do a lot of talking.

Speaker 1 (56:20):
Okay, so Cameron Marlowe, Landy Wilson.

Speaker 2 (56:23):
Landy Wilson, and then I earlier this year was on
tour with Riley Green, so fun, fun, and then yeah,
Morgan Wallin Zach Topp, I've gotten Yeah, I've gotten some
great I have learned from really awesome people.

Speaker 1 (56:39):
Yeah, have you learned about like working a stage and
like what have you what have you taken? Yes?

Speaker 2 (56:43):
Oh my gosh, Okay, Well I was saying, like everyone
performs so differently, which is I think is the cool
thing about it. And it also has taught me that like, okay,
so I can do whatever I want, like I can
be you don't have to follow anyone else's lead or
go like, okay, I gotta do what this person is doing.
Like everyone is doing their own thing and you just
got to figure out what yours is and how to

(57:04):
do it. And so like Morgan, he oh my gosh,
I don't know how he entertains the whole entire stage
and a whole thousands and thousands of people in a
stadium the way that he does, but like he just does.
He's just got that like big personality and that was
so fun to watch. And then he'll take there's a
part in the show where he it's just like him

(57:25):
and a guitar, and he goes to this real small
stage and there's a spotlight and I'm like, how did
you just make this whole stadium feel like it was
fifty people in a room? It's crazy. And then you've
got Riley Green and Zach Topp and they both like
they play guitar a lot in their set, and so
they're standing in one place and still somehow entertaining their

(57:46):
entire crowd. Like and Zach, he's just got this big
personality where he's like he has these like facial expressions
and I'm like, what did you even just do? But
something about that was like just so entertaining. Yeah, and
Riley's the same way like that. Everyone just has their
own personality, and so that's been really cool to see.
It's taught me a lot about like.

Speaker 1 (58:06):
Okay, what are my Do you know what you like
to do on stage?

Speaker 2 (58:10):
I mean, yeah, I don't know. I think someone else
could probably tell me better than I do, but.

Speaker 1 (58:17):
I think I don't know.

Speaker 2 (58:19):
I just try to Like there was a time where
I felt like, oh my gosh, I've got to learn
how to like dance around.

Speaker 1 (58:25):
I don't.

Speaker 2 (58:26):
I can't do that, Like that's not me, and so
I don't really do coming back to just like who
are you? What do you like?

Speaker 1 (58:32):
How does it feel natural to get it across coming
out of you?

Speaker 2 (58:36):
Yeah, I mean I try. One thing I've been trying
to do and that like I've learned, I've gotten some
advice on this is like trying to like personify the songs,
like with personality, like seeing them like I'm speaking them,
because there are a lot of my songs are very
like specific storytelling type songs, and so I'm trying to
just like sing I don't know if that makes any sense,

(58:58):
but live the story, yes, saying it like I'm telling
them this story sort of.

Speaker 1 (59:03):
So and I love that your songs are so personal
to you, thank you, because like this is a very
personal album, this one coming.

Speaker 2 (59:08):
Up, it is very Yeah, it's very personal.

Speaker 1 (59:10):
Are you excited and we're going to get this deep
look into yueses?

Speaker 2 (59:14):
I really am because I feel like I and this
is just part of your evolution as an artist and
like in your career. But I think people have seen
very much like one side of me and although that
it was a very real side of me and like
where I was at in life, I think this is
just a different side of me that people haven't seen,
and it's just kind of deeper into my heart and

(59:34):
what I actually value and care about. And so I'm
excited for people to see. Hopefully they like it.

Speaker 1 (59:40):
I love it because it's.

Speaker 2 (59:41):
Coming out either way.

Speaker 3 (59:42):
Heck, yes, Lauren Watkins, thank you so much for joining me.
So excited for your journey. Okay, I know we've already
talked for an hour.

Speaker 1 (59:50):
Can you surground for ten minutes to do like a
little bonus episode redraw questions and called tell me more.

Speaker 2 (59:55):
Yes, I'm actually really excited about that.

Speaker 3 (59:57):
Okay, great, So we're going to go really deep into salt. Okay, Lauren,
what gets your amazing Bye?

Speaker 2 (01:00:11):
M