In Her Own Words: Rachel Wammack Tours Europe With CMA Introducing Nashville Series
Here's what went down on Rachel Wammack's first tour to Europe... in her own words.
Sony Music Nashville recording artist Rachel Wammack was invited on the tour of a lifetime when the Country Music Association asked her to join their overseas CMA Introducing Nashville series. Wammack, along with Danielle Bradbery, Walker Hayes, Devin Dawson and Travis Denning, criss-crossed around Europe, performing for fans in Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, among other incredible countries. During her trip, Wammack kept an in-depth diary about her experience and is sharing it exclusively with fans at Sounds Like Nashville. Check it out below!
Hi y’all, I’m Rachel Wammack, and I can’t believe I just got back from a two week tour of Europe for the CMA Introducing Nashville Series. Since I was a little kid watching and loving movies like What a Girl Wants, Harry Potter, The Sound of Music, and SO MANY MORE, I have wanted to travel to Europe. I never imagined that the opportunity to go would actually present itself because of my music. That is so wild to me, and I’m so thankful for my first memories there as an artist. I was blown away that my first sights of Norway, Sweden, Germany, Scotland, and England were because I went to perform my original songs for some crazy hardcore European country music fans. This travel chapter of my life was truly hard to believe.
I found out I was invited on this trip a few months beforehand, and it wasn’t until like two days before the trip when I started packing in my bedroom that it hit me in my heart that this trip was really happening. It was during that moment that I decided I would live in the moment during this entire adventure and let it move and change me. And I believe it did. I remember getting on the airplane for my first long flight and thinking to myself, “This is crazy!”
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
L-R: Danielle Bradbery, Rachel Wammack, Travis Denning, Walker Hayes
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
Newcastle, UK (Woburn Tyne Bridge)
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
-
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
-
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
-
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
Newcastle, UK (Woburn Tyne Bridge)
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
Berlin, Germany
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
-
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
Rachel with Danielle Bradbery and Walker Hayes
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
-
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
Berlin, Germany
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
-
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
-
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
-
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
Newcastle, UK (Woburn Tyne Bridge)
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
-
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
Newcastle, UK (Woburn Tyne Bridge)
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
-
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
-
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
-
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
Travis Denning, Danielle Bradbery, Devin Dawson, Rachel Wammack
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
-
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Wammack
London, UK
The trip was fast paced with travel every day either by van, train, or plane. I actually took my very first train ride to Amsterdam, and it felt like we were in Harry Potter! Ha! When we got on the train, we realized we were on the complete opposite end and the doors closed. We were on car 1 instead of car 12, and so all of us pushed our luggage down 12 cars. I don’t think the Europeans liked us that day. Hahaha! Everyone’s got to learn the ropes, right? Over these two weeks, I really fell in love with the quaintness of the European way. I had some really good pizza, drank my first Flat White coffee (which I didn’t even know they have in America?), walked along the rivers of Amsterdam and danced with a lady in a bakery, had the best McDonald’s fries in Brighton, popped the biggest bubble I’ve ever seen in my life, had a drink at an Scottish pub, had breakfast in London, and saw countless buildings that took my breath away.
The first week of the trip was Danielle, Devin, Travis, and me. Then, the second week, Devin went to go get married, and Walker Hayes joined us. Most of the nights, we had a local opener play for 30 minutes or so. They were all insanely talented performers that got the crowds really excited for some country music. You could tell the crowds were really proud of their local talent, and also so thankful that we traveled so far to perform for them.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Rachel Wammack (@rachelwammack) on
It crazy to think about how far and how long music travels, and how people across the world can relate to a southern girl like me from a little town called Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
Each night was set up like a Nashville songwriter’s round where we go one at a time singing our original songs and telling the stories behind the songs. Every night one of us would host the round by first explaining to them that we were bringing them a piece of our home, making it just like an authentic Nashville writers round and introducing our fellow artists.
Danielle is from Texas, Travis is from Georgia, Walker is from Alabama, and Devin is from California, and I grew to really admire their work in a new way as I heard them all live and connect with the audience. They are all really impressive singers and writers. Each one of us is creatively different and confidently owned our own craft, and as we learned each other’s stories and songs over time, we became a team on stage supporting one other and hyping up our favorite songs.
Each city had its own charm along with venues that were packed with fans full of energy. All 10 venues were really diverse and unique to the area: from really old churches and university auditoriums to beautiful old theaters and concert halls. My favorite venue was Cadogan Hall in London. I remember playing that beautiful baby grand piano while singing “Something People Say” as my last song, and while I sang the song, especially the chorus, I felt like I was in a dream. The acoustics of the hall sounded so alive and vibrant, and it made me want to sing my heart out like never before. I finished the song and the crowd erupted with applause, and I felt like I had made it. It was a humbling and beautiful moment for me. That was the final night of the tour, a night I’ll never forget.
When I perform, one of my favorite stories to tell is about my move from my hometown Muscle Shoals, Alabama to Nashville. Muscle Shoals is known for its rich history at FAME Recording Studios where some of the greatest blues music came to be. A documentary came out in the past several years that has since spread like wildfire in the U.S.— and as its turns out, it has also spread in Europe! When I mentioned Muscle Shoals the first night, a lot of people in the crowd cheered to my surprise. So many people had seen the documentary and been so passionate about the artists who recorded there like Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding. Several people had even actually been to Muscle Shoals to visit the studio! I was so proud that fans knew about it every single night, and it was a cool way to connect with so many fans as I told more of my story.
View this post on Instagramfelt like just a dream in this magical nether-nether land ~ Amsterdam ~ ✨🔔🧚🏼♀️💭
A post shared by Rachel Wammack (@rachelwammack) on
It doesn’t matter how much sleep we sacrificed in order to play these 10 shows across these five beautiful countries. It was (just like Danielle’s song says) one hundred percent “worth it.” Every night was electric for me from singing my first note to signing the last autograph. The pre-show and post show excitement almost felt tangible too. I wished I could put it in my pocket. I remember, as I put on my make up and my big sparkly blue boots and began my warm ups, I just thanked God over and over for people who showed up as my European fans who I was so excited to finally meet. This tour grew me a lot and changed me for the better. I CAN’T WAIT to go back again. And again and again.
XO,
Rachel
