Newcomer Tenille Townes has been turning heads with razor sharp lyrics and an unmistakeable voice on tracks like “Somebody’s Daugther” and “Jersey On the Wall (I’m Just Asking).” But she’s still got a few things to learn, and that’s where her famous mentors come in.
Speaking with Sounds Like Nashville, the rising star explains how touring with heroes like Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley has helped. Whether it’s backstage after a show or sitting around the lunch table, she’s been able to get some tough questions answered from artists who’ve truly “been there and done that.”
“There’s a lot of advice,” she says. “I’ve talked to Miranda a lot about what it was like in her early days of opening up for George Strait or getting testy on the road. Kind of hearing her insight on what that part looked like for her. What she learned to do and not to do. You kind of take all that with you where you go, but I think more than any of the advice or wisdom, it’s really just knowing that she’s there. She’s like, ‘I got your back. I believe in what you’re doing.’ And that coming from someone who you look up to immensely is a pretty extraordinary gift.
“And Dierks took care of us on the road,” she goes on. “I can’t say enough about him. He is such a generous spirit, and he blew me away. I mean, he works so hard. He has so much fun. He loves music so much and his whole team, just really just took care of us. It was pretty awesome.”
She’ll be taking all of that encouragement and wisdom with her on the next part of her journey — releasing her major-label album debut next year. The whole project is finished, Townes says, so fans will be getting a blast of new music “very soon.” And according to her, there’s plenty more of that insightful, sharp-edged writing to go around.
“I cannot wait to get this record out,” she admits. “It’s a collection of songs that means so much to me. I know there’s songs on there that the goal is [to make] people dance and forget about their worries, make them feel like they’re not alone. And then there are songs on there that get a little further into the heart of the matter. Those songs are special to me. I think that’s what music’s for — kind of being a companion in some of those darker places. So the songs are really special to me, too. I hope it’s a ride.”
Next year Townes will have a few more mentors to learn from, as she hits the road with country icons Alan Jackson and Keith Urban.
