For a songwriter, crafting a song is more than trying to write a hit, it's telling a story that means something.
Nashville native Natalie Hemby knows a thing or two about writing songs. She has written #1 songs for Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, and others, but she has always wanted to write songs for her own career as well.
"I spent my 20s trying to get a record deal, it never happened. Spent my 30s writing songs for other people, so now I think 40s is a really good time to do it now," Hemby explained.
Inspiration for her first album named "Puxico" came from a documentary about her adopted hometown, Puxico, Missouri.
"It's really not any different than anyone else's small town," Hemby said.
For Hemby, Puxico is a special place. It's the town where she spent so much of her childhood with her grandfather, and when she put a documentary together on a special homecoming celebration in the town, celebrating the return of soldiers from the war, the documentary also became a story of her experiences in Puxico, and her relationship with her grandfather.
With the visuals and the story of the documentary, Hemby also wrote music for the film.
"Originally I just wanted it to be a soundtrack for the film, but I started realizing, this is my heart, this is who I am," Hemby said.
Not surprisingly from a hit songwriter, people took notice.
Hemby's close friends Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd went on a road trip and asked Hemby for a copy of the soundtrack for their road trip.
After listening to the album on their drive, both Morris and Hurd urged Hemby to release the music to the world, just like Maren Morris had done, transitioning to a songwriter to a performer as well.
"In a lot of ways, it's like a big lake," Hemby said. "If you have one buddy who jumps in and tells you the water's okay, it makes you want to jump in too."
"Puxico" has not only been a hit with Hemby's friends, but with her new fans as well, and Hemby thinks it's because everyone has a hometown and can relate to the stories and the feel of the album.
"I just want you to reminisce about where you're from and go back and love on the people that loved on you," Hemby said of listening to the album.
Since releasing her album, Hemby has been invited to play at the Grand Ole Opry, and she has been invited to open select shows for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill during their Soul 2 Soul tour.
Hemby's Grand Ole Opry debut is scheduled for Saturday, March 18.
