On his new album Cover Girl, Aaron Watson, acclaimed country artist from Amarillo, Texas, shares an intimate glimpse into his musical journey, one deeply intertwined with his daughter, Jolee Kate Watson. In his latest endeavor, Watson pays tribute to influential female singer-songwriters. The creation of the unique project can be credited to one thing: Watson being a girl-dad.
"It became kind of like a school project for me and Jolee," Watson tells Wide Open Country. "To further her musical education- just a daddy sharin' his love for songwriting with his daughter."
Jolee, a devout Taylor Swift fan, sparked the initial inspiration behind the album.
"She's in the upper one percentile of psycho Taylor Swift fans," he says.
Despite Jolee's admiration for Swift, Watson aimed to broaden her musical horizons. The concept for Cover Girl was born out of these discussions.
"[We] started talking about all the female artists that have influenced my career, especially from a songwriting perspective," Watson says.
Together, they delved into the works of artists like Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris and Chrissie Hynde.
"I wanted her to see that the stars that she's chasing after are very reachable," he says. "And her goals are achievable... that's where it all began."
The songs featured on Cover Girl were carefully curated, representing a wide spectrum of artists and musical styles. From country icons to red dirt royalty, the project delves into an array of emotions, perspectives and arrangements, showcasing the versatility and talent of the featured artists, alongside the authentic Aaron Watson sound his fans are used to hearing.
The album also aims to uplift female artists in the industry. He chose artists like Jamie Lin Wilson and Bri Bagwell to be featured, acknowledging their talent and the challenges they faced as independent musicians.
"I adore them. I admire them, I look up to them- their talent and their work ethic," he says. "I think if any guy can understand the struggles that female artists can have in the country music world, I think I can relate as an independent artist... [there's] a lack of opportunity."
Chrissy Nix
Aaron shares insights into the challenges faced by female artists in the music industry, shedding light on the need for recognition and support. After witnessing an encounter where Bagwell was moved from a later set at a festival to a time slot that would guarantee a smaller audience, Watson stood in solidarity with her, recognizing her resilience and dedication and allowing her to perform during his headlining spot at the same festival.
"I brought her up on stage with a packed house and gave her the mic and told her to take it away," he says. "She got up there and she did amazing."
Through Cover Girl, the Watsons hope to amplify the voices of female songwriters, promoting gender equality, inclusivity and "girl power."
"I'm not into making statements," Watson says. "I'm in the business of writing songs and making people happy. [But] do I have a problem with making a statement for girl power? Not at all. I have a daughter, your girl, that girl. I'm all about girl power. I've told [Jolee] 'things are not fair, and you can either cry about it or you can get out there and defy gravity.' That's how I'm raising her."
The album, which encapsulates the essence of female songwriting, celebrating the diverse talents that have shaped the music industry, has become a heartfelt tribute to the influential women in Aaron Watson's life, especially his daughter Jolee Kate, celebrating their love for music and their shared journey through the music world.
The project, from inspiration to collaboration, underscores the significance of recognizing and honoring the creative voices of women in music.
"Of course, this [album] is a little appetizer before I drop the album of my career on everybody," Watson says. "But I have this one song that's going to live forever, called 'Never Grow Up' with me and my little girl. Someday, when I'm an old man, she can hear that and hear her sing with her daddy. That's really what it's about."
Watson broke down 8 of the 11 tracks with Wide Open Country, sharing the stories behind why certain songs were chosen and insight into what it was like working with some of the most talented women in the country scene today.
"Seven Year Ache" (feat. Jenna Paulette)
"I've always loved Rosanne Cash. That whole album is amazing. She was married to Rodney Crowell and he's amazing. There was just a time there where they were just doing everything right. That song doesn't lose its magic. It's kind of mysterious... like the lyrics. It's hard to put your thumb on exactly what's going on, but it's also a well crafted song. That leaves a lot of room for imagination.
Singing that song with Jen live has been fun, I've really enjoyed it. Having her out on the road with me has been very helpful. She has helped me write a couple of songs on this album we're working on right now. And they are heavy hitters. So it's been really nice, having her talent on the road."
"Million Reasons" (feat. Morgan Myles)
"The goddess Hillary Lindsey ("Jesus Take The Wheel," "Girl Crush") wrote that song and the first time I heard 'Million Reasons' I thought, 'that reminds me of a country song.' So I started playing it on my guitar one day and [realized] this was something I could sing. Gaga is such an amazing singer. She's so fancy. And I remembered Morgan [Myles]. She was on stage, just herself and a guitar, and I was like, is that Aretha Franklin on stage? She can belt it. That girl can sing. So I wanted her [for] that."
"Love At The Five And Dime" (feat. Jamie Lin Wilson)
"It's such a singer songwriter song. They're at the counter of this little store and he's a steel guitar player and she's a fan and they get married and he cheats on her and she cheats on him and they get back together. It's just a crazy love story.
I knew that Jamie loved that song. Nanci Griffith, Kathy Mattea- that's right down her wheelhouse. She's such a great writer, she writes a lot of stuff like this [song]. She made a video and posted about how it's one of her favorite songs. So that made me happy, it's so fitting."
"All Through The Night" (feat. Leigh Nash)
"First of all, I love Cindi [Lauper]. She's an amazing songwriter. I just love how different she is. But the song was written by Jules Shear. If you listen to the original version, it sounds real country. Cindi's version is what made it so famous, but [Jules] needs to be recognized as one of the best songwriters ever. I enjoyed sharing her music with Jolee."
"9 To 5" (feat. Kylie Frey)
"Dolly is just her own genre of music. I don't think I could sing 'I Will Always Love You' And I don't think I could pull off 'Jolene.'... But I wanted to recognize Dolly. And there's just this little hint of hope that maybe because I recorded one of Dolly's songs... she'll call.
I sing it out with Kylie Frey, she's got that spunk...She's a heck of a cowgirl and she was perfect on that song."
"Grandpa Tell Me About The Good Ole Days" feat. Courtney Patton
"It makes for a really good duet. 'Grandpa' is such a classic song, whether it came out 30 years ago, or 30 minutes ago, [it's] undeniable and it just sinks in for me. It's just a perfect song.
[Courtney Patton's] got a big voice and Wynonna [Judd] has a big voice, they're just powerful singers. She just knocked it out of the park. Some of the songs [on Cover Girl] we created our own versions, but 'Grandpa,' I was like, "let's just let's keep that one the way it is."
"Two More Bottles of Wine" feat. Alyssa Micaela
"Delbert [McClinton] is a lovely West Texas boy, like myself. But Emmylou [Harris] gave that song the popularity that it has. I got to play some shows with Emmylou in Switzerland a couple of years ago and I actually watched Emmylou from the side of the stage, right next to Shania [Twain]. So I've always had a lot of respect for her career. It's one of the most impressive careers of any artist- the influence that she's had with her music and the legends that have come out of her band, her work with Gram Parsons- it's unreal."
"Never Grow Up" feat. Jolee Kate Watson
So Jolee said, 'Dad, we have to put a Taylor song on Cover Girl because she's like one of the best songwriters ever. And also, she's a female.' I liked that... that Jolee said 'she's one of the best songwriters ever. And also, she's a female.' It wasn't because she's one of the best female singers - she's one of the best songwriters ever, across the board. We went through Taylor's entire catalog but when I came across 'Never Grow Up' — it's a beautiful song. When Taylor sings it, it's almost like she's singing to her younger self... but when I sing it, it's like I'm singing to Jolee. So I was in tears, it made me cry.
Jolee's very shy, but she's coming out of her shell. There's a lion inside that little girl. I have like all these takes [of recording the song] with her that I just soak up."
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