https://youtu.be/URWXfahRvEU
Earlier this year, we were all properly introduced to Tenille Townes by way of her intimate acoustic EP Living Room Worktapes. Despite being only four songs long, the Grand Prairie, Alberta, Canada native instantly enamored country music with her heartfelt lyrics and crisp, warm vocals. She invited us all into a sparse space packed with vulnerability, empathy and earnest storytelling. Now, she's released "Somebody's Daughter," the vibrant heartbreaking lead single from her forthcoming full-length debut.
Like the acoustic version on Living Room Worktapes, "Somebody's Daughter" is lead by Townes' rich vocals. Written with songwriting vets Barry Dean and Luke Laird, Townes was first inspired by seeing a young girl holding a cardboard sign at a Nashville intersection.
"What part of her story took a left turn and led her here? How do I get to be driving with my mom looking at furniture, while she is walking this street looking for spare change?" says Townes in a press release.
Townes' debut was produced by Jay Joyce (Patty Griffin, Eric Church, Little Big Town). And even though there's a lively sonic kick to the fully fledged version, "Somebody's Daughter" doesn't lose its heartfelt gut-punch through the mix. It's as passionate and soulful as ever while getting a pop-worthy boost. Townes has a rare ability to deliver a pop song while maintaining a singer-songwriter's edge.
"Releasing 'Somebody's Daughter' as the first single from my debut album is such a proud and happy moment," says Townes. "Being out here on the road this season and playing the song for people every night has shown me how healing music is, and truly how powerful people's stories are. This song is about recognizing the people around us and noticing that we are all more connected that we might realize. We were all once just a kid at a lemonade stand, or a teenager dancing in a high school gym. We all belong to somebody. We've all got a story."
Townes is newly signed to Sony Music Nashville and Big Yellow Dog Music. Her upcoming full-length doesn't have a release date just yet but is highly assumed to be released later this fall. Townes is currently on The Bandwagon Tour with Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town.
"Somebody's Daughter" Lyrics:
I drive home the same way
Two left turns off the interstate
And she's always standing
At the stoplight on 18th Street
She could be a Sarah,
She could be an Emily,
An Olivia, maybe a Cassidy
With the shaky hands
On the cardboard sign
And she's looking at me
Bet she was somebody's best friend laughing
Back when she was somebody's sister
Counting change at the lemonade stand
Probably somebody's high school first kiss
Dancing in a gym where the kids all talk about someday plans
Now this light'll turn green and I'll hand her a couple dollars
And I'll wonder if she got lost or they forgot her
She's somebody's daughter
Somebody's daughter
Somebody's daughter
Well, did she give up wondering where the cars all go?
And can she even tell that I don't know what to say?
So I just nod my head and wave
Well, no one's gonna ask what she wants to be
Or why we're both stuck here at the mercy of geography
And whether it shines or rains
Bet she was somebody's best friend laughing
Back when she was somebody's sister
Counting change at the lemonade stand
Probably somebody's high school first kiss
Dancing in a gym where the kids all talk about someday plans
Now this light'll turn green and I'll hand her a couple dollars
Oh, and I'll wonder how she felt when no one caught her
She's somebody's daughter
Somebody's daughter
Somebody's daughter
Somebody's daughter
Oh, I don't know the reasons why
I'm the one who's driving by
And she's the one on the corner of 18th Street
Bet she was somebody's best friend laughing
Oh, back when she was somebody's sister
Counting change at the lemonade stand
Probably somebody's high school first kiss
Dancing in a gym where the kids all talk about someday, someday
Now this light'll turn green and I'll hand her a couple dollars
Oh, and I'll wonder if she got lost or they forgot her
She's somebody's daughter
She's somebody's daughter