Latest / Women's Writes / Episode 3: Jessi Alexander and Connie Harrington On Collaboration, Friendship, and the Song That Got Away

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Episode 3: Jessi Alexander and Connie Harrington On Collaboration, Friendship, and the Song That Got Away · Women's Writes

0:03
I'm Parker Welling. And I'm Lydia Vaughan. And
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we are Women's Writes. We are staff songwriters
0:25
and close friends, and we're here to highlight
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some of country music's most iconic songwriting
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combos. And we're going to give you a peek behind
0:32
the curtain to their stories, friendships, and
0:33
songs. So let's get into it. Today we have Connie
0:37
Harrington and Jessi Alexander. Connie is a Grammy
0:42
nominated songwriter, publisher, and co -owner
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of This Music, whose songs have been recorded
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by artists across country pop, Christian, gospel,
0:49
and bluegrass. She has written songs like Jana
0:52
Kramer's, I Got the Boy, Larry Fleet's, Where
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I Find God, and Joe Nichols, She Only Smokes
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When She Drinks, which is one of my favorite
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songs. I listen to it. very regularly. She has
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so many other songs and we'll get into some of
1:05
that today. Jessi Alexander is a Grammy nominated
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singer -songwriter whose songs have become modern
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country standards. She's written songs like Blake
1:13
Shelton's Drink On It, Miley Cyrus's The Climb,
1:16
I mean The freaking Climb, Morgan Wallen's Don't
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Think Jesus, Luke Combs's 8 and 11 Oklahoma.
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And last year, 2025, Jessii received a Grammy
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nomination for Songwriter of the Year, non -classical,
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recognizing her many recent accomplishments in
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country music. So together, they are CMA, ACM,
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and NSAI Song of the Year winning writers behind
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Lee Bryce's I Drive Your Truck. They are Grammy
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nominated for Blake Shelton's Mind Would Be You.
1:47
They've had hits with Megan Maroney on No Caller
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ID, Beautiful Things, and they are the poster
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women of iconic female collaborators. We are
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so honored to welcome Connie Harrington and Jessi
1:58
Alexander. Thank you, guys. So y 'all's individual
2:02
bios are... obviously so impressive. But what's
2:08
even more impressive is what you've accomplished
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together as a songwriting duo, especially two
2:14
women together. That's just not as common. It's
2:17
kind of rare to see. And as long as you've been
2:20
working together. Yeah, we were, I think, kind
2:21
of chit chatting before about this, but I feel
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like a lot of co -writing relationships. It's
2:27
like you'll have you'll get on a run with someone
2:29
and then it just kind of like for whatever reason
2:31
they don't end up on your calendars frequently
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and you may not have a hit with them ever again.
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The fact that you guys have had this like long
2:38
spanning writing relationship from you know the
2:41
Lee Bryce and Mine Would Be You that whole era
2:44
all the way up to I mean just a few weeks ago
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Beautiful Things with Megan Maroney is really
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amazing. Yeah. So obviously Megan Moroney wasn't
2:53
your first as we established Take us back. Yeah,
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how did y 'all meet? When did you, when was like
3:00
the first? I'm gonna have to think about that.
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I mean, I think I met you and Jon are in Pottery
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Barn. What? I don't remember. Y 'all were getting
3:14
married? And I met you, I was with Jon, and
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we met you and y 'all were at the checkout at
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Potter. Both of our husbands are named Jon.
3:23
Oh, that's amazing. It's spelled J -O -N. I think
3:26
that's where I met you. Okay, I'm so glad you
3:28
remember that. That's weird. I don't remember
3:30
that at all. I made an impression, evidently.
3:34
Her husband, Jon Mabe, my husband, Jon Randall,
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and me and JonMabe had been writing. We had
3:41
written... which you mentioned the climb. So
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before me and Connie had even written, me and
3:47
Jon had written, correct? Gotcha. Yes. And I
3:51
just, I don't know. I don't know why. What was
3:54
our first song together? I just remember always
3:56
being in this music. I know I was obsessed with
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this music. Well, we wrote together before this
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music. I know, in that building though. Yes.
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So I don't know if it's because of me and Jonn
4:06
Mabe, her husband. I don't know if like... That's
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definitely how we met. We somehow got booked.
4:10
Did we write? And it was just two ways at first.
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Y 'all, back in the day, it was very common to
4:16
not have, like, three ways really is pretty new.
4:20
Yeah, I feel like that with, like, Track Boys
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started, maybe. Because I do remember, like,
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I've been doing this since I was 17, so since
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2005 or 6, and it was two ways. Most rights were
4:35
that. I feel like when I came to town, that was
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like the start of the three -way, the three and
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four ways. I came to town in 2015. Okay. Yeah.
4:44
Okay. So I just remember, you know, you, me and
4:48
you getting together, feels like in a little
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room at the oldest music building before it was
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this music. And obviously we had... you know,
4:57
Jon Mabe and I, when, when me and John started
5:00
having success for The Climb, um, it was really
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neat because, you know, we had all these, we,
5:06
Grammy nomination together. We had, we would
5:08
go to the, we got to go to the Bridgestone and
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we got to go see the Hannah Montana movie. Like,
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you know, so Connie's there and my husband's
5:14
there and y 'all know how it is. You get to know
5:16
each other's spouses. But I will say it was very
5:20
kind of out of nowhere for me, for us to then...
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I mean, me and your husband have so much success,
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but then me and you, like, pick up and then go
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run the ball hard. You know, it was just really
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unique. Did you guys know, like, from the first
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couple of co -writes that it was, like, a really
5:37
special chemistry, or how did that play out for
5:40
you? I felt that way, for sure. I mean, yeah,
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we... Jessie's so good at singing, and, you know,
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we've been in co -writes where we're throwing
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out ideas, and we would have written 10... the
5:52
first one, and, you know, because she makes everything
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sound so good. So, yeah, it was kind of natural.
5:57
She has such incredible ideas. And I think that
6:00
we have a lot in common. Complement each other.
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We complement her strengths or my weaknesses
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and vice versa. And I think we both come at songwriting
6:08
similar, which we should talk about if you want.
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Just like our crafts are similar. But also, like,
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we're both deep wells and have had a lot of deep
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life stuff. Experience. Experience, and like...
6:21
Does that make sense? Yeah, it's just that alignment
6:23
when you find a co -writer where you're like,
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oh my gosh, yes, where have you been the whole
6:26
time? It's that like, everything seems aligned.
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You can explore any subject, even if it's a hard
6:31
one. I have this thought that I feel like the
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best co -writers are ones that help you write.
6:38
like yourself, like you don't have, it's not
6:40
hard in a room, you don't have to try to fill
6:42
a space, because all of us as staff songwriters,
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we kind of have to adapt and be like, okay, maybe
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this isn't my strength, but today this has to
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be because the room needs it. I think the best
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co -writers are ones that will let you be who
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you are. So I think a great example, and you
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guys can correct me, but this is just my theory
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on it. Your first single when you were an artist.
7:05
the Canyon Prayer. Yes. When I heard Make Me
7:08
a Mop, I instantly thought of that. And I was
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like, that's crazy. Connie didn't write Canyon
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Prayer, but that was like your first coming to
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town, your first getting started. And there's
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something about Make Me a Mop that reminds me
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of that. And I was like, I wonder, which this
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is, you guys can answer this question. I wonder
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if Connie let that version of you live on. Like
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as you, cause I feel like the... version of yourself
7:32
that made you want to do it and made you want
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to start is like kind of what you're trying to
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preserve and that's what's driving you as a songwriter
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to keep coming at it. Do you feel like kind of
7:41
does it for you and then how do you feel like
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does Jessi do that for you? Well, like I say
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she just has this natural melodic sense that
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I mean I used to drive the music and sing at
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every co -write. years ago, and I got sick of
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hearing myself do both because I didn't really
8:01
like my voice. But when I figured out I don't
8:03
have to do that, I love words the most. And I
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can do that with her. And I love coming up with
8:09
ideas the most. So, you know, we just complement
8:12
each other. But it's a frustration for me because
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I also have a lot of fear being the lone musical.
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Like, I get nervous. And I can remember when
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we were writing, Make Me a Mop, Alan wouldn't
8:26
pick up a guitar. You wouldn't pick up a guitar.
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But I was singing and I wanted it. That's funny.
8:32
And we're talking about, make me a mop, make
8:34
me a spoon, make me a... That song, by the way,
8:37
is one of my absolute favorites. That song is
8:39
one of my absolute favorites. They're so good.
8:41
I literally wanted to throw up when I heard it
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because of how good it was. But it was so fun
8:46
to bat, the fun, the lyric part, so fun, make
8:48
me a knife, make me a hammer. And at some point,
8:52
someone has to pick up the guitar. And I can
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remember, even with our Megan that writes, you
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know, that I've been that person and it's something
9:01
that I stressful. It's stressful, yeah. And that's
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one reason I got tired of doing it all this year.
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So what's great is that what I think what she's
9:08
hearing or feeling, and I've never put it together,
9:10
is that back then I used to write a lot by myself.
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And it's like that make me a mop girl, that musical.
9:17
place that God gives me, that special, sacred,
9:20
spiritual, melodic place, is the same one. Yeah,
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it feels like it's the same one. It's like an
9:25
older version of the same girl. When I heard
9:28
it, I thought that and I was like, I wonder,
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I didn't even know y 'all had written it, but
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I was like, I wonder if Jessie's on this because
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it reminded me so much of, it doesn't sound like
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it. Like if you didn't know your... catalog,
9:40
probably no one would think that. But there was
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something about it that carried the same spirit.
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And I was like, oh, I think that girl is still
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alive. And I think that Connie's fanning the
9:48
flame for her. She does. And we finally got Allen
9:51
playing, because he played the whole thing. Of
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course. But yeah. Can I ask whose title that
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was? Did you find that in the room? That was
10:00
a crazy, that was a super crazy day. That's a
10:03
good story. I want to hear it. Do you want to
10:05
hear it? Yes, please. We, you know, we were at
10:08
This Music Together and, you know, as it goes,
10:11
sometimes who you really want to write with,
10:13
they end up putting you with everybody but them.
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And we really wanted to write with Alan Shamblin.
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I mean, he was a big inspiration for me. And
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for whatever reason, you know, it didn't happen.
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And so after we sold this music, Jessi still
10:29
had an office in that building because we love
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that building. It's just... We loved everything
10:34
about it. But anyway, so, Ben Vaughn. I signed
10:37
my new deal with Ben Vaughn at Warner and he
10:40
said, who have you not gotten to write with?
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And I said, man, for years, me and Connie, I've
10:45
been trying. I mean, I've tried to track Allen
10:48
down at an airport. I mean, you know, just work
10:51
him out. Amazing. I think I can make that happen.
10:54
I said, if you make that, I'm doing it. I'll
10:55
sign with you tomorrow. And he sure enough, right
10:58
away, there's Allen on our calendar. Then I'm
11:01
like, what are we gonna do? We gotta go right
11:03
with Alan. So we show up and, can I tell this
11:09
story? I don't care. I won't name any names.
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You might have to edit this. Anyway, he shows
11:16
up and it's Allen Hall of Fame, Allen. He looks
11:21
nervous. I can't make you love me, Alan. And
11:23
I was like, whoops. That's going on. So anyway,
11:27
we were like gushing, you know, thank you, Helen,
11:29
for coming. And we're trying to write, but I
11:31
can sense, because I'm an empathic little weirdo.
11:34
I can tell when somebody feels whatever they
11:37
feel. And I thought, we're the ones freaking
11:40
out here. Why are you freaking out? And we threw
11:44
out so many titles and we're just, you know,
11:47
we want, we as a unit. we wait for the magical
11:53
one to come out anyway, and then we jump on that
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one. And finally, he said, I'm sorry, y 'all.
12:03
He said, bless his heart. He said, I guess it
12:09
was the day before? The day before he had written
12:12
with. some male artist, of course, he didn't
12:15
tell us who it was, but he said, he came in all
12:17
skull ring and let's write about beer and cliche,
12:20
cliche, pew, pew, pew. And he said, and I was
12:25
just struggling, I thought, oh, you know, because
12:27
he's a writer of real great songs. And he said,
12:31
the artist finally at some point in the co -write
12:33
looked at him, having not done his homework and
12:36
not understanding who he's in the room with and
12:39
said, are you even going to contribute? Oh. We're
12:45
dead. That's appalling. I mean, that's offensive
12:48
to say to anyone but Allen Shamblin. He said,
12:50
y 'all, I'm just, it broke me. He said, I said,
12:52
Lord, I've been writing for whatever, 40 years.
12:55
Yeah. And that's it. I guess that's enough. I
12:58
give up. Yeah. That was it. He goes, but I look
13:02
on my calendar and had you two on my calendar
13:05
today and I couldn't not show up. So of course
13:08
at this point, I'm like choked up and I stood
13:11
up. Why were we standing up? I don't know. You
13:13
know, I just remember standing. And I looked
13:15
in his eyes and I said, Allen, give me the weirdest
13:18
title you've got. He did not blink. He did not
13:21
hesitate. He said, make me a mop. I said, I love
13:24
it. Let's do it. And it was on. That's amazing.
13:27
It just fell out. Oh, I love that. He had one
13:30
little piece of the first line once you ran together.
13:32
And we were like, spread that out. And once we
13:34
got that little... So good. What's the first
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line? Make me a mop. The whole first line. to
13:42
clean up the messes. Yes. He ran that all together.
13:44
Make me a mop to clean up. I go, no, no, no.
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Just say, make me a mop. Let it breathe. And
13:49
then clean up the messes. And then we're on after
13:51
that. It was on. Yeah, it was on. And it just,
13:54
it was such a... And that's a song we thought,
13:57
well, it's probably a Bluebird song. We'll never
13:58
get this. No one will ever care. But we loved
14:01
it so much because it meant so much to us. Yeah.
14:04
In fact, we got... back together with him one
14:07
time after that and he lives in Liepers Fork
14:09
and it's you know it's a drive yeah and he came
14:13
in and we're like we're sorry you had to drive
14:16
all the way in to ride with us he said I would
14:18
have driven all the way in just to talk about
14:20
the last song we wrote, if we didn't even write
14:23
today. If he was here, I think he'd say, he'd
14:26
put him back in the game, being able to write
14:28
a song like that. What a gift though for - Well,
14:32
what a crazy story. Yeah, that's insane that
14:34
he had that experience, but then the next day,
14:36
I do feel like - that God knows. Like saying
14:41
this is what you need to keep going like when
14:43
you're at the end of your rope. And that song
14:45
is such a cool thing that that's the story and
14:47
then that's what you ended up writing and kind
14:49
of like answers that. Yeah, it's so good. But
14:51
it also shows just the nature of a creative person.
14:55
Yeah. That even with that much success and that
15:00
he has iconic Hall of Famer. that, you know,
15:04
you never totally lose that insecurity or whatever
15:06
it is, you know, or feeling of being, you know,
15:11
relevant. James, say the word relevant. I told
15:12
you not to give me it again. Yeah, irrelevant.
15:15
How can I say that word? Relevant? Relevant.
15:18
Yeah, that's a hard word. I do feel like that's
15:21
like, I mean, having success is great, but it
15:25
is kind of like fleeting. Like the next generation
15:28
may not know, which that's insane to me that
15:30
the person who's writing with him didn't know,
15:32
I can't make you love me. But like, also that
15:34
goes to show you that you could have the biggest
15:36
song right now and like 15 years from now, nobody
15:39
will. Right. Yeah, that's, yeah. Like you would
15:43
hope that your life's work can stand the test
15:44
of time, but it really shows you how like meaningless
15:47
kind of at the end of what we do is. It shows
15:49
you too that like you have to like. have a full
15:51
cup outside of work, too. Yeah, and get your
15:54
satisfaction from the day that you're writing,
15:56
not what it does. Yes, 100%. So, okay, you mentioned
16:01
when you guys wrote that song, you were thinking,
16:03
oh, this is probably not gonna turn into anything.
16:06
And then, obviously, it got cut by Cody Johnson.
16:09
Yes. Between all of y 'all's cuts together and
16:13
or hits, was there a song that you guys were,
16:17
other than that one, surprised? like became a
16:21
hit. And have you guys agreed on everything?
16:24
Like when you've written a song, have you both
16:26
been like, I think this is really good? Or have
16:27
you ever had like, one of you thought, I just
16:30
don't think it's gonna, I don't think it's great.
16:32
And one of you was like, no, I really think it's
16:33
great. Like, have you ever - I think there's
16:34
only been one song we've written and I thought,
16:36
eh. And you were like, no, no, it's a good one.
16:39
Frontier. Oh gosh, I did like that song. Yeah.
16:43
I mean, I feel like we - But mostly we're on
16:46
the same page. Because we love the same kind
16:49
of song. We have the same bar. Same bar. That's
16:52
what's so fun about our songs is that I feel
16:56
like if we're the painters, we see the same painting.
17:00
And we know when it's done. And if you say, I
17:04
don't know, I think we need needs more red. I'm
17:06
like, let's go get red. Like I trust you, you
17:08
trust me always. And I feel like there's always
17:11
that third person in the room that's just like.
17:15
They're in on what we're doing, and they're helping,
17:17
and we use their talents and stuff. But me and
17:21
you have the same bar for how amazing the song
17:25
needs to be. That makes a lot of sense. I feel
17:28
like that's the only way that you could have
17:30
that long -spanning of a collaboration that you
17:33
guys have had, that you're just like, yeah, we
17:36
work with one brain. Yeah, one brain. That same
17:39
page mentality, which that's so rare to find.
17:42
in a co -writer and you guys are so lucky to
17:45
have found it. And then to be able to be like
17:46
great friends and go on to have success together.
17:49
There's nothing better than celebrating success
17:51
with like one of your people, you know? That's
17:55
so fun. Speaking of having success with like
18:00
someone that you're actually genuinely friends
18:02
with, what is your guys' favorite personal memory
18:06
together? That's a good question. ride in a co
18:10
-ride or just in general? Just in general, it
18:11
could be in a ride or it could be like in general.
18:14
Oh no. You know what I'm thinking. No, I do.
18:18
She took this video of me trying to climb the
18:21
wall at a hotel. Almost naked, sweat a cigar
18:24
in her mouth. You know. In Phoenix. In Phoenix.
18:29
105 weather. And I was trying to climb this wall
18:31
and get out of the resort, why? I don't know,
18:34
tequila? Unsuccessfully. Tequila is wild. Fell
18:36
backwards, didn't break anything until I got
18:39
home and then I broke my ankle trying to get
18:41
my - Yeah, that was a good one. 80 -year -old.
18:43
Or when you were bent off of the care worker,
18:46
she was in a fight. Maybe the spa in Miraval
18:48
where someone got beat with the feathers for
18:50
the - Yeah, we've been to a spa or two together.
18:54
Those are good memories. We flew out after I
18:56
Drive Your Truck, we won and we went straight
18:58
to. Oh, that was a good memory. Scottsdale. Yeah,
19:01
we went Scottsdale. We just picked this random
19:03
hotel on a Southwest, you know, package, but
19:07
accidentally got there and it was like accidentally
19:10
awesome. And we were like. We're just fishing.
19:13
We both love to fish a lot. So we've had so many.
19:17
So many good ones. Retreats. Yeah. Yeah. She
19:24
posted that video by the way. We'll have to go
19:29
find it. It's not flattering of me. I'm definitely
19:32
going to need to see that video later. I'd like
19:34
to see it again myself. Okay, so what's something
19:38
about the other one that people may not know?
19:40
Like as you guys have been writing together and
19:42
been friends for all this time, what's something
19:44
that you've learned about Connie or that you've
19:46
learned about Jesse that you think people would
19:47
be surprised to know about them? Connie is an
19:50
incredible host, like really dialed in. She knows,
19:56
like she said, she's an empath, but it's one
19:58
thing just to have like feelings and feel what,
20:00
like you know what people need. You know when
20:02
someone's thirsty, when someone needs a blanket.
20:05
Like if she's your guest in your home, which
20:07
is such a great trait. Everything is thought
20:10
through. Like there is toiletries ready for you.
20:12
There's she's just an amazing host and she's
20:15
like a mama and she's got her her dogs that are
20:18
her babies. But you treat your co -writers like
20:21
your baby. I mean, there's so many I can think
20:24
of right now. Steve Moakler, Devin Dawson, Ashley
20:28
McBryde, all those people are there listening.
20:31
They're nodding their head that like Mama Connie,
20:33
like she is a mama. So I love that something
20:36
people might know. That's sweet. Thank you. Yeah.
20:41
I didn't have any kid kids, but I got a zillion
20:43
of them. She's got a lot of kids. I love that.
20:46
I feel like that. Now, Jessi, something that
20:52
I know about you that I'm surprised. Tell me
20:54
the question. Something that you've learned about
20:57
her over time that other people would be surprised
21:01
to know about her or may not know. Something
21:03
you'd have to be in her orbit to know. Well,
21:05
I'll tell you what. She's a not -giver -upper.
21:10
And I can't tell you how, I know how many days
21:14
I've shown up at a co -write with a migrant and
21:16
felt awful. And she struggles with that, has
21:20
suffered through it. And you can't believe how
21:22
many co -writes you show up anyway. She's just
21:27
the most tenacious. person because she will stalk
21:31
a song. I swear, I think even in COVID, she's
21:35
like, oh, yeah, ruthless. If I die, I'm going
21:38
to just, so what? I'm coming there in person.
21:41
I'm definitely like a, if I say I'm going to
21:43
be there, I'm going to be there. Yeah, yeah.
21:45
So I never have to worry about that because she
21:48
cares about the song first and foremost. And
21:54
if, and that's first. I always say if my goal
21:59
was to have a zillion number ones, as hard worker
22:03
as I am, maybe I would have them. But my goal
22:06
is to write meaningful songs that I care about.
22:12
And she cares about them and I think that's the
22:14
main thread that's kept us together. I love that.
22:18
I love that. I feel like that's kind of like
22:21
a lost mentality on Music Row right now. wanting,
22:27
instead of chasing the radio, like being like,
22:30
I just, I want to write the best song today.
22:32
And that's so refreshing to hear. And I love
22:35
that you guys share that, that that's like a
22:38
common bond that you have as collaborators and
22:40
as friends. Like just the love of the game, you
22:43
know? And also what's amazing is you guys have
22:45
written those meaningful songs, but also you've
22:48
written the hits too. You know, you've done both.
22:50
When a lot of those hits are so meaningful. Yeah,
22:53
exactly. I drive your truck. Like, what a special
22:56
song. And same with, like, Mine Would Be You.
23:00
Like, that's not just, like, a breakup, you know?
23:04
Like, that song is, I think, and I'll say this
23:07
till I die. This is not Maybelline Smoke. That
23:09
song, I think, is one of the top five best country
23:11
songs of all time. Like, that lyric and the melody
23:14
are, like, I tell Derek all the time. So I play
23:17
a handful of, like, writers' rounds and stuff
23:19
with him. And every time he plays it, I'm like,
23:20
that song's a perfect song. But you guys have
23:23
written a perfect song multiple times. And it
23:26
shows that you guys even just talking about your
23:28
writing relationship or just songs in general,
23:31
like your passion for what you do is contagious.
23:35
And that's like, you can tell that that's like
23:37
the little spark that lives in all of your songs.
23:40
That's really special. What's y 'all's favorite
23:43
song that you've done together that has been
23:46
recorded? For me, it's Mine Would Be You because
23:50
it just... I mean, I don't know, I Drive Your
23:54
Truck, it's right there. I mean, they're different
23:57
kind of songs, but yeah, I Drive Your Truck,
24:00
Mine Would Be You, and I said the day we wrote
24:02
Make Me a Mop, that's the last song I ever wrote,
24:05
I could die with that. Yeah, they all three,
24:09
it's like, they're all so special to us for so
24:12
many reasons. I mean, I Drive Your Truck has
24:14
gone on to strengthen our friendship even more
24:17
just because of the legacy it has and the work
24:20
that... you know, we all continue to do, whether
24:23
it be the veterans or, you know, the outreach
24:26
with Paul Monte's family, the guy that we got
24:29
the song idea from, the father that said those
24:32
words. Like, just in our relationship with Jimmy
24:36
Urie, like, it was just like, it was literally
24:37
like a bond, you know, that happened. And same
24:40
with Derek with The Mind Would Be You and now
24:42
Alan. It is, those songs, like, brought us even
24:45
closer, I think. Yeah, those are, I feel like
24:49
all of those songs are... the kind of songs that
24:51
you hear as a songwriter and you're like, oh,
24:53
that's why we do this. You guys are really fortunate
24:57
that you've been able to have a career, like
25:00
both of you separately have written tons of songs
25:01
that are like that, but together with one of
25:03
your best friends, like that's the dream. Are
25:06
there any songs that you guys have written where
25:08
you like come in with an idea, you think it's
25:10
gonna be one thing, the song is like... written,
25:13
released, and then it takes on maybe a different
25:16
meaning to you through, like, life circumstances.
25:19
Like, I don't know, like, going through a breakup
25:22
or going through, like, losing somebody. Do songs
25:26
like that take on a different meaning for you?
25:28
Yeah, that we've written together. Yeah, that
25:30
you've written together. Like, I think about,
25:32
like, an example of something that would be like
25:33
Jeffrey Steele with What Hurts the Most. Like,
25:36
he had written that about... losing his dad,
25:38
but then when he lost his son, that took on a
25:40
whole new life for him. Are there any songs that
25:42
you guys have written together that have taken
25:45
on that meaning? Well, definitely, I'd drop your
25:47
truck. I think Jimmy, Jessie, and I were uniquely
25:54
qualified to address the topic of grief. That's
25:59
why God gave the gift of that song for us. Right,
26:02
right. But as far as what you're talking about
26:06
after the fact, You know, we saw the video. Lewis
26:10
Lee's brother was in the video. And of course,
26:14
with the way my... I'm like, we were literally
26:17
praying for Lewis. Don't ever let anything happen
26:19
to Lewis. Don't ever... And then it was my brother
26:22
that got killed. And I drove his truck. And it
26:25
was just like... Wow. Right after that. It's
26:28
just so... Wow, yeah full circle moment, you
26:32
know, yeah, and she identifies with losing her
26:35
mom And and and just Jimmy lost his dad early.
26:42
Yeah So that's that's so there's so many layers
26:45
to that song and so many weird stories behind
26:48
that song. Yeah, you can't even believe yeah,
26:51
so That's so special. I feel like ideas that
26:55
come like that. It's almost like God knows you'll
26:58
need it later. Like when you get an idea like
27:01
that, oh, I think this is gonna fix this part
27:03
of me or I've processed it this way. And then
27:05
later it's something that like really speaks
27:08
to you in a different way. You're like, how did
27:10
my past self know? Also that song, specifically
27:14
in songs like that, like you guys captured like
27:18
the core of losing somebody. So like even if
27:22
a listener lost someone and they can't... relate
27:25
to the truck part of it or this, there's something
27:27
in that song that still is relatable to someone
27:31
who's lost anyone in any way. Yeah, it's so human
27:34
in the best way. I feel like your songs together,
27:38
you can hear both of your little fingerprints
27:41
on it, but it has this really like human quality
27:46
about it that's like... And I think there's a
27:50
lot of songs that maybe try to be something.
27:53
And you guys have this beautiful way with like
27:55
the way that both of your strengths play together
27:57
of explaining the human experience in a way that
28:01
someone can hear and be like, wow, yeah, me too.
28:04
We're gutsy. I think that's another thing. We're
28:07
both gutsy writers. We're both provocative writers.
28:09
We both get excited when things are a little
28:11
off. Yeah, I love that. So we're dog of the bone.
28:16
You say, what about a title, make me a mop? I
28:19
mean, both of us are like, yes. I don't know
28:21
what that is, but let's go. That's a similarity
28:25
big time. And I think, like I said, the... that
28:30
life force between us that, you know, you could
28:32
throw out, you had Mine Would Be You, you had
28:34
it written down on your post -it notes. You'd
28:36
thrown it out to everybody. But, and I remember
28:39
you were like, Mine Would Be You, like your roller
28:42
coaster ride, or your, you know, it was just
28:44
very, and that was like, but it hit me in a full
28:48
10 minute video, like the whole thing, like.
28:52
I mean, it just nailed me to my high school sweetheart
28:57
and just kind of like this era in my life and
28:59
just these back roads and that truck and that,
29:03
you know, that bonfire. Like, I could see the
29:05
whole thing in an image which shows you why none
29:09
of those other people picked up that song idea.
29:11
You tossed mine with you and mine with you. I
29:13
heard mine with you. It was like, boom. Well,
29:15
that's why you don't give up on them. Yeah, I
29:18
feel like titles kind of raise their hand when
29:20
they're ready. It's like... I'll have an idea
29:22
and be like, oh, I don't think that's ripe yet.
29:24
But you know when you're in the room. And I think
29:26
there are people where you're just, and this
29:28
is probably why y 'all's relationship works the
29:30
way it does. I'd be curious to hear you guys
29:33
unpack this thought of knowing you can bring
29:36
anything and you're gonna get something great.
29:39
Do you feel like that or do you feel like there's
29:41
certain kinds of titles that you're like, okay,
29:42
I'm only gonna bring this to them? I think that's
29:47
the reason any writers that are successful together,
29:52
succeed when you were talking earlier about the
29:55
comfort of knowing. I mean, literally, you could
29:58
just write a title on a paper, The Rug. And we
30:01
know that we would write something meaningful
30:07
out of that. We would not stop until we did.
30:09
And we'd trust each other if she said, I think
30:11
The Rug is a funny song. I don't know, but I
30:15
would go down the road with her. immediately.
30:18
It's like, we just try, it's like flow. It's
30:20
like that trust. Okay, so we have like a, this
30:23
is such a good segue. I'm so glad you guys, we
30:25
have a segment that we want to do. It's like
30:29
a little bit. It's like what we like to call
30:31
title talk. Okay. I'm gonna give you guys three.
30:36
AI -generated titles. Oh, gosh. Pick your favorite.
30:41
Okay. Okay. And tell us how y 'all would write
30:44
it together. Like, map it for us. This one. Yeah,
30:46
map it. Like, even give us, like, just a quick,
30:48
like, mock -up of, like, the angle. The angle,
30:51
the set -up, the hook. Yeah, like, first or second,
30:53
the chorus would be this. That's how we'd land
30:55
the hook. Yes, okay. Yes. So we can get a little
30:57
glimpse into, like, your actual writing dynamic,
31:00
okay? Here are your titles to choose from. I
31:03
like the rug, but keep going. Honestly, when
31:06
she said it, I was like, just do that. Do you
31:09
want to hear our other titles or do you want
31:10
to just do the rug? Here's your titles to choose
31:14
from. Borrowed Weather. Don't Water the Weeds.
31:21
Somebody's Favorite Mug. Somebody's Favorite
31:26
Mug is a sad one. That's what she's going to
31:28
pick. Borrowed the Weather is Jessi because
31:30
nobody plans a vacation in advance more than
31:33
this girl. Yes. To try to dodge the bad weather.
31:36
Yeah. We both kind of have that seasonal effect
31:39
of disorder, depression, whatever it's called
31:42
where we've got to have some sunshine or we might
31:45
kill our husbands. Someone's favorite mug, seasonal,
31:48
what was the first mug? Borrowed weather. Or
31:51
don't water the weeds. Don't water the weeds.
31:54
Or the rug. We can throw that in there because
31:55
I thought that was actually really good. The
31:57
rug. I mean, and you could bring paperclip, ink
32:01
pen, we would write it. I mean, we really would,
32:03
because we are not scared. I'm not feeling number
32:06
two. Okay, so either borrowed weather or somebody's
32:09
favorite one. I don't totally get borrowed weather,
32:11
borrowed weather. It's a little confusing, so
32:13
yeah, that would take a little more effort to
32:16
make the listener not be confused. Someone's
32:18
favorite cup is sad. That is, strikes me as sad.
32:21
Someone's favorite cup. But I'm still like, not
32:25
sure. Yeah, I would probably, you could just
32:27
start with that line. Someone's favorite cup
32:30
is on the shelf at a Goodwill. Yeah, someone's
32:33
favorite cup greets me every morning. Yeah. Yeah.
32:37
Has been sitting in the same place since the
32:40
day my favorite person put it down. Yeah, someone's
32:44
favorite cup. Oh, wow. That's, yeah. Wow. And
32:49
I'll never wash it. Yeah. And I'll never break
32:51
it. Yeah. Because I'm broke enough for the both
32:54
of us. See and this is where she'll say no, are
32:57
you playing? You know, you pick pick up the guitar
32:59
and make a melody All right, let's just write
33:02
it Oh my gosh Okay, and let me tell you a little
33:09
trick when Connie starts crying that's when you're
33:12
in We were with so but we brought Jimmy Yeary
33:17
into the I Drive Your Truck it started just like
33:19
what we were doing just then but there came to
33:22
a point where we're like we just we're gonna
33:25
have to bring a guy. We need a guy. We want a
33:27
guy, just because of the nature of the subject
33:30
matter. And sure enough, we would, every time
33:32
we'd write something, me and Jimmy would look
33:33
at Connie. See, she's crying. She wasn't crying.
33:37
Nope, we're gonna keep digging. That's incredible.
33:40
No, but Connie's, her tears and her, that, when
33:43
that valve opens, it's just, it's gold. And the
33:47
more she feels, and you just gotta catch it all.
33:51
Yeah, I love that. Beautiful, I'm like absorbing
33:55
still how beautiful that was. All right, let's
33:57
do another little segment. Let's do some most
33:59
likely tos, we're rapid fire. Yeah, you obviously
34:01
know each other very well. So we're gonna test
34:03
it. This is like a fun game show. I like it.
34:06
I think it's fun, it shows y 'all's dynamic to
34:08
do the fun little things. Okay, so most likely
34:11
to survive on a deserted island. I don't think
34:14
you'd survive as long as I would. Really? Yeah,
34:17
because you've got needs, like little things.
34:20
You've got needs. But all I'd be eating is bananas.
34:21
Your tea. I won't be eating things that make
34:23
me feel bad. Your mattress. You know, like, you're
34:26
more specific. But I'm going to be the one that's
34:28
going to be able to lean to, Jessi. I'm going
34:31
to build our shelter. OK. So what was the question?
34:34
Most likely to survive on a deserted island.
34:38
I don't think either of us are going to survive.
34:40
No. And if we didn't have coffee, well, you could
34:43
survive without coffee. I can do with coffee.
34:44
I think it's me. You're what? I think I'm gonna
34:47
make it. I'm gonna make it. Okay. Okay, most
34:49
likely to know something is wrong before you
34:51
say it. Before, you mean the line is wrong? Yeah,
34:55
like, so like, just, like if... In general. Like
34:58
if someone's locked in, you're like, oh, something's
34:59
not right. Something's up. Vibes are off. Oh,
35:01
you're the imposter. That feels like that's gonna
35:03
be. Most likely to give the best advice but never
35:06
take it. Me. Yeah, that's all right. Most likely
35:12
to fake being sick to get out of plans. Neither
35:16
one of us. Never. No. Most likely to take home
35:20
a stray animal? Me. Most likely to order something
35:24
embarrassing online? I'll take that. But I don't
35:28
really know what it would be. Rabbit? I don't
35:34
know. Most likely to show up late to the right?
35:37
That's probably me. Most likely to write the
35:40
first line? I don't know. That could be either
35:46
one of us. Most likely to turn a happy idea into
35:49
a sad song. Oh, both of us. Guilty. Most likely
35:53
to make everyone else cry. I don't know. I'm
35:58
already the one crying. You're already crying.
36:00
Yeah. Most likely to make yourself cry. Well,
36:03
yeah, I can't help it. We're both good for tears.
36:05
Oh, Lord. Most likely to remember a lyric from
36:08
10 years ago. Oh, me. For sure her. Most likely
36:11
to get the artist to reveal something deeply
36:13
personal. Me. We're good at that too. We both
36:17
are. In fact, that's the kind of rights we like.
36:20
We're just excavating. That is something we have
36:26
in common. We look at songwriting as excavating.
36:29
I'm like, just toss it out and she'll pick it
36:32
up. Before we know it, we've got them talking.
36:35
Amazing. Most likely to know the other person
36:37
is having a bad day before the right starts.
36:41
I don't know. Yeah. We're kind of plow throughers,
36:45
so you might not know how awful our head hurts.
36:48
Would you know, though? If no one else in the
36:51
room knew, like your car writers wouldn't. We
36:52
would tell each other. But you guys, yeah. But
36:53
we are so, both have such a strong work ethic.
36:56
Yeah, yeah. We're gonna come in. I mean, we could
36:58
have like. Like glimping in. Arms hanging by
37:02
a vein. It'll be all right. It'll be fine, let's
37:04
get serious. I can make it to the second chorus,
37:07
at least. That's a sweaty energy. Yeah, it's
37:09
kind of like that. I'll push through too, but
37:10
not like, she like got in a car accident and
37:13
was like, I'm just gonna be a little late. I
37:14
got in an accident. I was like, I mean, do you
37:16
need to like handle that? She's like, no, it's
37:18
fine. No, I'll be fine on that afterwards. I
37:20
mean, we're not the people that are gonna go,
37:22
oh, I'm gonna go golfing today and bail on writing.
37:24
That's not us. Yeah, that's not. Okay, most likely
37:27
to make the other one stay to finish the song.
37:31
Hmm, I think. She has kids, you know, so it's
37:35
different, but if it weren't for having to pick
37:36
them up sometimes, I mean, she's there. We're
37:38
there to the tooth and nail. Yeah, to the end.
37:41
Most likely to tell the room when the idea isn't
37:44
working. That's hard. I'm not good at doing that.
37:48
I don't think really one's good, but at some
37:50
point, sometimes at this age of my life, I'll
37:54
be like, okay, yeah, maybe I might say in a diplomatic
37:59
way. Yeah, let's look at something else. Yeah.
38:03
Yeah. Okay, so that's all we have for our...
38:06
Most likely two, so we have one more little segment
38:09
if you want to explain it. Okay, and we texted
38:11
a little bit about this. Oh, yes. This is a segment
38:15
that we call The Song That Got Away. We've talked
38:18
about songs that you guys have written together
38:20
that have been recorded by artists. What is y
38:23
'all's favorite song that you've written together
38:26
that has not been recorded by an artist? There's
38:29
so many. There are so many. We narrowed it down
38:33
to three. And I think she's singing one of those.
38:36
I'm going to try. We wrote it with Ashley Monroe.
38:38
And she's got the voice of an angel. And so I'm
38:41
going to attempt it. The other two were male
38:47
songs. So this one was a female. So we'll go
38:49
with the female one. They tell us a little bit
38:53
about it. Kind of the story about it. Me and
38:55
Ashley Monroe were texting back and forth. about,
39:02
I can't remember, I think actually I had the
39:05
idea at first about the title, Things I'll Never
39:09
Get Over. And I just, I was a huge Tom Petty
39:14
fan, like massive. He's my Elvis, you know? And
39:18
so I'll never get over the day Tom Petty died.
39:21
And so I texted her, I was like, I still can't
39:23
get over that. And that was where that first
39:25
line came. And then me and her went on a text
39:28
chain for about two years about things I'll never
39:30
get over. Oh, really? Yeah. And it's just, you
39:31
know, just here and there, like, things I'll
39:33
never get over. Here's another one. Put it on
39:34
the list. How it keeps popping up. And I kept
39:37
thinking about it, and she kept thinking about
39:38
it. We were like, well, we know we're going to
39:40
have to get together. And if me and her get together,
39:42
we're not going to end up writing. We're going
39:43
to talk or shop or something. So I said, let's
39:46
get Connie. And so we got with you, and we were
39:48
like... I'm the Wrangler. She was the Wrangler.
39:51
I want a song finished today. Yes. Yes. So this
39:54
is a new song though. It hasn't been recorded
39:57
because I think because the right artist just
40:00
hasn't heard it yet and it hasn't lived enough
40:03
life out there on the streets. But it's like
40:06
when you turn it in, you're real excited about
40:08
it. And then I think it was on hold immediately.
40:11
off and then nothing, and then crickets. We're
40:14
like, no, no, no, no, no. But Make Me a Mop sat
40:17
around for a long time, y 'all. It did. How long?
40:19
It really did. How long was that? 2020, and then
40:22
it didn't come out until years ago. I mean, kudos
40:24
to Rusty for pitching that to Cody Johnson. When
40:29
it's perfect for that record, I feel like that
40:31
record of all outside songs, they're all like...
40:34
really great. Well, that's a God thing, I think,
40:36
too. That song. That was like the perfect...
40:38
For that God. Yeah, for him, for that record.
40:41
It really... For a tough cowboy that's used to
40:45
breaking horses and him being the one broken
40:47
in the song. I mean, you couldn't have written
40:49
that story playing out any better. The song that
40:53
got away. Yeah, this is the song that got away.
40:59
It's called Things I'll Never Get Over. The day
41:15
Tom Petty died A little living room of candles
41:22
Cried all damn night Christmas morning on Mama's
41:29
face And the bridges of Madison County When I
41:35
read that last page Forever burn In my mind They'll
41:43
stay with me Till the day I die But I could live
41:50
a hundred lives and never leave you down. I buried
41:55
us a thousand times through roses on the ground.
42:00
But that night we drove to Lucanbach and my head
42:04
on your shoulder. You're all over the list of
42:09
things I'll never get over. So good. It looks
42:17
so good. I'm gonna just keep going. It's so good.
42:21
Love it. Yeah, I feel like every songwriter has
42:24
those songs that keep them up at night where
42:27
you're like, I would just wish this would get
42:29
to see the light of day. I don't give up on them.
42:32
She doesn't. I'll pitch up. She'll pitch a 10,
42:35
15, 20 -year -old song. And I just made a record
42:40
because same, a song of ours that we wrote with
42:44
Lainey Wilson and Allen Shamblin. didn't come out,
42:48
and I was making a project, doing a project that
42:51
comes out in the fall anyway, and I remembered
42:53
that song a lot, it's called Alive and Well,
42:56
so I'm trying to resurrect them too. So do you
43:01
guys have multiple songs on your record that's
43:03
coming out? I cut Make Me A Mop. Oh, I can't
43:07
wait to hear your version, that's gonna be so
43:09
good. It's so good. Cannot wait. It's cool. And
43:13
then Alive and Well. Yeah. Country Boys Alive
43:15
and Well. And when is that coming? Do you have
43:16
like a... It comes out in November. Okay, awesome.
43:19
I'm very excited. It's called Southern and so
43:21
it's a concept record. It's all Southern topics
43:25
and where I'm from, from West Tennessee. So yeah,
43:28
I'm excited. Awesome. That's awesome. Well...
43:31
I think that's it for today. Thank you guys so
43:35
much for doing this. This conversation was so
43:39
life -giving. I love talking to people who love
43:44
songwriting like you guys do. It keeps your head
43:48
in the game to go write another one. Very inspiring.
43:52
You guys really are doing something special together.
43:56
Thank you. I'm going to say thank you to our
43:58
sponsors, Kilometer and dBV for supporting our
44:03
podcast. And so until next time, this is Women's
44:08
Writes.