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For Alicia Blue, becoming a country artist was always something in the rearview mirror. She felt it approaching, admired it from a distance, but never saw it actually colliding with her path.

But her debut album, Country Desire, is proof that the most unexpected journey can sometimes be the most rewarding, not only for the writer but for the listener as well. At the center of it all is Blue’s willingness to embrace every part of her musical identity, even the pieces that may not have seemed to fit together at first.

“You have to accept that you're doing something to some degree that hasn't been done before,” Blue said. Country Desire carves out a modern twist on a vintage country feel, bringing listeners back to the age of Dolly Parton and Waylon Jennings while refusing to simply recreate it.

“I have Waylon and Dolly influencing me on this shoulder. And then of course, the mystical of all mysticals, like Bob Dylan was my formative poet father,” Blue said. “So, to not compromise either of those and put them together is not an easy task.” That distinction is part of what makes Country Desire the musical diary that it is.

Poetry has been a form of release for Blue since she was a young girl. Writing gave her a place to escape long before melodies found their way into her words. Now, Blue brings those words to life, laying them over melodies and creating a space where listeners can step inside her memories and experiences. The songs offer a familiar place to sit and reflect while Blue's country twang carries them somewhere undiscovered.

Country Desire finds a corner where autobiographical storytelling can exist alongside a mystical world of imagination. “As a writer, for me merging those two worlds, I think in a very simple way when we cut this record, my words will always be mystical and multilayered because that's the way I live my life,” Blue said.

That poetic foundation is met by a production style that Blue describes as “a dream come true.” She entered the studio with four-time Grammy-winning producer Shooter Jennings to create the record, with her sights set on making a body of work that pushes the boundaries beyond just a polished country record.

Rather than hiding her influences, Blue leaned into them. The record carries the weight of classic country while allowing her own writing to push it somewhere unexpected. “We really didn't play it safe,” she said. “We just went all out and we weren't trying to hide the influences, you know, that were classic country, sort of full of a lot of bravado and in-your-faceness.”

That boldness can be heard across the album, from the nostalgic feel of “Waitress Blues” to the Dolly-inspired twang that finds its place on “Kentucky Cowboy.” "Waitress Blues” is one of the tracks Blue considers a favorite, despite the fact that it almost never made the record.

“I didn't think we'd even have time to cut it. I charmed the whole room into doing one more song because they were so tired,” she recalls. “I'm so glad because it came out so good and it's one of my favorite tracks on the record. It has that Johnny Cash baseline going on and it feels like it's from that time, but I'm singing about what's going on now in a sort of a nostalgic way.”

The song is just one example of the way Country Desire balances the familiar with the unexpected. Blue takes inspiration from the sounds of classic country without allowing those influences to overshadow her own perspective. Working alongside Jennings gave her the confidence to trust her voice, her writing and the widespread combination of influences that led her to the final product that is Country Desire.

“I always knew my kind of bread and butter would be my artistry, and I knew it would be my writing,” Blue said. “That's what Shooter heard. That's what he was a fan of. And that's what he sort of went to bat for.” That writing is the backbone that holds all 12 tracks together. Blue's words keep the album cemented in her own world. She does not approach songwriting by starting with a melody and filling in the blanks. The words come first, pulling the muscle memory from how she began, as a poet.

“I always have words and ideas,” Blue said. “I have so many song ideas in my notes app, in my phone. I am never out of ideas. That's always where I start.” And that is where Country Desire finds its greatest strength: lyrics that can be stripped away from the melody and still mean something, no matter the stage of life you find yourself in. For listeners, the album can become an invitation to find their own meaning inside the tracks. 

“I just love that they feel seen wherever they're at. In their hard work and state of growing in this life,” Blue said. “'Cause it's hard, right? Everything growing has pains. People do what they need to do to get to certain places and to feel like some company is there warms my heart if they might catch that from a tune.” That connection is ultimately what Blue hopes Country Desire leaves behind.

After spending years finding her way from poetry to music and from admiring musicians from afar to finally becoming one herself, there is something truly special about hearing Alicia Blue arrive exactly where she was always meant to be.

Listen to Country Desire below: