Jimmie Allen, Mickey Guyton, Abby Anderson and Twinnie discuss issues around the country music industry, how they tell stories in their songs, and the importance of being yourself and speaking your mind.
Jimmie Allen is an artist from Southern Delaware, USA, who mixes country, rock, R&B, and pop. He released his debut album Mercury Lane in 2018, a tribute to the street he grew up on, which led him to be labelled “one of the hottest rising stars in country”. His latest EP, Bettie James, is a collaborative projective released last year. On that EP is Mickey Guyton, and she’s also on the show today. She’s a singer-songwriter from Texas described as “the unapologetic voice country music needs right now”. Her debut single, Better Than You Left Me, broke the record for being added to more country radio stations in its first week of release than any other debut single. She also recently made history as the first Black female solo artist to earn a Grammy nomination in a country category. Abby Anderson is also from Texas, where she learned to play the piano from the age of 5. She moved to Nashville at 17 before releasing her debut EP I’m Good in 2018. Since then, she’s collaborated with some of the biggest names in country, and is getting ready to release her debut album. And finally, Twinnie is a singer-songwriter from Yorkshire, England, with strong ties to Nashville. Her career started in acting, and she performed in film, TV and theatre, before releasing her debut album Hollywood Gypsy in April 2020.