My first place in Nashville was like 'Animal House.' The whole band lived under one roof, and most nights the jam sessions ended close to sunrise.
Just being a singer in Nashville is hard because everyone does music here, and so many people do it really well. But then, the fact that I do this alternative kind of pop music, dreampop... It's like I'm the lone unicorn roaming around this town.
'Nashville' songs and country music have always been about storytelling and about the heart and confessionals. They're monologues.
What I found about 'Nashville' coming in is it's about these small performances. It can be on a big stage but detailed, small, heartfelt, real performances from musicians and singers. So if you try to do something bloated or showy, the directors dial us in and let us know.
Now that I'm in 'Nashville,' the thing that I'm loving the most is co-writing. You walk into the room and you shake hands with someone you've never met before and you walk out four hours later and you've got this thing... sharing ideas and everything, it's almost magical, like a miracle.
My dad is in the music business in Nashville. I was the third child born in my family, and there are three notes in a chord, so that's how they came up with my name.
I would say growing up in Nashville has been a huge influence in my music. Growing up with my dad being a 2-time Grammy-winner, BMI songwriter of the year for five consecutive years in a row, and having the legacy he has is definitely a huge influence, too.
As actors, we're so used to the axe falling, and then we all go our separate ways. I can tell you, the feeling amongst the cast in 'Nashville' is, we don't feel like we're done. It feels like, in some way, we're just hitting our stride.
It wasn't until I became involved with 'Nashville' that I thought I had opportunities to record my music in a way that I would want to put it out into the world.
I thought, when I came to Nashville, I was going to hook up with some of the top country writers in town and write some country tunes.
