Rob Wolf singing his way from Montana

What I have learned about songwriting is that many songs are descriptive of the writer’s lifestyle or real-life events. That rings true for artist and songwriter Rob Wolf’s latest release, How I Live My Life. He writes about his outdoor adventures and growing up in Montana, hunting, fishing, and driving cattle to pasture. Rob Wolf grew up in Livingston, Montana on 150 acres near Paradise Valley, best known from the Paramount show Yellowstone. Growing up in a smaller community, everyone knows you and everything about you but you learn your values, saying “I live by three rules; love God, love your family, and don’t take anything for granted.”. Rob gained a fresh outlook on life beyond his tight-knit community upon relocating to Nashville. Despite the vastness of the city, music taught him how to become part of a small community within it.

“I remember when I got my first pickup truck,

‘05 with a six-speed on the floor.

Until me and my best friend Jake, yeah, we plunged her in the lake.

Me and him have done some stupid things in the past, that’s for sure."

Rob Wolf talked about the back story of these lyrics in How I Live My Life, explaining that he was with his friend Jake at the lake, Rob hadn’t shut off the truck and engaged the brake, but the emergency brake cable broke and sent his truck into the water. Jake was worried about his fishing rod that was still in the truck, luckily the divers also rescued the rod when they pulled Rob's truck out of the water.

Rob Wolf travels back and forth from Nashville to Montana and spends a lot of time writing by himself in Montana and then collaborating with a writer he connected with in Nashville at times as well. CMA Fest was a highlight event for Rob last year. He talked about how he accidentally purchased a 4 day pass to the festival instead of getting a ticket to see Luke Combs. After enjoying the meet and greets and extra festivities at CMA Fest, he decided to repeat the purchase for this upcoming season.

Thank you Rob Wolf for sharing the stories behind the music..... looking forward to hearing more from you, In a Country Minute

Lauren O'Brien taking 'Another Shot'

Lauren O’Brien just released her latest single, Another Shot on April 28, following her former singles Weak Days and Match. She works well with a full plate of acting, musical theater, modeling, and performing. Lauren grew up in the Philadephia area where the performing arts gave her a solid base of confidence to sing on stage to perform her original songs. Lauren O'Brien and Ava Suppelsa wrote Another Shot, whom she met at an earlier co-writing event and has connected with her saying “Ava just gets me” and they have become good friends and a consistent cowriting pair in the process. Ava Suppelsa was also the co-writer of Weak Days which Lauren released earlier this year.

Lauren O'Brien - ICON Publicity

The setting of this lyrical story is a bar where the girl reunites with an old love while having a drink wondering if it is worth taking a second try and halfway forgetting why it didn’t work on the first try. Remembering the small details of each other's likes while reminiscing about the original connection. It has a peppy beat bringing the listener on the path of dancing along to the lyrical story of taking Another Shot after a past romance had ended. Lauren O’Brien has a captivating energy and gentle sound to her vocals keeping your attention through the story.

Lauren O'Brien finds inspiration in artistic lyrics and artists such as Kacey Musgraves, Kelsea Ballerini, and John Mayer.

Another Shot is the first early summer track to start a series of songs Lauren has planned on releasing leading into her first EP that she is working on for the latter part of the year.

*Keep up with Lauren O'Brien on her hyperlinked socials and Spotify account *

Thank you Lauren O'Brien for chatting with me about your plans and new music In a Country Minute!

Unbridled, album by Megan Mullins Owen

I need to take some time to talk about Megan Mullins Owen and her album Unbridled. Megan is a multi-talented lady who plays the fiddle and mandolin, writes music, plays for the band Alabama, and recently published this collection of songs. Unbridled is a 13-song collection written or co-written by Megan Mullins Owen, some with Sarah Majors and Marla Cannon-Goodwin. Never Been Good at Letting Go was written by John D. Rich, Megan Mullins Owen and Kylie Sackley.

All American Family Band was the first song I heard, it has a spunky sound and story of a family on tour with all the laughs, fun, and behind-the-scenes stories of what happens on the bus, sounds like fun family memories.

The title track, Unbridled written by Annie Bosko, Megan Mullins Owen, and Jennifer Kathleen Hanson, is a pep talk for herself with impactful lyrics, and a quieter instrumental background for this ballad. Megan Mullins Owen is a hidden gem with a Keltic, blues, 90s vibe, and a traditional country sound. The Unbridled album is an easy listen and flows well the whole way through with a mix of ballads, energetic tempos, and heavy instrumentals. I would put Megan in the ranks of Wynonna and Martina McBride. Trampoline was written by Megan Mullins Owen, Mark D. Sanders, and Sarah Majors about honest thoughts and struggles of life’s up and downs.

I Aint Ready to See You Yet stood out to me, a story about seeing your ex and all the mental prep it takes. One of These Days is every procrastinator's affirmation. Mine All Mine is a fun little party song that will have you dancing around, it has a 90s vibe. The live version of Orange Blossom Special (penned by Ervin T Rouse) is full of fiddle skills, to the Nth degree. I listened to the full album on repeat for a few days without skipping any song. Unbridled has summer energy, windows down, the singing-along album that Megan Mullins Owen should be excited to share with the world.

That's my album review for Megan Mullins Owen In A Country Minute.