Five. Four. Three. Two. One...

A few weeks ago I read a quote that I fell in love with and I can’t get it out of my head. It was: Art is how we decorate space, music is how we decorate time. As someone who takes all her music memories and puts them in a frame, shadow box, or on a canvas as wall art I love the idea of music being art, but also art being music. The lines between the two blur until they are one. Just like anything we mark by time music has anniversaries: five years since this album, four years since this song release, three years since this collaboration, two years since the video, and finally one year since that performance. The Grammy Awards are held once a year to acknowledge the best of the best from the previous year. Time really does go by so fast. One moment you are reminiscing about how it all started five years ago and then BAM. 5,4,3,2,1 you are wrapping your head around being nominated for a Grammy. Let the countdown begin!

5 years ago...

Old Dominion’s debut album Meat & Candy was released. To commemorate the moment OD released a limited edition vinyl of the record for us diehard fans who have been using #weareolddominion since the very beginning. They also released a new lyric video for their song Nowhere Fast, which has beautiful scenic shots of the figurative and literal journey loyal fans have been on with this band; from the mountains to the city, from the dive bars to the stadiums, the army has been along for the ride! We had our foot on the gas/goin’ nowhere fast.

As one of those loyal diehards I will say we were just following the music and this group of five guys with no expectations of where they would be today. In a recent interview on Country Wide Radio on Apple Music main man Matthew Ramsey shared with host Morgan Evans that the band’s defense mechanism throughout the years was to say to each other “This won’t work” as a way to manage their expectations for future success. But with three studio albums, a meow mix album (accepted with mixed emotions from fans), and two Grammy nominations for Best Country Song & Best Country Duo/Group Performance with Some People Do, I think it’s time to admit this has worked. The awards might have not been the destination, but it sure feels like we got here fast.

Maren Morris, another star whose career skyrocketed in the fast lane 5 years ago. Her video for her debut single My Church dropped on January 25th, 2016. I remember being outside waiting for a show where Maren was the opener. She walked right in front of me with her publicist. I will never forget the nerve I had to say ‘hi Maren’. I will also never forget that being probably one of the first and last times she had to tell the security manning the door who she was.

Fast forward to 2021 and you would have to be living under a rock to not know who she is. Maren also has two Grammy nominations this year. The first being for her group The Highwomen, their song Crowded Table is up for Best Country Song. So much changes in five years for a young artist’s career. From the young girl in the My Church video to the women in The Crowded Table video; how the tables have turned for this powerhouse.

So roll the windows down and turn up the dial because together Maren and The Highwomen are taking on the world while they’re young and able.

4 years ago...

Julia Michaels released her debut single Issues Jan 13th 2017 off her third EP Nervous System. From an EP and a single about her relationship issues fast forward four years to a writing session with the current love of her life JP Saxe and she is now a Grammy nominated artist for her duet If The World Was Ending. If The World Was Ending is nominated for Song of The Year, a huge honor for both artists. This song blew up in 2020 when the world shut down from a global pandemic, but the wonderful writing and genuine chemistry from Julia and JP put the song on a whole other level.

3 years ago...

The second half of the If The World Was Ending magic is JP Saxe, who released his debut EP called Both Can Be True Part 1 three years ago in 2018. The main thing to know about JP is he is a relentlessly honest songwriter, he will not put anything out that isn’t immensely sincere and true to himself. Very exciting we can expect his first full length studio album soon! As he mentioned on a video premiere with Maren Morris he is down to deciding between 12 or 14 songs for the final track list. JP was recently talking with Maren Morris because they just had a successful songwriting session together in Nashville and dropped their new song Line By Line. Both JP and Maren are in extremely beautiful and healthy relationships with other songwriters, Julia Michaels and Ryan Hurd. Line By Line is a love song about their muses, and also a love song about writing songs. 4 chords 3 minutes, you never fit in it/so I just take you line by line. I for one am so happy these two Grammy nominated artists came together and immortalized their love for their significant others. They have a love way too big for a love song, so bring on the magic from writing about them for the rest of your lives that will last for years to come in the songs.

2 years ago...

Maren Morris released the music video for her song Girl. Maren writes way more than just love songs inspired by her husband Ryan Hurd. She has a voice in all walks of life and she certainly isn’t afraid to use it. Which is the versatility and fierceness we get from Maren’s art.

A year after the Girl video she released a video for her song The Bones, which is now also up for Best Country Song at the Grammys. The Bones is about a solid relationship with a foundation that can’t be broken: the house don’t fall when the bones are good. Maren’s love songs aren’t cliche, they are unique, but relatable and aspirational which is why it was such a success this last year and up for a Grammy. The world might have been on pause, but music never is. It is songs during this period like If The World Was Ending and The Bones that earned their recognition for their beauty and ability to bring love and hope outside of the relationships they were written in. Music is a timeless art that should reach the hearts beyond those of the writers.

1 year ago...

Jan 17th 2020 Little Big Town released their album Nightfall. Release week included a legendary album release show at Carnegie Hall, followed by the Nightfall tour at Apollo Theater, and a Youtube Space event in New York City. Today Nightfall is nominated for Best Country Album and the song Sugarcoat is nominated for Best Country Song at the Grammys. The art that comes out of Grammy nominated collaborations has been top notch. Bringing it back to our five year honorees, three years ago Little Big Town was featured on an Old Dominion song called Stars in The City on their Happy Endings album.

Little Big Town also had a feature on Lady A’s album Ocean which just turned 1 years old last November. The bands collaborated on the song The Thing That Wrecks You. Lady A is also a Grammy nominated band this year for their group performance of Ocean. Ocean’s release week NYC was just as busy as Nightfall’s, with a Youtube Space appearance, an iHeart Radio concert, and the Lady A Ocean Experience a unique pop up in NYC.

There you have it. The artists that decorated the last five years with their music. Music anniversaries should be remembered not just for the sake of a timeline, but to appreciate the art and memories that go hand in hand. Our time is fleeting, award shows happen annually (currently postponed due to Covid concerns, stay tuned for possible Grammy reschedule in March), but the music cannot be simply contained in a frame. It is an art that has no bounds and should be celebrated for eternity. ~ Rox