Nearly three years after Brittney Spencer first caught Nashville's attention after posting a cover of Highwomen's “Crowded Table” on social media, Spencer is fully coming into her own with her debut full-length album. My stupid lifecomes out Friday (January 19) on Elektra.
But that doesn't mean she turns the spotlight solely on herself.
“This was a very collaborative record for me,” he says Advertising signsitting on a couch in the Nashville office of her management company, Activist Artists Management.
On My stupid life, Spencer welcomes many to her creative community who have supported her along the way. Jason Isbell lends guitar on “First Car Feeling” and “Reaching Out”, while Grace Potter, Maren Morris, Abbey Cone and Sarah Buxton provide backing vocals on tracks including “I Got Time”, “Deeper” and “If You Say.” So”.
In an industry where female artists are seemingly pitted against each other in a battle for limited radio airplay, Spencer's new album feels not only like a conduit for her own thunderous artistry, but also a celebration of like-minded friends, fellow artists and supporters.
“People will always try to pit somebody against somebody else and compare, and all of that is the thief of creativity — and so to be able to push back and say, 'No, that's not my narrative, that's not what it's about… “I just think it's beautiful,” Spencer says.
My stupid life follows her two previous 2020 EPs Compassion and 2022 If I Ever Get There: A Day at Blackbird Studio. Spencer, who recently signed a publishing deal with Warner Chappell, co-wrote every song on the new album, each revealing a new level of personality and perspective. “The Last Time” depicts tough lessons in love, while “Deeper” examines the yin-and-yang of longing for love while fearing heartbreak. Around the District is a mix of pop, country, R&B and rock that spans the district.
At the suggestion of a record label executive, Spencer worked with producer Daniel Tashian (Kacey Musgraves, Little Big Town) on most of the album, with additional production from Marcus “MarcLo” Lomax and Romil Hemnani. The album combines newer and older compositions, including several Spencer crafted on writing trips to Los Angeles.
“I wanted it to be much more personal [than the two previous EPs]says Spencer. “I wanted to put in more of my stories and myself, which is hard for me to do because I'm not a person who naturally likes to take up space like that. I find so much value in people and stories. With this album, I wanted to put more of myself and my emotions into it, which I'm more comfortable doing. I'm excited for this new chapter, nervous and all.”
On “New to This Town,” he charts a journey familiar to many Nashville singer-songwriters, recalling the early days in Music City with songwriter circles, industry events, networking and honing a craft.
“You move to a new city for your career and it takes time to find your people,” she says. “If I could go back, I would tell myself to use this time to find myself more. If you don't find your people, at least find yourself.”
The Baltimore native moved to Nashville a decade ago, attending Middle Tennessee State University while cruising the streets of Music City. She grew up inspired by a multiplicity of sounds, from the Chicks and Faith Hill to Aretha Franklin and Alanis Morrisette. After uploading their cover of “Crowded Table”, Highwomen members Morris and Amanda Shires not only shared her cover, but invited Spencer to open for them on tour and join them in their writing sessions.
The past three years have been marked by many high-profile appearances. At the 2021 Country Music Association Awards, Spencer joined Mickey Guyton and Madeline Edwards to perform Guyton's “Love My Hair.” In 2022, it earned a CMT Music Awards nomination for CMT Digital First Performance of the Year and an Americana Honors & Awards nomination for Emerging Artist of the Year. He was a member of The Highwomen and played or opened for Bruce Springsteen, Bob Weir, Reba McEntire and Isbell. He sang on albums including Isbell Georgia BlueShire's Take it like a manand, as part of The Highwomen, recorded at Lady Gaga's Born This way: The tenth anniversary work. He also participated in the Amazon Music documentary For Love and Homelandwhich examined tribal and country music.
In November, Spencer and Guyton endorsed Morris The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
“That meant the world to me,” says Spencer. “I've even explained it to Maren, like, 'You're way ahead in your career. You have been a huge support and help to me. I never thought I could offer any of these. It felt like such a rare opportunity to be like, “Wow, I'm going to be there for you right now.” He has been there for me countless times. And I love Mickey. I'm not here without Mickey and Maren. It just doesn't exist. There have been specific decisions I've made because of conversations I've had with Amanda, Jason Isbell, Mickey, Maren. They were so helpful – I didn't have to just guess the way forward. I had people around me who with open hearts and open arms poured into me and cared about me.”
If “New to This Town” harkens back to a time when Spencer was still finding her way in Music City, “Night In,” written with Jessica Cayne and Summer Overstreet, feels like a happy, if low-key, ode in friendship. Spencer trades a night out on the town for a sleepover night with good tunes and best friends. Cone, Morris, Guyton and Fancy Hagood join Spencer for an introductory introduction.
“I'm doing everybody and I'm like, 'I want to do this little skit at the beginning of this song that I'm doing. Would you be down?' It was so much fun and it felt natural. I think it was Abby and Maren's first meeting. Everyone else had already met each other, so it was pretty sweet. It was just easy. For this particular moment, I wanted this album to have a personality, a certain element that showed who I am as a person.”
The album's first release, “Bigger Than the Song,” written by Spencer with Tofer Brown and Jennifer Wayne of Runaway June, celebrates the connection that is transmitted as one generation of female artists imprints on the next generation through song. The lessons – both in life and in music – are infused, thoughtful and refined. Spencer nods to those whose music has influenced her in many ways, including: McEntire, Franklin, Morrissette, Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, Morris and Beyonce.
Elsewhere, she describes 'I Got Time', written with Cayne, Nate Campany and Emily Reid, as a dynamic 'hoedown at the disco', while she turns reflective and introspective on the solo-penned 'If You Say So', which was inspired by partly from her parents' marriage and divorce.
“I was trying to put myself in my parents' shoes,” he says. “They got married when they were young. I think they were both still teenagers and broke up early. I can't imagine being married with two kids my age. I feel so weak in my mind. I was just trying to imagine, “What does responsibility look like?” I was also inspired because a lot of my friends get engaged after knowing someone for eight or nine months, and it's crazy to me to think about knowing a person for a few months and already knowing that you want to spend the rest of your life with them.”
Looking ahead, Spencer, who is booked by UTA, will play Stagecoach later this year, but her ambitions are not limited to recording and performing.
“I definitely want to make movies. I want to play and make music for soundtracks,” says Spencer. “I already have folders on my phone with songs I've written that I think would go great with different kinds of movies. I want to be the face of beauty brands,” says Spencer, who has already been in the spotlight in Victoria's Secret's “Undefinable” campaign.
But right now, her focus is on further cementing her place in country music and beyond. “I'm exploring, but I know where I am musically and I know where I want to be and where I want to go.”
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/country/brittney-spencer-album-my-stupid-life-interview-1235584197/