Nation artist Caylee Hammack surrenders to disappointment and embraces development on her brand-new album and novel of the identical identify, ‘Mattress of Roses,’ a deeply private exploration of heartbreak, therapeutic, and the knowledge gained alongside the best way.
Stream: ‘Mattress of Roses’ – Caylee Hammack
Caylee Hammack has by no means been one to hurry the method, and her long-awaited sophomore album proves that good issues take time.
With Mattress of Roses (out March 7th by way of Capitol Data), the Georgia-born nation artist leans into the normal nation sounds that first formed her, crafting a file that feels each deeply private and timeless.
It’s a marked shift from her glossier debut, whose R&B and pop parts gave it a extra ‘trendy nation’ really feel. Mattress of Roses, alternatively, remembers the sounds of Bobby Gentry, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. Hammack even reimagines The Highwaymen’s tune, “Mammas Don’t Let Your Infants Develop As much as Be Cowboys” together with her “Mamas.” Hammack’s songwriting has additionally grown, one thing she attributes to her writing an accompanying ebook of the identical identify, the place every chapter is a few tune on the album.
Hammack’s debut album If It Wasn’t For You got here out as COVID hit in 2020, and like many artists, she felt like all that potential and risk had been extinguished instantly.
Born and raised within the small city of Ellaville, Georgia, Hammack taught herself to sing and play guitar as a teen. At age 18, she acquired a scholarship to go to Nashville-based Belmont College, however turned it down for a boy she was in love with, and whom the tune “Small City Hypocrite” is about:
And that scholarship was a ship that sailed
After I selected you and daddy gave me hell
I made myself into another person
simply to like you, rattling I beloved you
Took all my plans and I put ’em in a field
Phantom pains for the wings I misplaced
Had me circling rings within the catalogs
For seven years and also you by no means bought the trace
In case you haven’t heard the tune, we recommend you sit down with a field of tissues. Hammack tells the story of that form of naïve love you’ll be able to solely expertise as a youngster. “Small City Hypocrite” confirmed Hammack’s prowess as a songwriter and vocalist, and for my part, it’s the stand-out observe on her debut.
They are saying it takes your complete life to jot down your first file, and solely a yr to jot down your second. In Hammack’s case, she took 5 years, and in her thoughts, that was the perfect resolution.
Co-produced by Hammack alongside Dann Huff and John Osborne of The Brothers Osborne, Mattress of Roses has been a very long time coming for her followers, however Hammack has been engaged on it a technique or one other in these intervening years. Whereas her debut was offended, passionate, and had a disappointment that was like contemporary like a wound, Mattress of Roses is the older sister: Calmer, accepting, and unhappy, but with a melancholic twinge that involves life on songs like “No I Ain’t,” “Oh Kara,” and “Tumbleweed Males.”
Atwood Journal met Caylee Hammack one afternoon in New York. She was sporting a fantastically knitted cardigan lined in handstitched yellow roses, her fiery crimson hair tucked behind her ears.
Hammack joked, “I spent an excessive amount of cash on it to not put on it!” We talked about her sophomore file, the accompanying ebook of the identical identify, and the significance of studying to like your self earlier than making an attempt to like anybody else.
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A CONVERSATION WITH CAYLEE HAMMACK
Atwood Journal: Thanks for agreeing to talk with us! I have been desirous to interview you for some time. I beloved your debut album, If It Wasn’t for You. It was so totally different to quite a lot of nation music popping out at the moment. Your new album may be very totally different to your earlier file. You’ve mentioned you needed to return a standard nation sound, as you felt like the primary file was perhaps barely too pop, a bit too polished. I’ve listened to each information side-by-side – If It Wasn’t For You looks like a younger disappointment, whereas Mattress of Roses is extra about accepting of the disappointment, somewhat than combating towards it.
Caylee Hammack: I’m getting higher at discovering the blessings inside the issues that I may even see as heartbreak loss, you recognize, the cursed second of my life, questioning why it’s taking place. It’s good to be form of be on the opposite facet of it.
I’ve had 5 years to actually come to phrases with a few of the heartbreaks I’ve skilled and the teachings I’ve discovered alongside the best way. Having the ability to look again and discover the silver linings or see that a few of hurricanes I’ve by have helped me dramatically, so I attempted to translate that into the file as a result of I believe that at the least once I’m hurting, it’s with the ability to sing alongside to a tragic tune that’s one way or the other just like the scenario I’m in. The file has some sort of melancholy with optimism simply twisted into the unhappy. That’s the stuff that will get me by. I’m a I’m slightly little bit of a melodrama addict, I assume.
I can’t imagine it’s been 5 years since your final album. Wow!
Caylee Hammack: I had a Wile E. Coyote second simply because we had been on cloud 9, you recognize, I used to be touring each single weekend, two to 3 nights; I used to be doing radio, press and media, and it simply felt like we had been on this curler coaster after which we went off the tracks. I form of insulated and remoted in 2020, whether or not by selection or compelled to throughout that point and I wrote so much, I discovered so much about myself.
I discovered so much about my backyard too. It stored me really. I do know this sounds foolish, however gardening and the birds in my yard that got here each time I whistled and stuffed the chicken feeder, that stored me going. I used to be obsessive about nature at the moment as a result of it was the one place I felt consolation. We may solely go on one stroll a day, so it will imply one thing.
It’s a kind of issues that I’m grateful for it as a result of I believe I wanted to develop one thing. I bought to develop these songs organically. I wasn’t actually rushed. I’ve at all times heard that you’ve your complete life to jot down your first album, you then’ve bought a yr to jot down the following, and I bought 5 years.
I at all times foolheartedly imagine that an artist shouldn’t be supposed to interrupt or make it massive till they’ve the correct songs and sufficient songs to look again on. I at all times joke that I like discovering artist on the second or third album as a result of then I don’t have like a four-song EP that I’m gonna put on out inside the a couple of months or one thing. I can return and dive by their discography and I get to know them higher.
I’m hoping that by attending to do a second album, fortunately not in a pandemic, I can get to know my followers higher and so they can get to know me as a result of they will see the place I’ve been and the place I’m now.
That is a great perspective to have on it. I do know out of your social media gardening is an enormous ardour for you. You have referred to as this album Mattress of Roses; did nature encourage this album?
Caylee Hammack: Very a lot so. I at all times say, life is a mattress you make, you’ll be able to resolve who you let in it, and you may resolve who you kick out of it, however you may make it up or you’ll be able to depart it messy. You get to make each day both heaven or hell for your self by your selections, even when life throws issues at you, you’ve got the selection to attempt to look on the constructive facet.
I’m simply obsessive about nature. I like rising issues. I like studying how one can develop issues and I like natural farming and I’m somebody that loves permaculture. I’ve all of my roses in between my peas and my corn and my squash. I’ve all the things form of rising collectively. A variety of vegetation truly complement each other that we don’t find out about, and I believe with the ability to develop one thing, to place a seed within the floor and pour your time, endurance and love and care into it, after which see one thing develop and prosper.
For these 5 years, the one music I made was co-writing on associates’ information or singing vocals behind the scenes, and as a lot as I beloved that, it didn’t absolutely full me the best way a full album did, so I beloved that I may retreat to my backyard throughout that point.
When did you begin writing for this file?
Caylee Hammack: Earlier than 2018, and I returned to it in 2020. We revised some issues, and I realised there was one thing particular there. There are songs that generally get caught in a folder of, ‘it doesn’t match this mission or that mission’, however the tune is really me and I have to put it out.
“Breaking Dishes” got here round like that. There’s one other one on the file, “The Pot and The Kettle,” which was written in 2020-21. A few of them are newer. “Mattress of Roses” got here to be one of many final ones I wrote for the album.
I went in wanting on the songs I needed to create. I knew I needed the sensation of the file to be a mattress of roses, and as somebody who has waited – I’m 30 now and I’ve waited my complete life for a person to deliver me roses, not simply on a vacation, however as a result of he solely he considered me, and the entire time I may have simply grown my very own!
And now that’s what I’m doing. I needed to attempt to create one thing that had slightly silver lining. I needed to be taught the exhausting manner of how one can love myself greater than I give like to somebody I met a couple of months in the past. You already know?
I needed to discover ways to dwell with me and tending my backyard tended me. I’m restoring my home by hand myself, constructing, woodworking, constructing cabinets and placing in stair railings. It heals me as a result of I really feel as if I’m engaged on the within of me. I’m engaged on my coronary heart and my soul once I spend money on myself.
I believe I’m lastly at some extent, you recognize, as somebody who, proper now I’m in a relationship that’s the sturdiest and greatest man I’ve ever met in complete life.
It’s stunning to get to return and share these songs and go, ‘hey, there’s a constructive facet of it, you’ll be able to really feel that manner and sooner or later you’re going to be blissful and also you’re gonna be capable to chuckle about that heartbreak that you simply went into the foetal place whenever you performed it to your greatest good friend after writing it.’
What made you resolve to jot down a ebook alongside the album?
Caylee Hammack: I used to be 13, and lengthy earlier than I ever thought I might be a musician, I began writing a ebook. I believe I bought to web page both 73 or 65, after which at 15, I began the following ebook and that was the identical. I simply do not forget that this folder was stored of those two books I began at this younger age, and I gave up sooner or later as a result of one thing in me instructed me, ‘You gained’t by no means be capable to write this ebook’, you recognize? Like ‘why are you doing this? You’re losing your time on this.’ I hate that.
They’re someplace on a laptop computer that I can’t activate anymore, however I hold it in case perhaps I can save them sooner or later and look again and chuckle.
It was so cool to get to jot down a ebook for me. I attempt to put a silver lining into my songs, even the unhappy ones, and I lastly bought to jot down a fortunately ever after, and it felt great.
I needed to jot down one thing that when girls or women learn it, they realise that she must hearken to her intestine, as a result of when she listens to her intestine, she makes the correct selections and when she doesn’t, she walks down the incorrect paths. I believe that’s the one factor I actually needed to push ahead, is hearken to your self, particularly in moments of affection and making an attempt to determine love.
Each single chapter is without doubt one of the songs and that was a extremely cool factor, as a result of as somebody who loves Easter Eggs, oh man, it opened up an entire different world. I’ve a tune on the file referred to as “Cleopatra” and Chapter 6 can also be referred to as Cleopatra. Within the Cleopatra chapter, I inform the story behind the tune by the character speaking to one in every of her associates and that was a cool little tie-in I bought to do. I’m so excited for individuals to hearken to the album and browse the ebook and put collectively the little items that I’ve specified by there for them to seek out and luxuriate in.
Did you discover it simpler to jot down a ebook, or was it only a totally different?
Caylee Hammack: It’s humorous, it was a big distinction however on the identical time it was… I get three minutes and 30 seconds usually to inform my story, that’s what they at all times inform you as a employees author to goal for, or much less, that will be even higher, you recognize? However as an alternative, I’ve as much as 300 pages, and it simply allowed me to actually dive into narrative and dialogue.
The cool factor was I observed I used to be listening to individuals extra. As an alternative of placing on my sound isolating headphones and making an attempt to create silence.
When I’ve silence, my mind desires to make one thing. It’s determined. It’s annoying and aggravating. In case you simply wish to sit nonetheless, I’ve to have one thing continuously working in my thoughts to only hold my mind from making chatter.
So, I began taking my headphones off much more and listening to individuals discuss and the smallest little issues that individuals would say, the smallest colloquialism we might say, I might sit there and go ‘oh, that’s the way you specific that feeling’.
I instructed my boyfriend I used to be like, you recognize, this isn’t the final ebook I’m gonna write. I’m gonna write one other ebook. We, Carolyn Brown and I, went into it realizing that it usually takes a yr at the least, and we solely had two and a half months, as I needed it to come back out with the file.
Wow, that is wonderful. Solely two and a half months.
Caylee Hammack: I sat in my home in entrance of my fire, and I wrote for eight to 10 hours a day, and it was it was nice.
I appeared round and I realised I had a hoarder home *laughs*. I might get a bundle, and I simply sit it on the bottom and return, you recognize? I’d cook dinner dinner, put the dish within the seat, return as a result of the deadline quick approaching. I used to be like, ‘I can’t overthink it and I can’t sleep too lengthy, we gotta get this going.’ It feels so good it’s nearly in individuals’s arms.
One of many tracks that I actually love is “Tumbleweed Males.” Are you able to discuss a bit about that tune?
Caylee Hammack: It’s so enjoyable to sing. I used to be listening to Mama Cass and there was slightly trill and please don’t let the nice life go you by, and it was so stunning, and I had began form of making an attempt to choose one thing out.
I went right into a remedy session, and I used to be speaking about an especially emotionally unavailable man. God bless him, you recognize? He simply was emotionally unavailable for me, which was a godsend in the long run, however on the time didn’t really feel prefer it, and I had my claws in. I used to be, ‘please love me’, you recognize?
I used to be telling my therapist about it, and he lower me off as I’m saying, ‘oh, however he’s a great man, he’s just a bit confused, he simply doesn’t know what he desires in life’. And, he mentioned, “you gotta discover ways to let go of the tumbeleweed males. They’re not gonna catch root, and also you’re speculated to have somebody that wishes to take root, and in the event you hold chasing these, you’re simply gonna hold working from when the correct man comes alongside that wishes to cool down and make these routes with you”, and it was true. I used to be I used to be working after it, and I realised that I’ve to understand that tumbleweeds are speculated to go by the surroundings of my life, and I’ll watch them fade into the sundown.
That’s stunning. It’s a really visible tune and the bit on the finish the place the display door opens, and also you say, “And years from now, you’ll hear the display door slam, and marvel if it’s him, but it surely’ll solely be the wind.” It’s so heartbreaking. It additionally has a really ‘70s sound to the tune. After I was listening, I stored considering of Carole King and Joan Baez, however in fact, Bobby Gentry. The tune “No I Ain’t” looks like a twin of “Tumbleweed Males.” It’s the tune the place you point out your therapist and say, “for as soon as my therapist could be happy with me” for having boundaries.
Caylee Hammack: We had been listening to quite a lot of Bobby Gentry. John Osborne and I had been speaking about Bobby Gentry and actually earlier than we had that dialog, I didn’t realise what number of cool sounds she had. We undoubtedly leaned into the ‘70s feeling. I’m actually glad you pointed that out.
I had many the explanation why I picked Mattress of Roses because the title, however life is about studying how one can respect the bloom of the flower and discover ways to respect it sufficient to seize it in the correct locations and never lower your self on the thorns.
I believe that as a girl there’s a ability and a divine reward that we may give ourselves when you’ll be able to blossom and develop and permit your self to bloom in the correct backyard, with the correct gardener serving to deal with your coronary heart. Additionally realizing which you can have wholesome boundaries and that’s the thorns that hold you protected from undesirable pests or the undesirable issues coming into your life. There’s one thing stunning about this savageness and the sensualness of roses.
Are you able to discuss the way you recorded the album with John Osborne and Dan Huff? Did you file it in a single session or was it in segments?
Caylee Hammack: When John (Osborne) and I bought collectively it was a concentrated cluster of time. When Dan (Huff) and I bought collectively it was the identical. There was an area within the center the place I used to be beginning up my Sirius XM present and I used to be actually devoted to that, after which I began diving into writing and quite a lot of the writing in that interval had been the songs I introduced in to John.
It’s taken 5 years to get right here, however I’m grateful for each single yr as a result of I really feel I wanted it.
Getting in with Dan helped me turn into extra of the artist I wanted to be. Artists discover themselves in each tune they ever write, and so they ever produce, after which you end up much more whenever you play them each single night time. There’s a continuous development within the strategy of that change.
I can inform I discovered a lot. It’s extra so earlier than and after of myself as a author, as a musician, as an artist, and likewise a producer on issues. I bought to be taught a lot from each of them. I used to be modified in between each of these segments, and I believe getting these 4 songs in with Dan actually helped me begin homing in on the place the album goes, after which I used to be in a position to write and actually focus in on, ‘how else do I wish to inform this story?’
I wish to discuss concerning the previous ten years of discovering myself as a result of what number of men and women are going by these identical emotions and emotional processes of discovering themselves and looking for good love.
It it’s been a really transformational album for me. I’m so grateful for it. I hope another person feels the sensation I had making it.
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