The Country Rocker Set to Perform CMA Fest on June 11
Listen to ‘Colorado’ here: https://onerpm.link/
NASHVILLE, TN. – Inspired by the rugged country and agricultural way of life she comes from – driving tractors and eighteen wheelers, hauling water, and working cattle from an early age on her parents’ cattle ranch – Clare Dunn pays homage to her home state on her latest single “Colorado.”
“I’m grateful for my roots,” says the “Country rocker” (People Magazine), who was raised in the southeastern Colorado town of Two Buttes and later moved to Nashville.
“My upbringing taught me perseverance, resilience and overcoming great odds. Agriculture has been through a lot the past thirty years. In Ag, you have to be versatile, multi-faceted and be able to adapt, and that’s really played a huge role in my music career. As a woman, it’s given me the courage to be a producer, which is not common in Nashville, and to be the guiding force in my music during the entire creative process.”
Bringing that same rugged heritage into every aspect of her craft as a singer, songwriter, producer, guitar player, and entertainer, Dunn’s smoldering and fiery “Colorado,” which dropped on May 26, 2023, is a testament to her talent as not only a “lovely voice” (New York Times Podcast) of country music, but also as a stellar songwriter and producer.
“Colorado” marks Dunn’s second self-penned and self-produced single since taking the reins back of her creative control and becoming an independent artist. The track follows the March release of “Legends,” a poignant, storytelling rocker wrapped around themes of courage, ambition and determination.
Dunn sat down with RFD-TV to talk about her ranch roots and “Legends”: www.rfdtv.com/
“My heroes have always been Cowboys, and Waylon Jennings, who showed all artists, and the world, that you didn’t have to be a slave or a puppet. They were strong, rugged role models for me,” reflects Dunn. “And Coloradans are rugged and vast as the Rockies and the high plains that make up our state. We are a true Wild West state, we carry on the Wild West spirit in all we do here.”
Dunn says the song came about effortlessly. “It was late at night, and it just flowed out in about twenty minutes. I was homesick and I was sick of the city, and Colorado has always given me some perspective on the world in quick order,” she says. “Even when I couldn’t visit the ranch, or if I was just passing through, I felt such a sense of peace and ‘at home-ness,’ and it’s been that way since I started making music.”
Lyrically, Dunn injected the song with more metaphor, figures of speech, and even a play on words than she has done in the past.
“I’m usually very literal with my songwriting, but with ‘Colorado,’ I just let the song happen. I think as a songwriter, it’s important to recognize when that is happening and to get out of the way and let it flow, because you’re in a zone — you feel it, and you know in that moment, you are doing what you are meant to do,” explains the songstress, who likes to blend her country with blues and rock. “I’m a big fan of Stevie Nicks, and I feel like that influence really came out in this song, as well.”
Dunn chose to record her recent batch of songs, including “Colorado” and “Legends” at a studio in Nashville.
“Since I started making albums, I have recorded about every way you can, whether that’s in the studio with a band, working in studios alone, a mix of both or recording in the back of a tour bus or in hotel rooms. So when the pandemic hit, I was back to working alone, and over the past two years, I got a little sick of it. There’s a lot about working alone that I love, but I also love jumping in a room with great players,” she says. “When it comes to the community of creators and musicians, you won’t find a better group of people anywhere. I’ve been lucky to work with and become friends with some of the best of the best, so that’s what I did this time.”
The powerhouse singer, with her “swaggering confidence and soulful vocals” (Rolling Stone), is set to take the Maui Jim Reverb Stage at Bridgestone Plaza in Nashville on June 11 as part of the CMA Fest 2023 lineup. The festival celebrates CMA’s 50th anniversary of being the longest-running country music festival worldwide.
“To play the most respected and renowned festival in country music means a lot,” says Dunn. “The CMAs have always been wonderful to me. I’ve been fortunate to play CMA Fest four or five times now and to be on that stage, a part of that lineup, truly means to be a part of the fabric of country music.”
Featuring live performances by country music’s biggest stars, the event also supports the CMA Foundation and their mission to shape the next generation through music education.
RSVP to Dunn’s show at CMAFest Here.
CMAFest tickets and details Here.