For the Record, Watkins is "Heartbroken"

Tuesday, May 28, 2024 – Nashville native Lauren Watkins will make her full-length debut with "The Heartbroken Record,"on Big Loud Records / Songs & Daughters.

Watkins, 24, helped write all 17 songs. Joey Moi produced the project.

Watkins released "Settling Things," a soft-spoken portrait of small-town life, on Friday. A video filmed at Patsy Cline's 'Dream Home' in Nashville was also dropped.

Watkins cites Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert, Sheryl Crow, who sings on the album, Brad Paisley, Sara Evans and The Chicks as influences.

"I didn't want to just put an album out. I wanted it to be purposeful," Watkins said. "It's the past several years of my life, and that was just so much heartbreak and dramatic girl-feelings, but I think in a really deep and relatable way, and it just needs to get off my chest."

"It's exactly the space in country I thought was missing and wanted to fill," she said. "It's sweet and warm, but also gritty and tough at the same time, and that's my favorite thing. I love it."

Watkins moved back to Nashville after going to the University of Mississippi. She maintained a busy touring schedule including outings with Lily Rose and Conner Smith. She also is touring with Morgan Wallen.

The track list is:
1. Leavers Leave (Lauren Watkins, Lance Miller, Brad Warren, Brett Warren)
2. Mama, I Made It (Lauren Watkins, Rocky Block, Lauren Hungate)
3. Heartbroken Record (Lauren Watkins, Will Bundy, Caroline Watkins)
4. Sad Songs And You (Lauren Watkins, Lauren Hungate)
5. Set My Heart On Fire (feat. Sheryl Crow) (Lauren Watkins, Emily Landis, Summer Overstreet, Lydia Vaughan)
6. Stuck In My Ways (Lauren Watkins, Will Bundy, David Garcia, Emily Landis)
7. Gatlinburg (Lauren Watkins, Jessie Jo Dillon, Carter Faith, Lauren Hungate, Ashley Monroe, Caroline Watkins)
8. Anybody But You (Lauren Watkins, Rodney Clawson, Mark Holman, Ernest Keith Smith)
9. Settling Things (Lauren Watkins, Lauren Hungate, Luke Laird)
10. One Trick Pony (Lauren Watkins, Will Bundy, Lydia Vaughan, Caroline Watkins)
11. Fly On The Wall (feat. Jake Worthington) (Lauren Watkins, Andy Sheridan, Brad Warren, Brett Warren)
12. Shirley Temple (Lauren Watkins, Nicolle Galyon, Meg McRee)
13. Pretend You're Coming Home (feat. Ashley Monroe) (Lauren Watkins, Ashley Monroe, Mark Trussell)
14. Jealous Of Jane (Lauren Watkins, Brad Warren, Brett Warren, Caroline Watkins)
15. Cowboys On Music Row (feat. Carter Faith) (Lauren Watkins, Jessie Jo Dillon, Carter Faith, Lauren Hungate, Ashley Monroe, Caroline Watkins)
16. Burn The Bridge (Lauren Watkins, Will Bundy, Emily Landis, Mark Trussell)
17. Too Much To Dream (Lauren Watkins, Forrest Finn, Nicolle Galyon)

"There were a lot of years where I was running away from doing this\, but I ended up asking myself what the point of living through something is if I don't share it with people? If I don't share the things I've learned with the gifts I've been given?" Watkins said. "At the end of the day, all I want is for people to hear this record and feel seen. I think that's all any of us ever really needs."