A Country Songwriter Explains How Real Stories Become Music

We sit down with Nashville country singer-songwriter Sarah Harrelson to talk about how real life turns into lyrics that feel raw, honest, and true. She shares the childhood roots behind her storytelling, the lessons she learns after moving to Nashville, and why music can help people through the hardest days.
• writing songs at age 10 as an emotional outlet after her parents split 
• the story behind House Divided and growing up between two worlds 
• how her grandfather’s bluegrass influence shapes her country storytelling 
• the “I’m really in Nashville” moments 
• why friends come to her for honest advice and how that honesty shows up in her songs 
• how co-writers work and when she decides to keep a song for herself 
• what her podcast Take A Walk Nashville and her book Turtle Tears add to her creative life 
• performing for hospital patients and choosing songs that lift the room 
• teasing new music including "It Can’t Rain All The Time"' out by April 3 

Transcript

Coffee Pick And Guest Welcome

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey y'all, hey, it's your girl Paula, and we are back with another exciting episode of Coffee Kiss Jack. We have a very exciting guest, but you know how we do it. Let's shout out the Coffee of the Week. And it's a Caramel Machiata. Today we are sitting down with the talented Sarah Harrison, a Nashville-based country singer, songwriter whose music is all about real stories, heartfelt, lyrics, and melodies that stick with you. From writing songs at just 10 years old to building an international audience. Sarah has hardrated faith that's both authentic and inspiring. Beyond the stage, she's also a podcast host, author, and passionate advocate of the healing power of music. This is a conversation you don't want to miss. So let's jump in. Welcome, Sarah.

SPEAKER_01 0:48

Thank you so much, Paula. Yeah, thank you, Paula and Brittany, for having me today. And I love that you do the coffee of the week. So I'm a huge coffee person.

SPEAKER_00 0:56

Oh, wow. Okay. Well, we'll be having some good ones. This time I came up with the Brittany usually have some really good ones.

Childhood Songwriting And House Divided

SPEAKER_00 1:05

So you started writing songs at just 10 years old. Very impressive. What do you remember about the first spark and what inspired you back then?

SPEAKER_01 1:14

Yeah, I started writing songs at a very young age. Um, my upcoming project that I'm releasing and about to announce, it really goes through my childhood. And um, you know, I had a different kind of childhood. My parents split when I was eight, and my siblings are much older than me. So it was kind of like I was an only child growing up with my mother when we moved to Knoxville, and um I was a quiet child through this experience. So I just took to songwriting at an early age to get out my emotions. Uh, I grew up around a lot of genres growing up, but I fell in love with country music, and my granddad was a bluegrass musician, so I definitely fell in love with music at a very young age.

SPEAKER_00 2:01

So that's maybe the song House Divided, is that about your childhood?

SPEAKER_01 2:06

It is, yeah. I I released House Divided last October, and you know, it kind of talks about being pulled between two football teams for Alabama and uh UT with Tennessee, which is like a huge no-no, but you know, I was always pulled between those two places and two teams because my own house was divided growing up, so it's definitely about that experience.

SPEAKER_00 2:31

Okay, awesome.

Bluegrass Roots And Finding Country

SPEAKER_00 2:33

Now, how did your grandfather's bluegrass background shape the way you approach storytelling in your music today?

SPEAKER_01 2:40

Yeah, my granddad was a huge music lover. He played in a lot of bluegrass bands with his accordion in East Tennessee. I have his accordion now, and I try to play it in in some of my recordings. Um, but he was always uh playing music when I was little, so I definitely fell in love with the music he was playing in bluegrass, and I was around all genres, but that definitely drew me to country music.

SPEAKER_00 3:08

That's awesome. I bet uh some of the family members knew that you may one day become a country wrestling singer or yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:17

Well, I think my granddad was definitely hoping I would pursue music because he was a huge music lover.

SPEAKER_00 3:24

Okay, okay. And growing up around all those musical styles, was there a moment when you thought, yep, country music is my thing?

SPEAKER_01 3:35

Yeah, well, it's funny because you know, growing up, like I said, you know, granddad did bluegrass, my dad would listen to country, my mom would listen to rock and pop. So I loved all these different genres growing up. Um, listened to a little bit of everything, wrote a little bit of everything, but especially when I got to um high school age and then made the transition to Nashville and moved to Nashville. That's when I really fell in love with writing specifically country songs and figuring out that my artistry was more in the country realm.

Nashville Lessons And Honest Writing

SPEAKER_01 4:14

Okay. And you went to school in um Nashville. I did, yeah, after I graduated high school in Knoxville, I made the move to Nashville. Um I did the music business program at Belmont University, and I'm so glad I did that because it taught me so much about the business side of the industry, which I think is really important. And then I learned a lot about just um producing my own music and collaborating with others creatively as well.

SPEAKER_00 4:45

Awesome. It just leads us right into our next question. What was your wow? I'm really in Nashville now moment when you first moved there.

SPEAKER_01 4:54

Yeah, yeah. Nashville's a crazy town. I mean, even in the past 10 years, I've been here in Nashville, I guess about 12 years now. And even in the past 12 years, like the change has been crazy in the last decade. There's so many more people here now that have moved here to pursue music. But it, you know, it was even crazy 10 years ago. And the thing about Nashville is you never know who you'll run into. So you know, 18 moving here, you would just go out to a concert and or to a coffee shop and see like the cast from the show Nashville or a singer just hanging out. So it definitely made me realize oh, I'm really in Nashville now, just seeing all these country artists out and about. All right.

SPEAKER_00 5:40

Also, I love the show Nashville too, so that's kind of cool. That's why I wanted to visit one day because like I used to love watching that show.

SPEAKER_01 5:46

I know, and it was like in its prime era 10 years ago.

SPEAKER_00 5:51

Yeah. Yeah, Brittany watched that show religiously.

SPEAKER_01 5:57

Yeah, they were always like anywhere you would walk in Nashville, they were always filming it somewhere. Oh wow.

SPEAKER_00 6:04

Okay. And your sons are so real and honest. Are you the friend everyone comes to for advice?

SPEAKER_01 6:12

It's funny you say that because even like outside of songwriting, I felt like even in high school growing up, my friends always thought I was like the middle of the road person, and everyone would come to me to tell me all their drama. And I feel like that's still the case now. And I think it's because I always try to stay like you know, somewhat middle of the road. I always like to be authentic with my opinions and honesty. But maybe, maybe people do like my honesty, and that's why they come to me. But I try to do the same with my music and just tell my experiences and uh, you know, what what I think as raw and honest as I can in my songs. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 6:58

I'm sure that that's why it comes through so genuine when you know you're listening to it.

SPEAKER_01 7:05

Yeah, and you can tell. I think you can tell even in country music when something is a genuine story.

SPEAKER_00 7:13

And when you're writing for other artists, do you ever think, oh, I can't ever want to keep this one for myself?

SPEAKER_01 7:20

Yeah, I mean, it really depends because sometimes I'll get in a co-write and the writer will like have something specific specifically envisioned for them. And for them that makes sense because that's their own story, something they went through. And sometimes I'll bring in something that goes with one of my stories or experiences, so it makes sense to tailor it more to myself, and then other times, you know, I'm in the writing room with someone, and we're not trying to really write it for a specific artist or write it for me or or them, but just write just to write a song. And sometimes when we do that, I just really fall in love with the song, and maybe it's because it relates to something I went through, and that's when I'm like, oh yeah, I gotta keep this one for myself. Uh-oh.

SPEAKER_00 8:14

And then, like, how long does it take you to write um a song?

SPEAKER_01 8:20

It really depends. I mean, there's definitely some songs and a lot of songs I've released where they've been written in, you know, half an hour. There's been other songs that have been more challenging. Maybe they were written in three hours or had to do a couple sessions with them. Um, and I've released both, you know, sort of durations, but I think it it depends on the song. Sometimes if there's more like context to go through, it can take a lot longer. But some days it just clicks and you you get it done in like 30 minutes. Start writing, huh?

SPEAKER_00 8:55

Yeah. I love it.

Books Hospital Songs And New Music

SPEAKER_00 8:58

So you do quite a bit. So between singing, songwriting, podcasting, and writing books, what's your favorite hat to wear?

SPEAKER_01 9:06

Oh my goodness. Yeah, I I do a lot with creative endeavors, and I love I love all of it so much. But you know, music was the ultimate thing I was drawn to. It sparked my love for everything else, like podcasting about music and um, you know, writing a children's book with my experience. But um, my you know, first love will always be music and songwriting and performing. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 9:35

That's like, oh, okay, she's a podcaster as well.

SPEAKER_01 9:38

I do, yeah. I have taken a walk Nashville. So I talked to a lot of people and artists in Nashville on my podcast. Um, and then yeah, I have my children's book behind me too that you can check out called Turtle Tears.

SPEAKER_00 9:56

Oh, Turtle Tears. How cute. Okay. And is this the first book or do you have a few more that you've written?

SPEAKER_01 10:05

That's the first book I've written. You know, I've had some other ideas for books, so I hope to write more in the future. I I didn't really intend on writing a children's book, but um, the idea for it actually came after I lost my mother and she loved turtles and uh heard a story one day about the symbiotic relationship between turtles and butterflies. And uh turtles excrete salt out of their glands, and butterflies get really thirsty. So they kind of help them out and drink their tears, essentially, which is why I came up for the idea for this children's book called Turtle Tears. And it just shows children that friendship um can help them get through the hardest of times, through the saddest of times. So this was a story that I thought would fit better as a book rather than a song.

SPEAKER_00 11:01

Okay, awesome. I love that. And so sorry for your loss. Thank you. I appreciate that. So you perform for so many hospital patients. Do you have a go-to song that always lifts the room? You know, like you're like, hey, here she comes and she's gonna sing.

SPEAKER_01 11:18

Yeah, I have a couple songs that I like to play, and one is actually my new single that's coming out on April 3rd. It's called It Can't Rain All the Time. That's an original song I wrote with Bill DiLuigi, a uh a writer here in Nashville. But um, that song, I feel like it just lifts people's spirits because it's about that, you know, even when we're in the darkest times, the hardest times of our life, it's always a good reminder that the sun's gonna come out eventually. So I can't wait for people to hear it can't rain all the time. I love playing that when I do my musicians on call shifts. Uh, another song I love to play is What a Wonderful World. It's just always a classic to play.

SPEAKER_00 12:02

Oh, I just love that. How you said it won't always rain because this too chapens, right?

SPEAKER_01 12:09

Absolutely.

Fun Rapid Fire And How To Follow

SPEAKER_01 12:10

Yeah, the sun's gonna come out.

SPEAKER_00 12:12

Oh, yeah, I love that. And if someone pressed play on your music for the first time, what snap and vibe should they have ready?

SPEAKER_01 12:21

Ooh, I like that question. Um, I think I would say charcuterie because you get a little bit of salty and sweet at the same time, a little bit of different flavors.

SPEAKER_00 12:36

I love charcuteries, so I'm going to definitely get me some and I'm gonna listen.

SPEAKER_01 12:42

Yes, and grab a glass of wine.

SPEAKER_00 12:44

Okay, I was gonna say maybe my glass of wine. Awesome. I love that. And just for fun, if your life were a country song uh right now, what would it be?

SPEAKER_01 12:57

Ooh, um I'm gonna give a little bit of a teaser with this answer, but uh right now it would be called just the beginning, because um people will see what that means later on. But I think um, you know, even though I've done a lot since I've been here in Nashville and have been here a while now, um, sometimes, you know, I think it's it's just the beginning. There's so much more to come.

SPEAKER_00 13:24

Okay, I was gonna say, I was gonna ask if there are more new music because you said the um the rain song, it'll be out next month in April.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

Yes, that'll be out April 3rd, and then people can watch out for more to come.

SPEAKER_00 13:39

Yeah, okay. So there is more to come. You guys hear that, Chit Chatters? Awesome sauce. So, how can our chit chatters follow you?

SPEAKER_01 13:49

Yes, please follow me on my socials at Sarah Harrelson, all of my upcoming shows and my music, Sarah Harrelson.com. And you can find me on all streaming platforms too for my music.

SPEAKER_00 14:03

Okay, cool beings. And we're gonna put that in our Facebook, our um Instagram, on all of in our website, you know, once we uh release uh or the podcast is published, but make sure that everybody knows how to follow you to listen to your voices is so common. Oh, thank you. Yeah, I can't wait. So awesome. So thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with us, and we're gonna leave our tit tailers a total of the week. And that is kindness like a boom is like a boomerang. It always returns, and the author is unknown. Tune in next week for another exciting episode of Company Tit Chat.