CMT PREMIERE: Nicolle Galyon Has a ‘Tendency’ to Write Hits For Other People, Now She’s Writing Her Own
Nicolle Galyon has a tendency to write No. 1 songs – she just typically does it for everyone other than herself.
Galyon has penned nine No. 1 songs, including Miranda Lambert’s “Automatic” and Dan + Shay’s “Tequila.” She’s won the Academy of Country Music’s coveted Song of the Year twice. She was named BMI Songwriter of the Year in 2019, earned a Triple Play Award for having three No. 1 songs in one year, and produced RaeLynn’s critically acclaimed, chart-topping album “Wild Horse” as one of the only female producers in country music. She partnered with Big Loud to create the female-focused record label Songs & Daughters. But her resume isn’t what she wanted to convey with “First Born.” Today the mother of two released her authentic, transparent and articulate 11-song autobiographical debut album “First Born” and with it her new song “tendencies.” The album comes with a wildly creative video version of the project she filmed in her Kansas hometown with Claire Schaper. Each song has its own video – all of which were filmed with a crew of six over three-and-a-half days with about an hour allotted for each clip. “tendencies,” written by Galyon, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne and Cooper Galyon, leans into the fact that Galyon doesn’t know her biological father. She sings, “I’ve never been an alcoholic, but I’ve got tendencies.” A lover of wine, she doesn’t know if that’s inherited or a habit.
The album also includes songs about: loving your differences; embracing your true yourself; recognizing how your roots impact who you are; and as women, the pressure society assigns versus what is expected of men.
“The main catalyst was, ’What would I want my kids to know about me?’” Galyon said of writing her album. “How would I want them to know me as a mother, woman, and creator if it all ended tomorrow?”