Bluegrass singer Dale Ann Bradley chatted about her latest album “Kentucky For Me.”
Song selection approach
On the song selection process for her new album, “Kentucky For Me,” she said, “I was so tickled to be able to do this album because it was something that I always wanted to do. I started listening to songs and so many great songs could be connected to Kentucky. I actually wanted it to represent the Appalachian part of the state.”
“Then, I started contacting artists such as Sam Bush, John Cowan, Larry Cordle, and John Conlee; they all graciously agreed to be a part of it, so I just picked songs that would fit the person I was singing with,” she explained.
Bradley noted that she could not select a personal favorite tune from this record because each one “holds a special place.” “They are all my favorites,” she said with a sweet laugh.
“I hope that it pays tribute to Kentucky, the state and all the surrounding states because we all have the same stories. It was a tribute to my home state and I meant for it to be a love letter to Kentucky,” she said about the album.
2023 IBMA ‘Female Vocalist’ nod
She spoke about being nominated for the 2023 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Award for “Female Vocalist of the Year.” “Oh my gosh, I tell you truly that I never take that for granted,” she acknowledged.
“If you are in there, then that’s something to be thankful for because there are so many great gals on the scene now. It always makes me thankful, and grateful that people still listen and that they still know my songs,” she elaborated.
Health setback
Bradley revealed that back in the fall of 2022, she had suffered a heart attack following the IBMA “World of Bluegrass” event in Raleigh, North Carolina. “I got through the surgery fine, and everything is going okay, but you just don’t feel young anymore,” she said.
“We are moving forward and we are getting started again,” she added.
Future plans
Regarding her future plans, she shared, “My plans are to keep doing what I am doing, and writing new music, doing shows, and recording. That’s what I have been doing all my life… I don’t know what else to do.”
On the title of the current chapter of her life, Bradley said, “The Vintage Years.” “I am entering the vintage part of life,” she said with a giggle.
Superpower of choice
If she were to have any superpower, she responded, “Just love and people relating to the songs.” “There is a feeling when people come up and tell you that they’ve listened to a certain song, and it helped them,” she said.
“That’s what music is really for… healing purposes,” she said.
Success
On her definition of the word success, Bradley said, “Success means being happy because when you are happy, you are successful. If you are out there trying and doing what you love, you are on the road to being successful.”
“Kentucky For Me” is available on digital service providers by clicking here.
For more information on bluegrass artist Dale Ann Bradley and her music, visit her official homepage.
