Grammy-nominated country artist Deborah Allen chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about her new album “The Art of Dreaming.”
How did you approach the song selection process?
I was practically born singing and I’ve always been a dreamer. When I was about 19 yrs old, shortly after I first moved from Memphis to Nashville, it was Shel Silverstein who opened my eyes to the world of songwriting. Since then, I’ve dedicated my life to writing songs and creating music which has resulted in an extensive catalog.
When my friend, Chuck Rhodes of Audium-Nashville-BFD, who I had worked with in the past, came to me and said, “You have such a great collection of music and it needs to be heard!” I was thrilled. To get things started, I cherry picked and paired it down to about 50 of my favorite songs, followed by several listening sessions with Chuck, my manager/husband Raymond Hicks and me. Eventually, it all came together as one cohesive, yet eclectic landscape of music and influences, resulting in my new album, “The Art Of Dreaming.”
Were you going for a certain theme?
The title song, “The Art of Dreaming,” has always been a special song to me that reflected my philosophy on life. But, this album is only thematic in that it is one more step in my journey along the way to those dreams. In this new album, my Memphis rockabilly soul roots are prevalent, but so are my Nashville storytelling and classic country influences, as well as a twinge of southern gospel.
What is your personal favorite song on there and why?
Oh my gosh… I love ’em all for different reasons! It would be impossible for me to pick just one. However, I definitely have some personally cherished gems in there; “Shameless Love” “All or Nothing at All” “Memphis Rendezvous,” “Last Time for Everything” “Someone Like You.” And, I mentioned my affinity for “The Art of Dreaming.” On the other hand, I’m always a sucker for a sad story song and my heart breaks all over again when I think of the main character in “A Girl Like That.” I love the mood of “Run Baby Run.”
And, the sassy side of me has so much fun with “Blue Collar Baby,” “Lyin Lips!” and “It’s Only Goodbye,” which turned out to be a rockin’ little anthem for getting over someone and getting on with life. Last but certainly not least, I do love the way “Patsy Cline Crazy” seems to transport me back into a country classic era of time.
What do your plans for the future?
In 2022, I’ll be writing my new book, also titled “The Art Of Dreaming.” And, I’ll be touring, working on new music, creating and loving life to the fullest! Living the dream. That’s my plan!
What does the word success mean to you? (My favorite question)
I believe that God places the dreams in our hearts and our greatest gift in return is to nurture those dreams and to use our gifts and talents, whatever they may be, to bring joy, love, and happiness to others. So, I would say that doing something you love and being able to shine God’s light to others along the way is my idea of true success in life.
What would you like to tell our readers about The Art of Dreaming? What’s the one thing you want them to get out of this album?
It’s my greatest hope that your readers will enjoy the songs, feel the music, and know, as they listen to my new album, they’re getting a piece of my heart and soul and experiencing true evidence that “The Art of Dreaming… is Believing.”
To learn more about Deborah Allen, visit her official website.
