A new release from Presley Tennant comes through with an incredibly lush and full-bodied country and Americana approach complete with outstanding arrays of instrumentation, loads of soul, and enough character for you to grab onto.
Love You With The Lights On is a three-track release and the title track serves as the introduction to the record and is an absolutely perfect way to get you sucked right into it all because she comes through with this sort of very warm and honest love song which has classic country roots in it but also an updated and more current feeling approach mixed in.
With this track alone you get a certain piece of her personality, and I think that she does actually give pieces of herself in her music because you do know that these songs all come from someplace real, especially this one.
I adore artists like Presley because she creates music that country fans will love, Americana fans will love, contemporary pop fans will love, and there's almost no borders or boundaries built around.
Not only is she really honest but she's also very upfront about it and that again adds to the character and personality that's delivered throughout this EP.
"Love You With The Lights On" as a single on its own is outstanding. It really gives you enough of a glimpse into Presley and how she does her thing, and how she, again, gives a little bit of herself and her songwriting and her performance and has a pure country heart.
However, having said that, listening to all three of these tracks really gives you more of a full spectrum for who she is and how she does her thing as an artist.
Each of these songs show a little bit of a different side to Presley and when all three songs are done you know that she grew up loving country, she grew up singing to songs on the radio, probably even harmonizing with songs on the radio for that matter, and she's living out her passion.
When you come across an artist like this it's really easy to tell that she is in love with her craft.
There's a lot of authenticity on this record, and her vocal performance is spot on in terms of delivering passion and soul while keeping to that southern undertone to go right along with the instrumentation.
Again, this record covers a lot of ground and a lot of attitudes, approaches, and sides of who she is so you're getting a lot of layers with this record.
Each of these songs also has a bit of a different energy level to them but no matter which one you're listening to the vocals match the energy level of the band and it feels like every element of these songs compliments the next.
Certain tracks have hints at a harder edginess while other ones are softer and more open but either way, you're getting something genuine and that's what I look for with an artist like this. Especially in the country or Americana genre, you want an artist that has that real authenticity to them so that you feel like you can connect with them.
You definitely feel connected with Presley while listening to this record and when it's over you, you end up having certain little hooks and melodies bounce around in your head and the only way to satiate that is to go and listen to it again.
After listening to these songs, it's no surprise that she has shared the stage with artists like Tim McGraw, Kelly Clarkson, and more.
She's got that sort of powerhouse element about her songs, and the way they are performed, to the way they are arranged and composed not only fit the bill but showcase the different sides of her talents.
With the release of such a well-woven EP, we wanted sit-down with Presley Tennant to find out where this all came from and what might be coming up next for her.
Here's what happened.
RAG: Hey Presley, and thanks so much for taking some time with us!
- Thank you so much for having me!
RAG: I would love to start off with the "Love You With The Lights On" single. This had a heavily soulful performance! Where did this track actually come from?
- The new single Love You With The Lights On definitely has more of that soulful sound to it… It didn’t start off that way, but once I got into the tracking session with the players it kinda just happened. I knew it was missing something that really encapsulated the feeling of the song then once the guys started playing it, it felt like it landed where it was supposed to be.
RAG: This release has some genuine approaches. Can you give us some of your most important musical influences?
- I take a lot of influence from so many different types of genres. Especially growing up I listened to a bit of everything, but I gravitated towards the emotion in Soul & Blues like with Etta James… I felt like that was the perfect approach to this song.
RAG: Who is in your headphones right now?
- I think the right question would be “who isn’t in my headphones right now”. I’ve been listening to so much new music from so many new artists. I love finding new music and finding little things that inspire me in it. I would say right now there’s been a lot of Muscadine Bloodline, Ella Langley, and Carly Pearce right now!
RAG: This track had an amazing energy to it. How long did this take you to put together and how do you feel about the outcome?
- I wrote the song with David Ray Stevens and Brandon Hartt back in June of 2023. I remember it was my third session of the day, and I had no idea what I wanted to write about. But I walked in, and they said they had an idea... I fell in love with it and we hit the ground running. The writing didn’t take very long, then the tracking felt so easy. I absolutely love how it turned out. I don't have another song like it.
RAG: Would you say you are more of a recording artist, or do you get a lot from performing live?
- I would say it’s about 50/50. I’m so lucky I get to play live a lot especially during the new year, there are so many shows I can’t wait to announce. But I also have so much new music coming out that I cannot wait for people to hear.
RAG: Are you playing any shows right now?
- Yes! I’ll be finishing out this year pretty strong. I’ll be at Stoneys in NV on 11/29 then Ole Red Las Vegas, NV 12/3-8 then House Of Blues 12/19 in Anaheim, CA and ringing in the New Year back in Vegas… There are so many more shows in 2025 & those will be on my website.
RAG: This single drops on November 22nd, correct? What's next for you as an artist?
- Love You With The Lights On is releasing November 22 & you can pre-save right now on my website. There are so many exciting things in the works. What I can say right now is there is so much more new music in the New Year!
RAG: What are you doing when you are not making music?
- I feel like I’m doing music 24/7 but if for some reason I’m not, I’m usually hanging out with friends or trying to get out of town for a bit trying something new.
RAG: Before we go, what do you want to say to fans out there?
- If you have listened to my music – even just one time – I just want to say thank you! It’s been so much fun getting to share who I am with everyone through music. I can’t wait to meet more of y'all on the road!
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