But with their latest release, “Midnight In Nashville,” Phoenix country rocker Burns and her band (Travis Popichak/drums, Austin Callendar/bass, Patrick Mertins/lead guitar and Adam ‘Ditch’ Kurtz/pedal steel) trade some of that country sass for rawer emotions.
“This song explores the pain and anguish that come from anxiety and anxious attachment,” Burns wrote on social media about the release of this song. “It’s a journey I’ve been exploring personally for years now, and something I think most humans struggle with when it comes to relationships.”
Recorded at Palomino Sound in Los Angeles, Burns describes her new single as the most vulnerable thing she’s ever written. And indeed, she’s traded in some of her country one-liners for a late-night exploration of deep and complicated emotions.
Burns credits therapy and better personal understanding with this emotional breakthrough.
“When I was younger, I just felt more like the victim in some of my dating situations, and I would write what I would call these ‘heartbreak songs,’” Burns told the New Times. “And then I learned more about myself, and I’ve come to understand that everybody’s responsible for a situation.”
“No one grew up perfect, and we all have abandonment issues or insecurities that we need to work through. I was deep in a very anxiously attached situation, and even though I didn’t totally know that was what was going on when I wrote that, it all came out in that song.”
Arrangement-wise, the song sounds rich and evocative, updating the classic country blues of Loretta Lynn or Tammy Wynette, including a great steel pedal performance by Adam “Ditch” Kurtz. The lyrics twist around emotionally, exploring the complicated range of feelings that one person can elicit in another, good and bad.
“I think back on the time when I wasn’t afraid
Of what you might think or what I would say
Please take me back to that time once again
Cause with each day that passes, I fear it’s the end.”
By the time the band fades out and the song settles into its final line, “It’s midnight in Nashville, and I think I love you…” it sounds less like a statement and more like a mournful question.
Burns grew up in the Los Angeles area before her music-industry father moved the family to Nashville right before Burns started high school. While she describes some culture shock around the move, the move to Tennessee got her interested in country music, though she didn’t perform in the genre much until she made the move to Phoenix.
“I did play music in Nashville, but I think I was still figuring out my sound,” said Burns. “When I got to Arizona, everything kind of clicked. I just got a total vision of how I wanted to look and sound, and it felt really easy to connect with the great players I was looking for.”
Burns has some big plans in the pipeline, including a planned tour of Australia in early 2026, which serendipitously aligns with an upcoming single, a disco-country cover of Aussie icon Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical.”
For now, keep an eye out for more singles, and catch them on October 17th at the Rhythm Room, opening for Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys. The band’s happenings can be followed on their site, and their music, including the single, is on Spotify and various streaming platforms.
Video by Taylor Hungerford.
