I certainly felt the desire to reach as many people as I could; I wanted to make the most of this opportunity, sure. But I wouldn't call it pressure the way we're thinking of it now.

20-some years ago, I'd have a big old radio with a tape deck, and I'd hit record and try to get something down on the tape, but nowadays, I can use my handy little smart-phone; I sing into the app for voice memo.

It's a marvelous feeling when someone says I want to do this song of yours because they've connected to it. That's what I'm after.

Was it a light only she could see? A gypsy's spell? A mystery?

I've never... when I was having songs on the airwaves, and that sort of thing, I never felt a sense of pressure anywhere except from myself, to do things the way I wanted to do them; to feel authentic; to feel like I was presenting my true self to the world.

A dreamer born is a hero bred.

The bedrock thing of country music is, it's about storytelling. I feel like I was able to find a niche because I connected to that in some way.