Drenched in authenticity and rife with barstool charm with an addictive, Tennessee limestone gravel in her voice, Nashville-born and bred songbird Lauren Watkins writes, breathes, and lives country music. The 24-year-old original grew up on the outskirts of Guitar Town, mesmerized by a jukebox rotation of country music, from outlaws like Willie Nelson and Sheryl Crow to chart-toppers Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, and Chris Stapleton. Moving back after four years at Ole Miss, Watkins’ unyielding, turn-on-a-dime lyricism quickly caught the attention of GRAMMY-nominated multi-hyphenate Nicolle Galyon, who signed her to publishing and recording contracts with Songs & Daughters / Big Loud Records almost instantly. Honing in on a sound that’s both reverent of the genre’s roots and in lockstep with where it’s headed next, she introduced her take on country music with 17-track, full-length debut The Heartbroken Record, out now, the full-circle companion to previous EP releases Introducing: Lauren Watkins and Introducing: The Heartbreak. Watkins is touring fairs and festivals all summer before opening stadiums for Morgan Wallen internationally, theaters for Maddie & Tae, and dance halls for Corey Kent this fall. She’s previously toured with ERNEST, Conner Smith, Jameson Rodgers, Austin Snell, and Lily Rose.