Artist: Bonnie Stewart
Hometown: Seneca, South Carolina
Song: “Original Muse”
Album: Magnolia (EP)
Label: Angels & Outlaws
In Their Words: “‘Original Muse’ is a song about my parents’ relationship. It’s really hard for me to reconcile the amazing, attentive husband my dad is to his current wife, who he married when I was 12, and the way he was with my mom. With age comes understanding, though, and as you get older and deal with your own issues you realize that your parents are only human. I can’t change who he was then, but I can use it to inform my behavior in my relationships, and I can forgive him for not being perfect. My parents’ relationship and subsequent divorce was definitely the catalyst that made me start writing songs when I was 9, so that explains the title and line ‘in more than one way / i’ve got you to thank / the original muse / my first heartbreak.’” — Bonnie Stewart
Photo Credit: Rachael Mason / Rock & Rae photography