Natalie Hemby Bundles Up in Style

It has been so dang cold this season and the 5 pm nights have me fighting off the naps. With the gloom of Winter in full swing, it was a true breath of fresh air to meet up with Natalie Hemby at her favorite shop, Castilleja, to pick out her Winter wardrobe essentials. If you’ve never been to Castilleja, it’s a beautiful shop that captures the spirit of a well-traveled woman who embraces the colors and patterns of a sunny Summer day. It was the perfect place to explore with Natalie and her bold, playful style.

Here are a few of my favorite wintery essentials pulled by Natalie and Castilleja’s owner, songwriter Liz Rose.

Bomber Jacket

From the runway to the streets, bombers have made a huge come back in the last year. They can stand alone as a statement piece or they can be mixed and matched with other exciting wardrobe pieces for a louder look. I particularly love seeing this embroidered Tiger Bomber Jacket paired with a bright solid dress. If you aren’t into dressing up, just throw this on over a solid hoodie and skinny/slim-fitting pants.

Tip: Don’t forget your sunnies with this jacket!

Floral Kimono

Kimonos are hands-down my favorite layering piece year-round. For those of you who would love to layer but don’t know where to start, throwing on a patterned kimono is a simple way to spice it up.

Tip: Run a curl wand through your hair and pair with a nice shoe. Since most of your outfit will be hidden under the kimono, your shoes and hair will stand out and you don’t want your look to lean more towards the Dude vs. chic boho badass.

White Embroidered Long-Sleeve Blouse

I do enjoy the clean look of a snow white wardrobe in the Winter. For one thing, white is a color that looks great on everyone. It’s fresh and makes your lipstick and jewelry pop. Natalie gives this embroidered blouse a simple, Southwest punch by pairing it with a few turquoise rings and necklace.

Oversized Collared Sweater

For me, there is nothing better than cozying up in an oversized sweater on a cold, dreary day. I’ve been on the hunt for one that’s less gramps and more glam. I’m quite fond of this multi-colored woven sweater with a fur collar from Castilleja.

Layered Jewelry

Layering on rings and necklaces is the last thing I want to do during the Summer when my fingers slightly swell and I feel like a sweaty mess just walking from my car to my next air conditioned destination. So I take full advantage of layering up my jewelry in the cooler months! If you are ever looking for a new accessory, Castilleja has one of the best collections of jewelry in Nashville.

Lined Denim Jacket

Denim and Nashville go hand-in-hand so, when temperatures drop, it’s nice to have a heavier alternative for the cooler weather.

Thanks for having us, Castilleja!

BGS Class of 2017: Preview

This is going to be an exceptional year in roots music with new releases coming later on from Jason Isbell, Lee Ann Womack, Holly Williams, Chris Stapleton, Chuck Berry, and so many more. Here are some albums we’re excited about dropping in the first half of 2017.

Natalie Hemby: Puxico

Ani DiFranco: Binary

Pieta Brown: Postcards

Rhiannon Giddens: Freedom Highway

Alison Krauss: Windy City

Rodney Crowell: Close Ties

Caroline Spence: Spades & Roses

Valerie June: The Order of Time

Noam Pikelny: Universal Favorite

— Kelly McCartney

* * *

Jaime Wyatt: Felony Blues

Rhiannon Giddens: Freedom Highway

Natalie Hemby: Puxico

Alison Krauss: Windy City

Sunny Sweeney: Trophy

Pieta Brown: Postcards

Nikki Lane: Highway Queen

Caroline Spence: Spades & Roses

Rogue + Jaye: Pent Up

— Brittney McKenna

* * *

Mark Eitzel: Hey Mr. Ferryman

Ryan Adams: Prisoner

Alison Krauss: Windy City

Nikki Lane: Highway Queen

Rhiannon Giddens: Freedom Highway

Old 97’s: Graveyard Whistling

Valerie June: The Order of Time

Hurray for the Riff Raff: The Navigator

Various: From Here: English Folk Field Recordings

Bruce Springsteen: TBA

— Stephen Deusner

* * *

Tift Merritt: Stitch of the World

Leif Vollebekk: Twin Solitude

Ryan Adams: Prisoner

Jesca Hoop: Memories Are Now

Rhiannon Giddens: Freedom Highway

Gold Connections: Gold Connections (EP)

Hurray for the Riff Raff: The Navigator

Laura Marling: Semper Femina

Michael Chapman: 50

— Amanda Wicks

* * *

Ryan Adams: Prisoner

Nikki Lane: Highway Queen

Rhiannon Giddens: Freedom Highway

Hurray for the Riff Raff: The Navigator

Valerie June: The Order of Time

Dead Man Winter: Furnace

Laura Marling: Semper Femina

Son Volt: Notes of Blue

Sera Cahoone: From Where I Started

— Desiré Moses

* * *

John Moreland: TBA

Rogue + Jaye: Pent Up

Rhiannon Giddens: Freedom Highway

Nikki Lane: Highway Queen

Little Bandit: Breakfast Alone

Ryan Adams: Prisoner 

— Marissa Moss
 

Natalie Hemby, ‘This Town Still Talks About You’

It takes a certain kind of confidence to, as a songwriter, wait patiently while you use your powerful words to serve the storybooks of others — and a certain kind of humility, too. For years, Natalie Hemby's had her tracks cut by the likes of Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, and Kelly Clarkson, finding a niche as one of the town's most treasured sources of song, yet only discovered by those fans keen enough to read the liner notes. Of course, the more you know of her, it's actually quite easy to recognize a Hemby tune: the polite middle finger of Kacey Musgraves' "Good Ol' Boys Club," the catchy camp of Little Big Town's "Pontoon," the perfect swampy kiss-off of Lambert's "Baggage Claim." Her fingerprint is unmistakable, her pen so flexible that her visions are only limited by the creativity of whoever is around to interpret them.

For her solo debut, Puxico, Hemby chose not to use the opportunity to spell a confessional diary of her life or ride a show horse around the stable. Instead, she focused on the tiny town that gives its name to the title, where her grandfather, George Hemby, is from and where she spent much of her childhood. It's about the holes we leave behind in the shape of ourselves that never quite close up even when we drift farther and farther away — and how, in a world that at times feels crushing, there's always a place where we truly belong. "This Town Still Talks About You," which combines a pop-sensible beat with subtle country orchestrations, reminds us that moving on doesn't have to mean saying goodbye. What makes it unique is that Hemby decides to tell this story from the perspective not of the leaver, but of the left behind, full of vivid scenes and snapshots.

"You were so loved, you were one of our own, and it's never been the same, since you've been gone," she sings softly. We all want to believe that, if our high school walls could talk, they'd say the same thing about us.