Known for rowdy, true-to-her-roots music, Tanya Tucker is a cornerstone of country music. Her first album in 17 years, While I’m Livin’, released late last summer and fans in NoVA can experience songs new and old for one night only at The Barns at Wolf Trap this month. Here, we spoke with Tucker about her inspiration behind the new album, touring and more.
Describe your inspiration behind While Im Livin’.
I give all the credit to Brandi Carlile and Shooter Jennings. They’re the reason this album exists and took off like a rocket. Brandi and The Twins wrote most of the songs on the record just for me. They Googled me and wrote those songs before they even met me! Now that’s talent. The one song I did write is “Bring My Flowers Now.” I had the chorus stuck in my head for 30 years, but I could never get the rest of it laid down. I mentioned it to Brandi, and she ran to the piano and started writing it. We sat there together and wrote it in 15 minutes.
What is your favorite part of touring?
The fans. They’re the reason I’ve been doing this for so long. If it weren’t for the fans buying tickets to my shows, purchasing my albums or streaming my music, I’d have to get a real job.
What do you love about performing at The Barns?
There’s always a special feeling coming through the nation’s capital to perform in the area, and I love the intimate setting at The Barns. The show will feel like we’re all in my living room together. It’ll be a journey over the past 50 years of my career. I just turned 61 and I’ve been doing this since I was 11, so there’s a lot of ground to cover!
What can fans expect at the show?
All the hits and then some. I’ve got a catalog that goes back to the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, so we’ll have some fun and tell some stories. I’ll also perform a few songs off While I’m Livin’. // Feb. 5; 7:30 p.m.; The Barns at Wolf Trap: 1635 Trap Road, Vienna; $47-$67
This post originally appeared in our February 2020 print issue. For more interviews with well-known artists, subscribe to our newsletters.
