Walking Down the "Right Road Now" with Whitney Duncan

For the past two years, Warner Brother’s recording artist and songwriter Whitney Duncan and her fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of her album “Right Road Now”. Sure, we got a sneak peak with the “Selections From Right Road Now” EP, but it’s just not the same. Now, however, her dream is finally becoming a reality.

Whitney’s Duncan’s album “Right Road Now” will be released on April 20. The CD will be released as a digital copy on iTunes and as a physical copy through her official website (www.whitneyduncan.com). According to her website, the label decided to release Duncan’s album exclusively on her web site and iTunes to give her fans the music they have been asking for.

I sat down with Whitney Duncan and asked her a few questions about her new, long awaited album and her career in general. The following is a selection of an edited Q and A session Whitney Duncan recently granted Nashville Noise.

Q: Your long awaited album will finally be released April 20. What can we expect to hear?

WD: I mean, there’s definitely variety, but if you’ve ever been in a crappy relationship with somebody where the guy’s done you wrong, there’s plenty of those songs on there! (Laughs) It really is everything though. I made a very conscious decision on this record. I wanted happy, positive love songs, I want this kind of song, and I want up-tempo, enough of everything so everybody can find something on there. I mean, I obviously have my favorites though, you know, I mean, I co-wrote every song on this album!

Q: You list many artists as influences, both rock and country. Will we hear any heavily rock influenced tracks on this album?

WD: Yeah, it’s definitely edgy. It’s pretty rocking country for sure! But, you know, there’s steel guitar all over it, there’s some fiddle in there, so, you know, its definitely country. You can definitely tell I have a lot of different influences from traditional country to rock ‘n roll, so it’s all in there and you can definitely tell I’ve been influenced by a lot of different types of artist just by listening to it.

Q: What is your favorite song on the new album?

WD: My favorite song on there is “Burn it Down”. I mean, that song is pretty much as mad as you can be, but I just have so much fun singing it and I love it. That song and “So Sorry Momma” is another one of my favorites too.

Q: The name of the album is “Right Road Now” Could you explain to us why you chose this title, and what it means to you?

WD: Well, I just thought that was pretty appropriate. The song (Right Road Now) in itself is about getting out of a bad relationship, and, you know, saying getting out of this is putting me on the right road now…Just in life in general, I feel that this album really came together with the right label, the right producers, the right songs, you know? Just the right team and the right musical path, so I felt like that would be the obvious choice for the title of the record because it just feels right…It was pretty magical the way it all happened. I mean, it was two years ago that we made it, but it really was. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was kind of like Christmas everyday! It was a very happy time and when I finished and turned that record in, I mean, that album is like a piece of me, it really is. So, I hope people like it. It’s been a long time coming for sure (Laughs). I’m just so happy that it’s finally coming out!

Q: Have you picked a follow-up single to your last single “Skinny Dippin”?

WD: We have not. We have not picked a single just yet so it will be interesting to get people’s feedback once the record gets out there!

Q: On April 20th, “Right Road Now” will be released for digital download which seems to be the most popular way to purchase music these days anyway and physical copy through your website but, are there any plans to eventually release it as a physical album in stores?

WD: I’ve heard yes, I don’t have the dates on that yet, but on the website if you order it you get a physical copy and it is also a signed copy. So, I thought that was pretty cool, you know, plus it drives people to the website and gets people interested in me as an artist as well as the music. It will be eventually, one day, I just haven’t been told a date just yet.

Q: You recently got back from a trip overseas in the Middle East on a USO tour. Give us a little bit of a background on how that worked out and some of your experiences over there.

WD: It was a two-week tour of Kuwait and Iraq. We did five shows total. I imagined me sleeping in a tent, things like that you know? And it wasn’t what I was expecting at all, but we actually got to sleep in one of Saddam’s palaces... It was on a big lake, he had built all these man made lakes because water means power (in Iraq) I guess. And so on the back balcony we could fish, we could fish off the back balcony into the lake. We didn’t catch anything, but that doesn’t matter (laughs) Just to be able to say we fished in one of Saddam’s lake, you know...So when we did have a second to breathe, we went out in the back overlooking the lake and got to relax for a little bit. It was just the coolest experience though; I wasn’t ready to come home at all! My mom was like “Aren’t you ready to come home?” I was like “No! I don’t know what to tell you mom I’m sorry but…” (Laughs). I would have stayed another week at least!


Q: Recording, performing live concerts and writing songs are all part of your job, but if you had to choose one, what would you say is your favorite part?

WD: Performing. Absolutely! That is a really hard call to make, because writing songs is like therapy. It is therapy! So, the whole point of it all is to get out to the fans, see their reactions and see how it affects them and to have fun playing the music live. I got my start performing songs and being on stage and being in front of people so that’s what it would all come back to for sure. Even though I love it all…there was a time when I was just focusing on songwriting and not doing the artist thing and it was amazing. I love the artist thing too, I definitely do. It’s a lot more exciting and your day changes everyday. No day’s the same, that’s for sure…but songwriting is amazing, it really is. It definitely gets tough at times and there are days when it feels like you’re doing a crossword puzzle all day long (Laughs). I hate crossword puzzles! But, there’s something gratifying about writing a song and turning it in, like “I just accomplished something!”.

Q: Thank you, Whitney for taking the time to sit down and talk for a little!

WD: Thank you so much!


For more information on Whitney Duncan and her music, visit her website at www.whitneyduncan.com and www.whitneyduncanfans.com. Right Road Now will be released April 20 on iTunes and through Whitney Duncan’s official website.