featureBy Kelly Sutton

She is one of the biggest superstars in country music, but Martina McBride could easily be your nextdoor neighbor. “I’m just getting started this morning…” she laughs, as she pulls up a chair in her beautifully decorated living room. A wooden chandelier peeks over her shoulder near the exposed beams in the ceiling. The room is warm and inviting; the perfect setting for a killer dinner party, something McBride is famous for throwing.

The studio was dark, with just a sliver of light coming through a window on the far wall. A faint glow from an iPhone screen helped light up the airtight room. We were just starting to discuss new music as the power went out. Chris Young was apologizing when he rejoined the interview from his cell phone. “Sorry about that. Looks like blasting on Music Row has knocked the power out on a few blocks,” Young concedes when we are finally connected again.

Her retro-styled kitchen will have you missing your grandma’s house. Her big hair will have you missing your teasing comb. Her sharp country lyrics will make you fall in love with her. Hannah Damn Dasher - as she is known around town - is one of a kind. The singer-songwriter moved to Nashville after graduating from the University of Georgia. From there, she started crafting her songwriting, developing it enough to produce a cut for Brad Paisley (‘Go To Bed Early’).