Brittney Spencer reflects on a whirlwind year: 'It's a beautiful experience'

A little over a year ago, country singer-songwriter Brittney Spencer was coming to grips with the fact that a few of her musical heroes had discovered her work. The members of The Highwomen raved about her cover of their "Crowded Table" — "Come sing with us," Maren Morris told her.

14 months later, Spencer has done that and so much more.

It's been a whirlwind year for the Baltimore native, between performing with The Highwomen at the Bottle Rock festival in California (with 24 hours notice), releasing a powerful new single, making history at the CMA Awards and being widely celebrated as one of country's most promising new artists.

She's also embarked on her first-ever headlining tour, which comes to Nashville's Basement East on Thursday. On the morning of the tour's kickoff in New York City, Spencer called to look back on momentous year — and forward to the future. 

Releasing 'Sober & Skinny'

Following a four-song EP in 2020, Spencer put out a new song this year: 'Sober & Skinny,' in which a fictional couple points out on one another's flaws and vices instead of focusing on their own.

"It reminds me of a lot of the country songs that I fell in love with, that really drew me to this genre, to this space," she says. "I just wanted to tell a story, and there's really no resolve in it. It's just a conversation, and some of my favorite songs are like that."

"Whenever someone says anything to me along the lines of 'I've been waiting to hear this kind of country music,' that resonates with me so much," she adds. "I'm just making the country music I've always wanted to hear. I'm making my own little version of it."

A first-time headliner

Spencer wraps the first leg of her "In a Perfect World" tour with Thursday's Nashville concert. She kicked off her first-ever headlining trek last week in New York City.

"It's a crazy time to do a headlining tour, but it felt like the right time," she says. "Most of my set is new songs, so it feels like this really long, extended party, showing new songs....So this is literally just a big-a** songwriters round, except it's the full band, and just my songs. I'm excited."

A historic performance at the CMA Awards

Perhaps the most lasting image of this year's CMA Awards is that of Spencer, Mickey Guyton, Madeline Edwards and 14-year-old student Faith Fennidy embracing on stage after a performance of Guyton's "I Love My Hair."

The song was inspired by Fennidy's experience being sent home from school after being told that her braided hair violated the school's policy.

Spencer says she and her fellow performers are "still processing" the moment. One of her favorite aspects: "that we did this together."

"I've watched Mickey be the leader of this conversation about Black women in country music, and I feel sometimes a lot of the backlash has been sent to her as if it's just her story, just her experience, and that there's something flawed with it. For me and Madeline to stand on that stage with her, internally, it felt like 'No, actually, Mickey's story is all of our stories. What Mickey is saying we've all experienced or witnessed.' it was a moment to say, 'Actually, she's not by herself.' I don't know that people always notice that Mickey has not let anybody else walk through this by themselves."

Tackling classic songs on iconic stages

Two of the many standing ovations Spencer received this year came at high-profile, all-star affairs in Nashville. In September, she performed Loretta Lynn's "You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man)" at the country legend's benefit concert for flood victims in Waverly, Tenn.

Last month, she sang "Tennessee Whiskey" at the Country Music Hall of Fame for inductee Dean Dillon, the song's co-writer — and an audience that included dozens more country greats.

"Honestly, the way that I combat nerves or insecurity is to just be more of myself, and to show more of my personality," Spencer says. "Before I started singing for Dean, I just had a moment where I said, 'You don't know me. But your songs have meant the world to me. Thank you for everything you do.' And he gave a very emotional response back and I was like, 'I don't want to cry right now. I have to do this song.'"

New year, new music

Spencer aims to have new music out in the first quarter of 2022 -- hopefully around the time her tour wraps — but exactly what shape it takes is yet to be decided. 

"I write almost every day, even if it's just a melody or a few lines. I've got a lot of songs, and we're just narrowing down which ones to record."

For now, she says her main focus has been "to get in front of the people who have supported me and loved me into the place where I am now in my career."

"I've heard artists say, 'I do this for the fans.' I'm actually starting to feel that on a very personal level. I just want to love the people who've supported me. And I want to write the songs for people who told me that they need them. It's a beautiful experience. And I'm really looking forward to giving people more music."

If You Go

Brittney Spencer performs Thursday at the Basement East with Willie Jones and Camille Parker. The show starts at 8 p.m., and tickets are $16.