Rock Music News: Nashville Songwriters Anna Wilson and Monty Powell Share Their Love Story in New Musical (2024)

Lovebirds Anna Wilson and Monty Powell are Nashville's hottest songwriting duo. How did they find each other? Their new musical 'North South Nashville' reveals all! The post Nashville Songwriters Anna Wilson and Monty Powell Share Their Love Story in New Musical appeared first on Rockmommy.com.

Lovebirds Anna Wilson and Monty Powell are Nashville's hottest songwriting duo. How did they find each other? Their new musical 'North South Nashville' reveals all! The post Nashville Songwriters Anna Wilson and Monty Powell Share Their Love Story in New Musical appeared first on Rockmommy.com.

Musician Musician
Jun 9, 2023 - 13:28
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Nashville Songwriters Anna Wilson and Monty Powell Share Their Love Story in New Musical

By Marisa Torrieri Bloom

The new musical ‘NORTH SOUTH NASHVILLE,’ which debuts this weekend ahead of CMA Fest ’23, tells the story of two creative individuals who ventured to Music City to chase their dreams of fame and stardom — not realizing that romance would take hold and change their trajectory. It captures the true, inspiring love story of Anna Wilson and Monty Powell, the songwriting team and married couple who’ve written for Keith Urban, Lady A, and so many other country music household names.

Like a lot of great works materializing in 2023, ‘NORTH SOUTH NASHVILLE’ came into fruition during the couple’s hunkering-down phase at the height of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. When their band TROUBADOUR 77’s tour was cancelled, they finally found the time to get serious about the idea they’d been kicking around for a few years.

[SEE RELATED: ANNA WILSON AND MONTY POWELL, ON CONNECTING IN LOVE AND MUSIC]

“I guess when life gives you lemons, write a musical,” says Anna of the production.

So what’s the best takeaway from the musical, which debuts this coming weekend at the historic Woolworth Theatre? While Anna’s not divulging any secrets, she shared a few spoilers with us in this interview:

Rockmommy: Last time we checked in, you and Monty had just come up with the idea to write a musical. Did this idea hatch during the pandemic or has it always been in the back of your minds? 

Anna Wilson: The idea to write the musical actually came to us just prior to the pandemic, but we could never find time to write it because we were preparing our next album or upcoming tour. In March 2020, we were all set to go on our TROUBADOUR 77 “Revolution & Redemption Tour” when everything went into lockdown. We had to cancel everything and so we thought this is the perfect time to actually drill down and write the musical.  I guess when life gives you lemons, write a musical!  We spent the next year in lockdown doing just that.  So I guess you could say it did take a global pandemic to really focus us, but it was a great way to be productive and creative during that time.

Rockmommy: Are there any inspiring musicals that led you to this place? 

Anna Wilson: Yes, “Springsteen on Broadway” (2018) definitely influenced this undertaking. Watching that format of a one-man, scripted, storytelling experience really resonated with us. It felt like the Bluebird Cafe on steroids! We are a two-man show and I think what makes our story compelling is that we are a married couple telling our unique story about chasing dreams and finding love. In many ways, it is an everyman’s tale. Everyone has a story to tell, and everyone is chasing a dream of some sort and searching for love. These messages are universal, and we felt like we could take our unique story and tell it in a way where others can find their story inside of it.

Rockmommy: When did you start writing songs? Did you take a break from TROUBADOUR 77, or is your material borrowed a bit? 

Anna Wilson: All of the songs with the exception of two were written or recorded throughout our 30-year career and are presented chronologically, within the play, in the order in which they were written. So I guess you can say they were borrowed from our previous catalog and recorded albums. The two songs that I wrote to bridge a few storytelling gaps were written from a flashback perspective about those moments in time.

Rockmommy: Breaking into the business of songwriting is really tough. When you moved to Nashville did you have a plan to become professional songwriters for big-name artists? Or did you just want to perform?

Anna Wilson: Monty had a plan to become a professional songwriter and producer and work with other artists. I aspired to write and record my own songs, so my career has been a little bit of both.

Rockmommy: OK, so … how did you and Monty meet? 

Anna Wilson: You have to come to NORTH SOUTH NASHVILLE to find out that out! Lol! It’s a long story! But I will give you a little teaser… We met backstage at a Diamond Rio concert under a tent in the rain. That’s all you get for now!

Rockmommy: Is it harder or easier to find love in the age of smartphone apps that encourage swiping to find matches? 

Anna Wilson: Oh dear. You’re asking a dinosaur this question. I really don’t know the answer cause it’s all so different and unique for everyone. I’ve had a few friends of late who have found their true love online, and it works. I think the journey of finding love is unique to everyone and whether you find it via fate and happenstance by being in a certain place at a certain time, online, or by following a calling in your heart to do something that makes absolutely no sense at all, like chasing the music business as we did, it is a worthy pursuit!

NORTH SOUTH NASHVILLE runs June 10 to September 2, 2023. For tickets and information, visit Woolworth Theatre’s events page.

Marisa Torrieri Bloom is the editor and founder of Rockmommy.  

The post Nashville Songwriters Anna Wilson and Monty Powell Share Their Love Story in New Musical appeared first on Rockmommy.com.

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