Dazzlingly decked out in her safety vest ensemble, singer Priscilla Block joined Audacy host Coop backstage for our continuing coverage of Nashville's 2023 CMA Fest brought to you by Simple Green, (how appropriate) to talk about her fashion vibe, making music as a "feeler," and more.
LISTEN NOW: Priscilla Block talks with Coop at CMA Fest 2023
"Clearly, I am not working on any construction," she says, proudly displaying her neon green outfit. "But I figured I'd bring the sunshine today. The safety vest is from a gas station somewhere, we obviously had to rhinestone it out." Her shirt? Rhinestones as well, but the icing on the cake was her duct-taped boots. "I call them my 'Dui Vuittons' ... for duct-taped Louis Vuittons.'"
Priscilla admits her outfit choices largely depend on whatever clean clothing she has around. "The safety vests, it started with me going into a gas station because I had nothing to wear. I saw it hanging on the wall and I was like, 'Maybe I could wear that tonight.' Sometimes it's just random," she says, "but now I feel like people are expecting for the 'fits to be good. So, I try to plan it out, if I can. If not, there's a Walmart or Dollar General just about anywhere."
The touching story behind her friendship and inclusion in Justin Moore's 2022 single "You, Me, & Whiskey" is a testament to the confidence the seasoned songwriter had in Priscilla after first meeting and hearing her perform. "Gosh, there's just been so many people that have just kind of reached out their hand," she says. "I'll never forget, before I signed my record deal, everything was just blowing up and I felt so lost, I remember Carly Pearce messaged me on Instagram... and that was really cool, because you know, she could have been like, 'Who's this new girl comin' up?!' No, she was like, 'Let me help in any way.'"
I mean, I just met Reba [McEntire]," Block says shocked. "And she knew who I was... My peak of life was just now! It's only downhill from here, I guess."
One of Coop's favorite songwriters at the moment, he wonders how Priscilla makes the transition from displaying such an infectious and positive personality to writing some of the most beautifully sad songs. "I'm like the girl who's either laughing or crying," she explains. "There's really not a whole of in-between. I'm either the girl that's partying my butt off at the bar or crying to the bartender telling her my life's problems. I think that comes through in my music too."
"I'm a feeler and I've gone through a lot of heartbreak and I write those songs. I guess even in my music too, there's then songs that will make you laugh like 'Thick Thighs' or 'Peaked In High School,' and then songs that kind of just break in 'Like a Boy,' or 'Me Pt. 2.' I think that's life, it's just a bunch of highs and lows."
Don't miss Coop's full chat with Priscilla Block above to hear her wild, breakdown-filled Taylor Swift Eras Tour in Nashville story and more -- and stay tuned for more of Audacy's continuing coverage from CMA Fest 2023 in Nashville.
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