Heidi Newfield

The diminutive blond who became famous for her explosive voice, rambunctious stage antics, and trademark unruly curls points out, “That was still me. But I felt that I had been painted into a corner, and I wanted to be able to branch out. I wanted to depart from that simply because I felt that I could do more. ” So with a heavy heart, a deep respect for where she came from, and an artist’s hunger to evolve, Heidi Newfield flew the Trick Pony coop.

Heidi Newfield is in a very different place now than when hard-partying, good-timing Trick Pony hit the scene in 2001, and her new album reflects that. “There are parts of this record that are not just about a man and a woman for me,” she explains. “They’re about my experiences all the way around, like leaving the group, and my feelings about that, the pain and the hurt, or the joy of being independent and standing on my own two feet. Everybody who listens to this record can take these songs, and place them in their lives, and relate to them.”

The diversity of the song selection is striking: from to the bleak melancholy of “Wreck You,” the sweaty desperation of “Can’t Let Go,” and the angry wail of “Nothing Burns Like A Memory,” Heidi reaches not just new heights as an artist, but new depths as well. She gracefully leads us through the sweet, breathy yearning of “All I Wanta Do,” the simple hurt of “Love Her And Lose Me,” and the retro groove of “Tears Fall Down.” Closing with the “redneck-clever” anthem “Knocked Up,” the album whirls its way through a 360 degree tour of Heidi Newfield.

“I wanted to create a really important body of work, no matter how long it took me,” Heidi explains. “I had no interest in going in and making another Nashville country record that just gets thrown out there and quickly forgotten. I was only interested in cutting a record that was going to step out and have some relevance in this day and age, when we are head-to-toe in pop culture with videos, the internet, and imagery. We don’t always listen with our ears and our hearts—we, more often, listen with our eyes. So I wanted to make a record that stood out. I wanted people to begin to get to know me in a way they’ve never known me before. I wanted to showcase with humility and pride that God made me different…without ‘trying to be different.’ I hope that people will open up their hearts and minds to me and this music because it has soul— my soul. For that, I have high hopes, and always will.”