“All Dressed Up,” Dan Auerbach & Singing Her Truth | Leah Blevins
Leah Blevins joined Heart of the Gulch host Tony Mendoza during CMA Fest 2026 for a conversation about All Dressed Up, working with Dan Auerbach, her Kentucky roots, and learning to turn some of life's hardest experiences into honest songs.
Blending country, Americana, folk, rock and Southern soul, Leah has developed a sound that's difficult to place neatly inside one genre. That's part of what makes it hers.
Leah Blevins reflects on All Dressed Up, her Kentucky roots and creating music inspired by country, Americana, folk and Southern soul.
Finding Her Sound on All Dressed Up
All Dressed Up marked an important chapter for Leah, giving her an opportunity to further define the kind of artist and songwriter she wanted to become.
Working with Dan Auerbach helped bring that vision to life while surrounding Leah with musicians capable of capturing the timeless quality she wanted in the music.
Rather than chasing a particular genre, Leah has allowed her influences and experiences to lead the way.
The result pulls from country and Americana while leaving plenty of room for rock, folk and soul.
Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crow & “First Time Feeling”
Leah's musical influences stretch well beyond traditional country.
During the conversation, she reflects on artists including Stevie Nicks and Sheryl Crow and the impact they've had on her creative journey.
Those influences help provide context for songs like “First Time Feeling,” where Leah's distinctive voice and personal songwriting meet the broader musical palette she's developed over the years.
It's less about fitting into a category and more about making something that feels true.
Heart of the Gulch host Tony Mendoza sits down with Leah Blevins at CMA Fest 2026 to talk songwriting, Dan Auerbach, faith and finding her sound.
Digging Into Her Kentucky Roots
Some stories require going much further back.
Leah opens up about the family history behind “Digging the Coal” and how her Kentucky upbringing continues to influence the stories she tells.
Her Appalachian roots aren't simply an aesthetic attached to the music. They're part of the people, places and experiences that shaped her.
That history gives Leah a deep well of material to draw from, particularly when writing about family, hardship and the complicated experiences people often struggle to put into words.
Turning Pain Into Something Honest
Vulnerability is central to Leah's songwriting.
Rather than avoiding difficult experiences, she has learned how to transform them into music that other people can recognize pieces of themselves in.
That doesn't necessarily make writing those songs easy.
Leah discusses personal challenges, rejection and the closed doors she's encountered while pursuing music in Nashville.
She also talks about faith, patience and confidence, and why success sometimes requires accepting that the timeline you imagined isn't necessarily the one you're going to get.
Easy Eye Sound and What's Next
Leah is already looking beyond All Dressed Up.
She discusses new music, her work with Easy Eye Sound, and plans for the next album as her sound continues to evolve.
The road ahead also includes some incredible live opportunities, with Leah preparing to share stages with artists including The Black Crowes, The Lumineers and Counting Crows.
For an artist whose music draws from so many corners of American roots music, those stages feel like a natural fit.
Singing Her Truth
Leah's career has required patience.
It's required confidence when opportunities didn't happen.
And it's required learning how to trust that the most personal stories can sometimes become the ones listeners connect with most.
From her Kentucky upbringing to All Dressed Up and the music she's preparing to release next, Leah Blevins isn't interested in squeezing herself into one musical category.
She's much more interested in telling the truth.
And letting the music find its way from there.
Watch Leah Blevins on Heart of the Gulch
Watch the full Leah Blevins interview from CMA Fest 2026 as she joins Tony Mendoza to discuss All Dressed Up, Dan Auerbach, “First Time Feeling,” her Kentucky roots, Easy Eye Sound, songwriting, faith and the next chapter of her music.
Interview Chapters
0:00 — Leah Blevins Interview at CMA Fest 2026
0:36 — Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crow & the Influences Behind “First Time Feeling”
1:40 — Recording All Dressed Up & Finding Her Sound
2:52 — Americana, Country, Rock & Why Leah Blevins Defies Genres
3:54 — “Digging the Coal” Explained: Family History & Songwriting Inspiration
5:38 — CMA Fest, Live Music & Connecting With Fans
6:25 — Patience, Success & Navigating Nashville's Music Industry
7:10 — Faith, Closed Doors & Overcoming Rejection
7:56 — Why Leah Blevins' Music Resonates With Listeners
9:08 — New Music, Easy Eye Sound & Upcoming Album Plans
10:28 — Vulnerability, Storytelling & Writing Honest Songs
11:28 — Faith, Confidence & Defeating Impostor Syndrome
12:52 — Headlining Tours, Career Goals & the Future of Leah Blevins
13:37 — Final Thoughts
Tony Mendoza and Leah Blevins together following her Heart of the Gulch interview during CMA Fest 2026 in Nashville.
Tony Mendoza is the Nashville-based host and creator of Heart of the Gulch, featuring conversations with country artists, songwriters and personalities from Nashville and beyond.
