Country Legends, Motherhood & Finding Her Way Back | Mary Sarah
Mary Sarah’s country music story started alongside some of the biggest names the genre has ever known.
Long before motherhood added an entirely new dimension to her life, the Texas singer was recording with legends like Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson and later introducing herself to millions of viewers on The Voice.
Country artist Mary Sarah joins Heart of the Gulch during CMA Fest 2025 to discuss music, motherhood and her Texas roots.
At CMA Fest 2025, Mary Sarah joined Heart of the Gulch to talk about what those experiences mean to her now, the traditional country foundation she refuses to leave behind and how becoming a mother has changed both her life and career.
Inside Mary Sarah’s Heart of the Gulch Interview
Welcome to Heart of the Gulch, a Nashville-based interview show and country music platform featuring artists, singer-songwriters and personalities shaping music and entertainment. Host and creator Tony Mendoza sits down with Mary Sarah during CMA Fest 2025 to discuss her Texas roots, The Voice, recording with country legends, new music, motherhood and the unexpected success of her Baby Mama Podcast.
It’s a conversation with an artist whose relationship with country music has evolved — without losing sight of where it began.
Learning From Country Music Legends
Few young artists get the opportunity to share songs with the people who helped define the genre.
Heart of the Gulch host Tony Mendoza interviews Mary Sarah during CMA Fest 2025 in Nashville.
Mary Sarah did.
Early in her career, she recorded duets with country legends including Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson — experiences that reinforced her appreciation for traditional country music and the artists who paved the way.
Her later appearance on The Voice introduced Mary and her powerhouse vocals to an entirely new national audience, but those traditional influences remained at the center of her identity.
The Heartache Behind “The Bottom” and “Stubborn”
That foundation continues into Mary Sarah’s own songwriting.
During our conversation, she discusses fan favorites “The Bottom” and “Stubborn,” two songs that lean into heartache, resilience and the kind of honesty that has always been central to great country music.
For Mary, honoring the genre’s past doesn't mean trying to recreate it. It means carrying those influences forward while telling stories that actually belong to her.
Mary Sarah discusses her country music career, The Voice and recording with some of the genre’s legendary artists.
Motherhood Changed the Conversation
Music is only one part of Mary Sarah’s life these days.
Motherhood has given her an entirely new community through the Baby Mama Podcast, which debuted at No. 2 on Spotify.
The show gives Mary a place to talk candidly about motherhood, relationships, life and the realities young moms experience — conversations that have connected with an audience well beyond her music.
She opens up about balancing that growing platform with her career as an artist and the reality that both worlds are now deeply connected.
Texas Never Really Leaves You
Through every version of her career, one constant remains: Texas.
Mary Sarah’s roots continue to influence the music she makes, the artists she admires and the perspective she brings into this stage of her life.
She’s already experienced moments most artists could only dream about.
Now, she’s building the next part of the story on her own terms.
Watch Mary Sarah on Heart of the Gulch
Watch the full Mary Sarah interview from CMA Fest 2025 as she joins Tony Mendoza to discuss The Voice, recording with Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson, “The Bottom,” “Stubborn,” motherhood, her Baby Mama Podcast and staying connected to her Texas country roots.
Tony Mendoza is the Nashville-based host and creator of Heart of the Gulch, featuring conversations with country artists, singer-songwriters and personalities from Nashville and beyond.
