On her forthcoming album A Cowgirl Rides On (out Oct. 20), California native Victoria Bailey shares vivid storytelling that's at once deeply personal and universally understood. Raised on the music of Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Emmylou Harris and John Prine, Bailey has long been drawn to atmospheric songs with richly drawn characters.
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One of those songs is "Angel From Montgomery," recorded by Prine for his self-titled 1971 album and later made famous by Bonnie Raitt. Bailey says Prine's classic inspired her to create her own character-driven stories set to music.
"John Prine is one of my all-time favorites and biggest heroes all around," Bailey tells Wide Open Country. "His songwriting and ability to create such an in-depth world around the characters in his songs is truly unmatched. 'Angel From Montgomery' being such a great example of that. I perform this one at shows quite often, and it always hits home for a lot of people."
Stefanie Lee Johnson
Bailey recently performed "Angel From Montgomery" exclusively for Wide Open Country listeners.
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Bailey began performing in her late teens and discovered her love of country music while performing in honky-tonks and country bars in the Los Angeles area.
In 2016, she started the Little Folk Club to "introduce children and families in her community to her love of traditional folk music and instruments."
She released her debut country album Jesus, Red Wine & Patsy Cline in 2020. She supported Sam Outlaw on two tours and opened for Jesse Daniel at the iconic Pappy & Harriet's Saloon.
Earlier this year, Bailey released "Forever, You and I," featured on A Cowgirl Rides On.
"This whole record is truly so raw and truthful," Bailey told Wide Open Country about the album. "It's gospel and western and heartbreaking, and the most authentic piece I feel like I've released. My biggest intention with this record was to release something that sounds so true to how I perform these songs live, and it came to life exactly how I hoped for."
