When it comes to country music, there is the sequin-encrusted, pop-leaning new school Nashville that dominates the radio – or there are artists like Julie Roberts and the musicians she shares in this playlist, who strip their music back down to the basic elements of voice, fiddle, and guitar, no autotune or programmed drumbeats required.
Given her tastes, it might not be a surprise that Sun Records – the storied Memphis-based independent label once home to Johnny Cash – chose Julie Roberts to be their first new artist signed since the 1970s.
Her new record’s title, “Good Wine & Bad Decisions” might give a little hint as to the kind of parties she might be hosting, as does this all-female playlist of songs both sexy and sad.
Hey y’all, this is Julie Roberts. I have a new record out right now called “Good Wine and Bad Decisions,” and here is my dinner party soundtrack.
Nora Jones, “Turn Me On”
My first song would be Nora Jones, “Turn Me On.” It’s one of those songs that I listen to while I put on my makeup because it will help me feel like I’m looking sexy for the party. So right now I’m picturing my friend Anita’s house, and she has like this formal dining room where she’ll set up candles, and she has all these fancy plates of everything she’s made, and then we’re kind of roaming from room to room with the music loud, just kind of relaxing, gossiping, listening to our favorite music and eating.
Lee Ann Womack, “I May Hate Myself in the Morning”
There’s a Lee Ann Womack song called “I May Hate Myself in the Morning” that I would play at a dinner party, and the hook of that song is, “I’m gonna hate myself in the morning, but I’m gonna love you tonight.” Lee Ann Womack is definitely a current country artist. She’s more traditional-based country which is what I love and what I grew up listening to in South Carolina. Instrumentation wise there’s simple production, fiddle – fiddle is what we call it in country music, and my favorite instrument- steel guitar, but really just very simple. I mean, no programmed drum beats. It’s just traditional country music.
Patsy Cline, “Sweet Dreams”
One of my other favorite artists is Patsy Cline, probably because of my mom, because that’s what she listened to. “Sweet Dreams” is one of my favorites, and it’s so sad. I love sad country music. I love sexy, and I love sad. Sometimes when you’re drinking wine and listening to music you wanna feel those emotions, so to me it’s like combining all of those, it’ll connect with somebody there.
Julie Roberts, “Good Wine and Bad Decisions”
If I wanted my friends to play a song of mine at our dinner party, it’d be “Good Wine and Bad Decisions.” I love singing the first verse: “It don’t matter what dress I put on; we both know it won’t stay on for long” I mean, every time I sing it, it makes me smile because I’m like, “Okay yeah, I’ve been there.” Probably a lot of people have been there. I must sound terrible, I sound like a terrible person. I’m just honest.
