They’ll be the first to admit, it was a process for A Tale of Two to reach a moment where they’re a month removed from releasing their debut EP, due out on September 17. But the process of the EP has lead the duo, comprised of Aaron Lessard and Stephanie Adlington, to a more rocksteady idea of the music they want to make and what they want to say as artists.
With two songs from the EP, “Ain’t Nothin’ But a Fool” and “Chicago Lightning” already out in the world and receiving universal praise, the duo is set to release their third single ahead of the EP, “The Letter,” tomorrow, but Pro Country is honored to premiere the track a day early!
Along with premiering the track, we chatted with Aaron and Stephanie about forming A Tale of Two, the romantic inspiration behind “The Letter,” what listeners can expect from their EP and more!
Pro Country: Can you talk about how you met and the chemistry you felt with each other that drew you to form A Tale Of Two?
Aaron Lessard: We met each other in the local Nashville Jazz scene. We both come from a Jazz background, and you’d be surprised to see how many Nashville players wear the same hat. Stephanie and I have a similar love for artists and storytelling; wanting to capture a timeless sound in a new way; it just made sense to work together. That being said, it was certainly a process to present who we are today. There was a great deal of trial and error before we found our lane, and we couldn’t be more excited to now share that with everyone.
PC: You’re set to release your self-titled EP on September 17. What information can you give about the EP? What can listeners expect to hear?
Stephanie Adlington: The self-titled EP has a lot of personal storytelling, perhaps portrayed in a fictional manner. Each song feels different from the next, taking you from a soft ballad to a gritty, upbeat blues. We wanted to create scene changes, and give something to everyone. Most importantly, it’s our story. It is about loyalty, commitment, hardship, sarcasm, and alcohol wrapped up in a CD (or preferably a bottle of bourbon).
PC: You’ve released two songs so far ahead of your EP, “Ain’t Nothin’ But A Fool” and “Chicago Lightning” which have earned a combined 7,000+ streams on Spotify, while “Chicago Lightning” has earned several thousand more views on YouTube. How encouraging has the response been to your first two releases ahead of your EP?
SA: Being our first collection of music together, it is thrilling to see the responses from so many new friends and fans. We get new messages often from strangers saying something like “I found you on _____ and fell in love with you immediately, I am a new fan!” Those small victories help to reassure us that what we are doing is right, and it is making an impact on someone out there.
PC: Today, we’re premiering “The Letter” from your EP. Can you talk about the inspiration behind the song?
SA: “The Letter” is an important song for us. The original guitar line was more of a celtic idea, but slowly transitioned as we started to build a story around it. It is not only about the beauty of writing someone a love letter, but the words that land on the page, and the volume they carry. The romance of cursive writing on an old page; we wanted to illustrate the ebb and flow of that with the dynamic range in the song. We hope we accomplished that.
PC: In your bio, you say, “If Nashville has taught us anything, it is to be different.” What have you done to set yourselves apart and to embrace that differentiation?
AL: We have always had musical interests “outside the norm.” From Jazz to French chanson and Appalachian storytellers, our interests are truly molded by the life experiences we have had. We never wanted to hide from that to “be famous” or to “be marketable.” We just want to write music we love that is relatable to people. If good fortune comes our way, then we will consider ourselves lucky and grateful to experience that.
PC: Of the things you can control, along with the release of your EP, what are your plans for the rest of 2021?
AL: We are excited to host our album release show at City Winery Nashville on September 19th. We will be making appearances on numerous radio shows and podcasts throughout the fall, along with some in-state performances to promote the record. Because coronavirus is so unpredictable, we are planning heavily for 2022 tours, and focusing the rest of the year more on grassroots promotion to new listeners.
PC: Is there anything you’d like to add?
A Tale of Two: Be sure to follow us on social media for new updates and EP news. Our YouTube is also home to “The Treehouse Sessions” which are live performances of songs off the record, so head over to check those out! For other news and merch, head over to www.taleoftwomusic.com to learn more. Thank you for taking the time!
Pro Country 
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