From the first time we heard Callie McCullough sing back in 2019, we were hooked. That introduction came in the form of her debut single, “Five Dollar Pearls,” which landed on her fantastic debut EP, After Midnight.
In the years that have followed the EP, McCullough has steadily released single after single; seven in total, that culminated in a new album, Cutting Through the Noise. Those seven songs, and the additional songs that comprise the album, capture an expanded range for McCullough. There’s the traditional country and bluegrass numbers that we’ve come to love, but she expands into Celtic and fun, light-hearted numbers that bring the album together.
We chatted with McCullough all about Cutting Through the Noise, as well as working with a Grammy-nominated producer, more than a decade in Nashville and more!
Pro Country: Your new album, Cutting Through the Noise, has released five years after your debut EP, After Midnight. With so much time having passed since After Midnight, how do you look back on the project?
Callie McCullough: I’m so thankful for that record and the people who made it with me. It still feels special and that it so perfectly captured a snapshot of who I was in time, but somehow also feels timeless. Getting to take those songs out on the road the past five years and growing through them; they still feel fresh and like they continue to evolve with me. That record was a magical experience
PC: You began releasing songs from Cutting Through the Noise in September of 2023. As release day was approaching after that time building, how excited were you to present the songs as your sophomore album?
CM: Releasing the first single in 2023 “What if I Don’t” really felt like a new beginning. I think especially after the Covid years, we were all ready for some fresh energy! It’s always exciting to send new music into the world, but that one really felt like the start of a new era. We really released the album slowly over the past two years because sometimes, good things take time, and it feels really cathartic and incredible to have all the songs out in the world now as a complete record!
PC: The first single you released from Cutting Through the Noise was “What If I Don’t” in September of 2023, which has since earned hundreds of thousands of streams and listens across platforms. What do you think it was about the song that allowed it to connect with listeners the way it did and to have the life it had?
CM: I think it was just light-hearted, fun and true. It tells a side of a story a lot of women my age are feeling: that pressure of “when will you married and have a baby” is an old story that we don’t need to be scarring women with anymore. We get it, we’ve heard it, and we’re completely capable of running our own lives without some well-meaning stranger’s or relative’s opinion. And the fear of aging is another big one: the way I see it is you get older or you die. Aging is a gift, so take it! We also had a laugh of a time making that music video! My personal favourite part was dressing up as the 90 year-old lady.
PC: “Cutting Through the Noise” opens its album, and is a song you wrote with Molly Brown and Jessica Sharman that you’ve called the most intense song you’ve ever written. How quickly did you know that “Cutting Through the Noise” was the song you wanted to serve as the title track for its album?
CM: I think for me, it was a great title, but also represented exactly how I was feeling and how I think a lot of people were feeling in a collective energy: just bombarded with noise. To the extent that you question, “does any of it matter?” So for me, it became anthemic; a rallying cry for hope, expression and finding deeper meaning.
PC: Robby Hecht joins you for harmony vocals on “Out of the Blue,” a fantastic song about longing for love and loneliness. Can you talk about how Robby got involved with the song and what he brought to the song?
CM: Robby is such an incredible talent (go check out his music), and a great friend! We’ve written together tons with more to come. With “Out of the Blue,” I was looking for someone to put a haunting and emotional male vocal on the song, and Robby came to mind right away, and I love what he did with this song.
PC: Our favorite song on Cutting Through the Noise is the album closer, “Three Little Words,” a sweet love song you wrote with Scotty Kipfer. Can you take us in the room and talk about how the song came together?
CM: Thank you! Every country album needs a waltz, and this one feels special! Scotty is one of my favorite people to write with; we have so many similar roots, influences and a shared love of traditional country music that it is just so easy to write songs together. This one happened in my living room in Nashville probably six years ago, and I think the whole thing came together in about 20 minutes late one night, and I’ve loved it ever since. Spoiler, but stay tuned for more “Three Little Words” next year.
PC: You worked with Grammy-nominated producer Dave Brainard on Cutting Through the Noise. Can you talk about what it was like to work with someone who has worked with so many great artists, including Brandy Clark and Sunny Sweeney, and how much fun you had collaborating with him?
CM: Dave is a gem of gems. He’s like a magical wizard who turns songs into art, and he’s also a wonderful human. The Brandy Clark 12 Stories record is how I was introduced to Dave’s work; I came across it the year I moved to Nashville and must have listened to that record 200 times, because it was a work of art so beautifully put together. I think way back then, some 11 years ago, I decided I would make a record with him, and now we have! The biggest thing he taught me was to make fast decisions, and that really kept the overthinking away, which is really a great gift.
PC: What do you hope listeners take away from Cutting Through the Noise after listening all the way through?
CM: That they should ask the big questions, be unapologetically who they are, and hopefully, they just think it’s good music!
PC: You performed at The Bluebird Café this week, where you had the opportunity to play songs from Cutting Through the Noise. As someone who is so passionate about both songwriter and country music history, what has it meant to be able to play such a historic venue as much as you have, and to be able to spotlight songs from the album this time around?
CM: I’ve loved every time I’ve set foot on the Bluebird stage. It’s always an honor and a treat; that place holds magic. I think sharing this record at the Bluebird was extra special because it is such an intimate listening venue, and that kind of strips you bare, so the songs really stand on their own.
PC: Cutting Through the Noise was written and recorded during your 10th year in Nashville. Over the course of that decade-plus of chasing your musical dreams, how do you feel that you’ve grown along the way? What has been the biggest thing you’ve learned?
CM: To listen to your own voice more and other peoples’ opinions less. It’s been a wild ride so far, and I’m only just getting started. I can’t wait for what’s to come! The people have been the greatest gift. I’ve grown as a writer, as a musician, as a singer, as an artist and as a human, and I wouldn’t trade these years for anything.
PC: With Cutting Through the Noise now released, what do you have planned for the rest of 2025 and going into 2026?
CM: We have a couple more album release tour dates before the end of the year, and then a winter’s nap followed my lots of touring for 2026, and perhaps some new Christmas music.
PC: Is there anything you’d like to add?
CM: You guys are the best! Thank you for chatting with me about the new record and all the love you’ve shown over the years: #countrymusiclives! I’ve been saying it for years, but I think it’s finally here: traditional country music is coming back, and we can’t wait!
*All images by Emma Lee*
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