
Be absorbed by this glorious, upbeat single from New Zealand-based Tami Neilson. In ‘Borrow My Boots’, Neilson’s resonant, powerful voice blends brilliantly with co-writers Shelly Fairchild and Ashley McBride’s vocals, while prodigy Grace Bowers adds energy on the guitar. It’s a song of female empowerment and about women helping one another, summed up in the idea of lending your boots to a friend. The accompanying video features behind-the-scenes footage as well as Neilson’s debut at the famous Grand Ole Opry. On stage, the performers look like they’re having great fun, reflecting the energy of the song – it’s joyous stuff.
Neilson explains how the song was written: “After performing on a dream lineup honouring Patsy Cline at the Ryman, I woke the next morning to a message from Ashley McBryde. She’d been on the lineup and, after seeing me perform, dove into my catalogue and reached out with encouragement. Not long after, she was posting about using ‘Careless Woman’ as her CMA hype song. A few months later, she asked to create a t-shirt with my photo and the line ‘I Wanna Be Her When I Grow Up’ — and wore it while hosting CMA Fest, championing my music. That’s how you say, ‘Hey Sister, you can borrow my boots.’ When I had an idea for a song about women supporting one another, Ashley was the first person I thought of. She invited powerhouse songwriter Shelly Fairchild to join, and ‘Borrow My Boots’ was born. I’d met Grace Bowers when she was 15 — she played her first paid gigs with me at AmericanaFest. Now she’s on a rocket ride, playing with everyone from Dolly to Slash. I didn’t know if she’d have time for a solo on my album, but not only did she say yes, she changed flights mid-tour to join us at my Grand Ole Opry debut. That’s how you say, ‘Hey Sister, you can borrow my boots.'”
‘Borrow My Boots’ is the second single release from “Neon Cowgirl”, Neilson’s forthcoming album. Due out on 11th July, the album was inspired by a 5-month road trip across the USA in a 36-foot RV. Intended to connect her New Zealand-born children with her American heritage, the nature and purpose of the trip changed when Neilson became seriously ill, spending a month in hospital and time in intensive care.
Neilson says: “Our trip changed from one of me going full throttle to make a good dent in my career to one of recovery and slow healing. It became a time of embracing life fully and savouring the precious time with my family in a way one does only after a near-death experience. We zig-zagged across the country, from the ghostly halls of Graceland to the technicolor desert of Salvation Mountain, across neon graveyards in Las Vegas to driving alongside herds of buffalo in Montana. I collected the seeds for these songs in each place along the way. When they blossomed, there were crossbreeds of Presley and Patsy, Orbison and KD Lang- the blues of Memphis, the twang of Texas, the cinematic torch of Judy Garland on a Hollywood soundstage. But, mostly, it became a love letter to my Neon Cowgirl.”
Tami Neilson, beloved in her adopted home of New Zealand, is one of the most powerful voices in country and roots music today – check this out along with the fabulous country-noir of previous single ‘You’re Gonna Fall’. Enjoy.