Drawing a stark contrast from her acclaimed debut, The Heartbroken Record, country artist Lauren Watkins is stepping into a new phase with her sophomore album, In a Perfect World. The 10-track collection, co-written with her husband and producer Will Bundy, finds the Nashville native exploring a compelling duality: the fast-paced chaos of arena toursafter opening for stars like Morgan Wallen and Riley Green, and the quiet simplicity of building a home with her husband. In this interview, Watkins offers an intimate look at the evolution of her songwriting, the challenges of blending work and family in the studio, and the biggest lessons learned from touring with the genre’s biggest names as she gears up for the road again with Lainey Wilson’s Whirlwind Tour.

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“In a Perfect World” captures a balance between life on the road and building a home. What was the biggest challenge in finding that balance making this record?

Lauren Watkins: Oh, that’s a good question. I mean, I think the biggest challenge was just the fact that I have been on the road and at home so much. That lifestyle has been such an adjustment for me, just sort of doing both at the same time. But I think that’s what—that was the inspiration behind so many of those songs. And so, it just was, it took me just really leaning into that and learning to appreciate both. And, yeah, so that’s kind of how it happened.

The album is produced by your husband, Will Bundy, alongside Joey Moi. What was it like blending work and family in the studio?

Yes, I, I mean, it’s so natural for us to do that because we met writing. We met songwriting several years ago, and so it wasn’t really an adjustment; it was just sort of like we’ve always known each other in that way. And, um, so once we started dating, it was just like we found a good balance that worked for us, like, “Alright, how much are we going to work together and also be able to prioritize our relationship?” And in marriage, it’s a whole other level of that. You really have to just prioritize us. But what works for us is to just really, like, really lean into it. And it is so much of our lives because we’re so passionate about it. And so, we, I’m not going to lie, we let it just kind of intertwine. We live and breathe our music. And, um, but of course, we have some hard boundaries that we have to set, but that’s just kind of what works for us. And it’s really fun. I think it makes—personally, I think it makes the music better because we’re just so in it. We just put our heart and souls into it.

You’ve said these songs are inspired by both chaos and simplicity. Which track do you think best reflects that duality?

Oh, that’s a good question. Um, I think “In a Perfect World,” the title track, right. Because I mean, what it’s really saying, and I wanted this to be the first song on the record just so you could hear that and know that that kind of sets the tone for the rest of the album. And I mean, what I’m saying is like, in a perfect world, in an ideal scenario, in a picture-perfect world, we would have a perfectly structured job, this X amount of income, we would never fight, we would have this and that. And reality is the world is not perfect, and thank God, because that would be really boring. And honestly, we just don’t fit into that. That doesn’t work for us. And, um, I think that that just sort of describes a lot of the way our life has been the past couple years in a beautiful way.

Your debut, A Heartbreak Record, leaned into heartbreak and defiance. How does In a Perfect World show your growth since then?

Honestly, I think it’s pretty self-explanatory when you listen to the songs. It’s like, you know, I didn’t—I haven’t had a drastic change of self at all, but I’ve just evolved so much. And when I wrote A Heartbreak Record, I was fresh out of college, I was fresh off of heartbreak, and was just learning so much from that. And I was first getting on the road, so it was all just very, um, intriguing to me, and it was so mysterious. And now this record is just sort of like, I think you can tell that I’ve kind of lived that for a couple years and have seen a lot of different things that I hadn’t seen before. And I’ve also fallen in love, and there’s so much more to explore when it comes to that. I used to think that writing heartbreak songs was my comfort zone because it was all I had really known. I thought that writing a love song would be so hard, but now that I have felt what being in love is like, it is so much deeper. There is so much more to say. And I still have so much more to say, but this record is just kind of the beginning of that.

You co-wrote every track on this album. How do you know when a song feels finished?

Oh, that’s a good question. Um, okay, I mean, not to sound totally cliché, but you just kind of know. I feel like for the most part, every song I’ve ended up recording, I knew that day—I knew the day that I wrote it—that I was going to record it. And of course, I have a great team of people around me that I love to just run things by and show them songs and say, “Hey, does this hit you the same way that it hits me?” And if the answer is yes across the board, then that’s a heck yes for me.

You’ve worked with some heavy-hitting songwriters like Natalie Hemby, Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from writing alongside them?

Oh, that’s a great question. You have some great questions. Every writer writes so differently, and there are different things I’ve learned from different people. Like, I mean, Natalie, she has—everyone just has their own little antics—and she is so good with melody. She’s good with everything, but her melodies are just so insane to me. And one thing she’ll do is I can tell if she’s kind of starting to get an idea and she’s trying to get somewhere with it, she’ll literally step out of the room and be like, “Give me a second.” And she’ll walk out and she’ll come back in and have this insane melody, and I’m like, “Okay, how did you do that?” Right. And so that’s taught me, I mean, I’ve learned things from that, just like, okay, taking a second to yourself and trusting your instincts and going away from the group. And then Nicole Galian, she has, I mean, her phrasing is just so unique. And so I’ve learned a lot from that because I feel like I, you know, I can get stuck in a rut of just kind of saying things in the same way or phrasing things in the same way. And so she’s taught me a lot about that. And, um, Rodney Clawson is not an overthinker. He just sort of trusts his gut, and he also has real—he just has good instincts. So, not everyone can live like that. I know. But I’ve just—I’ve learned a lot from everybody, and I mean, I could say so much about Luke Laird, too. Everyone is so different and has their own strengths. And so I think I try to take a little something from everybody.

When you write songs about your personal life, how do you walk the line between sharing so much openly and keeping some things private?

I don’t think I walk the line. I didn’t know there was a line. No, the line doesn’t exist. Yeah, there’s no line. No, I’m kidding. I mean, I think that’s another one of those things that you kind of just—you just kind of know. I think it’s just kind of natural for me to share a lot. And, um, yeah, I don’t know. Honestly, it’s not really something I think about a lot. There’s definitely, I guess while I’m writing, I have moments where I’m like, “Okay, how can I say this in a way that’s maybe not—I’m not going to name-drop or say exactly what this came from,” but I—because you also want to be relatable, you know? I, and you know, unfortunately, I’ve found the best way to be relatable is to just tell extreme truth, and people can usually say, “Yeah, that’s my story, too.” So, I don’t know. I’m probably not very good at walking the line, but…

You’re about to kick off Lainey Wilson’s ‘The Whirlwind Tour’ in Toronto. What’s going through your head as you’re stepping onto these huge stages?

Oh my gosh. Well, I have big shoes to fill because Lainey is so awesome and just such an entertainer. So, I mean, I’m not going to lie, I’m a little nervous. But I’m like, it’s good nerves. I’m just—I’m really excited to get out there. We’ve got a new set, new songs that we’re playing. And so I’m excited to do that and then just to watch her do her thing every night and learn from that.

You’ve spent the last couple years touring with Morgan Wallen, Riley Green, Zach Top. What is one lesson that you’ve learned from those tours that you’re carrying into this run with Lainey?

Um, okay, similar to the songwriter thing, I’ve learned how every artist is so different and has their own thing. And that’s taught me that I can make my thing whatever I want it to be. I don’t have to necessarily follow anybody’s guidelines. Those three guys that you mentioned, Morgan, Zach, and Riley, they’re all such wildly different performers. And it’s so fascinating to me because they’re each so entertaining in their own way. So I think I’ve learned a lot about that. A lot about how to just entertain in different ways and that’s helped me figure out my own way of doing it.

Do you have any pre-show rituals?

We always say a prayer right before we go on stage, like right before because right before showtime it gets kind of chaotic, because our sound guy has to run to his place and then the boys have to go tune. And so right before everybody kind of parts ways, we all get together, I say a quick prayer and then we kind of have a little chant that we do. And then, um, we just try to get our energy up and be like, “Alright,” just be encouraging and like, “We’re going to play a great show. We’re going to do our thing.” That’s the only ritual. I’m not like somebody who can take a shot right before going on stage. There was a time when I could, but now I’ll forget words. I won’t be on my game, so.

Country music often blends tradition with fresh perspective. Where do you see yourself fitting into that balance?

I mean, that’s sort of my favorite way to write because I love a traditional sound, but reality is when I’m writing, I’m going to be writing about my modern day life, so it’s going to be modern. You know, it’s not like I can’t pretend like I grew up in the ’70s, although I wish I did. Um, so, I think naturally it just sort of creates this perfect blend, and I really like that. I absolutely love classic country music. I grew up on a lot of that, and I have a lot of respect for it. But I also love the new stuff, and so I think that I have figured out a way to blend it in a way that feels right to me and how I want to come across.

If you had one piece of advice that you wish you got when you first started out, what would it be?

Oh, so many things. Um, I would say maybe just to not overthink things. I’ve gotten a lot better about it, but I think I wish that somebody would have told me like, “Hey, you don’t actually have to think so hard about every little thing.” It’s all going to work out. Not every show is like make or break. It’s okay to mess up, but just don’t overthink.