"There were times when I wondered, 'Is this going to work?’” she says, "and times when I was frustrated, but I realized a lot of people go through this. 'I'm young,' I thought. 'I still have time. I don't need to freak out and get impatient. Eventually the time will be right.'"
Her patience paid off, and the breakthrough came, as it often does, from a serendipitous introduction.
"My booking agent introduced me to Mark Bright and said, 'He's a guy who will totally get what you're wanting to do,'" says Whitney. Her first meeting with Bright, whose production credits include Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts and Sara Evans, would be a major career turning point, although at the time it felt more like a therapy session.
"I met with Mark and he was the coolest guy," she says, "so I just spilled everything. I told him about the struggles I'd been through and what I hoped to accomplish.' We totally connected and he got it. He said, 'I'm on board. Let's do it.'"
“Everything about her screams greatness and makes me want to share her with everyone,” says Bright, explaining his affinity for her. “She’s been able to attain a depth in her writing that is rare for an artist so young. This woman is just awesome.”
The two kindred spirits had recorded three sides when the final piece of the relationship puzzle fell into place in the form of John Shanks, known for his work with Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban and Kelly Clarkson. Shanks was working at the time with Bon Jovi, and had stopped to visit Bright at his offices. Bright, says Whitney, "went on like a proud parent" to Shanks, who asked if he could write with her then and there.
"What are the chances?" she says with a laugh.
The three-way combination--with Shanks and Bright co-producing--resulted in Right Road Now, a debut album that introduces Whitney as an intriguing new voice in contemporary country music, a woman who matches her vocal prowess with songwriting of real depth and breadth. She wrote every song on the CD, in conjunction with Both Bright and Shanks, as well as top-drawer Nashville tunesmiths like Hillary Lindsay, Brett James, Chris Tompkins and Gordie Sampson. It finds Whitney celebrating love, both new, in the steamy "Kinda Crazy," and well established, in the joyfully sensual "Fireflies"; chronicling love's failure in the self-assured "When I Said I Would" and the moody "Burn It Down"; and doing justice both to pure sass, in "The Bed That You Made," and to the raw pathos of "God Close Your Eyes." With the title song, Whitney and co-writers Shanks and James perfectly encapsulate the roses-from-thorns dynamic that infuses both the relationship in the song and the musical rebirth Whitney has experienced.
"I've been down a few wrong roads musically," she says, "but it all feels right now--the right writers, the right songs, the right producers, the right team--the right road. It's really the perfect title for this record."
Through it all, Whitney displays the maturity and self-assurance of a woman who has found her voice, something that has come after a lifelong journey. She was born in Scotts Hill, Tennessee, a town of about 900--"There was just one four-way stop," she says. Her father is a state environmentalist and her mother a schoolteacher. It was her grandfather, though, who helped introduce her to music.
"I was a grandaddy's girl," she says. "I remember being at their house when I was four or five, sitting in front of the TV watching Elvis videos with him. I knew when I first watched Elvis, 'That's what I want to do!”
She had the talent to go with the drive, and after gaining confidence by performing for her family she began singing in church. Soon, she was performing at fairs and festivals.
"I dragged my parents everywhere, every weekend almost," she says. "There was always a strawberry festival or a barbecue festival, and we would take trips to Kentucky, Missouri, and wherever else I could for a chance to perform."
Whitney sang at school events, including both her kindergarten and eighth-grade graduations, placed third in an all-age talent competition at Loretta Lynn's Ranch in Hurricane Mills, and got the chance to sing with a group of promising singers her vocal coach worked with, both at Euro Disney and at Paris's Notre Dame cathedral. Then, in her early teens, she began traveling to Nashville.
"I played at Tootsie's a few times when I was 13 or so," she says. "I remember I couldn't stay around because of my age, but I loved being on that stage."
Someone who heard her sing at a competition offered to put together a three-song demo for them for what she and her parents considered a great deal of money. Her vocal coach recommended a Nashville attorney, who said, "Don't do it. There are other ways to go about it." He became a mentor and Whitney began traveling back and forth to Nashville to write songs. She set aside sports--she was a talented softball player who had been pitching for her high school team in eighth grade--as she began concentrating more on music.
"My father, who had to be at work by 8:00, would get up really early to take me halfway to Nashville to meet my manager, who took me the rest of the way in," she says. That changed when she got her own driver's license, although, she says, "They still took me in when they could--I wasn't that great a driver!"
Whitney, who needed just two classes her senior year to graduate and who was given latitude to pursue her career by her principal, would stay at her manager's house and use her days to write with some of Nashville's best. She began attracting label notice and by her senior year, she had landed a record deal. She cut several sides, including a duet with country legend Kenny Rogers, whom she joined on tour, but ultimately she and the label parted ways about the time she met Bright.
"I was really young and wasn't sure of the musical direction to take," she says. Her writing had been improving steadily, though, and that was key to her progress.
" I began writing with Chris Tompkins, who has become one of my best friends. He really influenced my writing a lot and helped make me better. In fact, it was some of the stuff we wrote together that helped get Mark interested."
It wasn't long after she joined forces with Bright and Shanks that she gained interest from Warner Bros., and an acoustic showcase helped seal the deal.
"Afterward, they said, 'Go make the record,'" she says. They began recording in the fall of 2007.
The result, Right Road Now, sums up the journey, and Whitney is certain it captures her essence.
"I can honestly say there's nothing I would change about it," she says.
Bright concurs, and adds, “Making the record with her felt like Christmas every day. We were honestly sad to finish it.”
If the right relationships, like the one she has developed with Bright, have provided the road, her own persistence has kept her moving along it. It's a trait she's had since she was tiny.
"I went to preschool with 13 little boys," she says with a laugh. "I was the only girl, so I acted like them. I would fight with them and I'd be in the naughty chair every day. Being stubborn and headstrong was a good thing when it came to music. You've got to know what you want to do in this business and hope eventually it will pay off."
For the young woman from Scotts Hill, it certainly has.
Open Road
Whitney Duncan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They lay ya down in that dirt that you were born in.
The one thing you can count on is that everything stays the same
Sure as the magnolias bloomin' in the mornin'
I'd like to believe I'm still that naive when I cross over the county line.
(chorus)
And that the best ain't yet to come.
My story's out there still untold,
Out on this open road.
I've been careful what I wish for, kept it all inside
It's almost like I never had a choice
But I was lucky enough along the way to keep my hope alive
And put my faith into that little voice
I might lose my nerve, I might take a wrong turn, but I'll get there my own way.
(chorus)
So don't tell me it's all been done
And that the best ain't yet to come.
My story's out there still untold,
Out on this open road.
Oh, yeah. It's gonna be alright through this drownin' rain tonight 'cause I know I'm not alone.
My wheels are turnin', I'm not there but I'm learnin'.
I'll get there my own way.
So don't tell me it's all been done
And that the best ain't yet to come.
My story's out there still untold,
And it's one that only God know's
Somewhere down this open road.
Oh, out on this open road.
Whitney Duncan's song "Open Road" is a poignant expression of the artist's journey of self-discovery and independence. The opening lines set the scene for the lyrics to follow, painting a picture of a small town where everyone knows each other's name, where people are laid to rest in the same dirt they were born in, and where everything stays the same. Despite this stagnant environment, the singer expresses her desire to hold onto her naivety as she ventures out into unfamiliar territory. The chorus echoes this sentiment of hope and possibility, with the singer asserting that her story is yet to be told and that the best is yet to come.
The second verse reveals that the singer has kept her innermost desires and aspirations hidden from others, almost as if she never had a choice to express herself freely. However, she acknowledges that along the way, she has been lucky enough to hold onto hope and have faith in her own abilities. She understands that she may encounter obstacles and make mistakes, but she is determined to reach her destination on her own terms. These lines showcase the artist's strength and resilience, as well as her willingness to take risks and embrace uncertainty in pursuit of her dreams.
Overall, "Open Road" is a powerful anthem about self-discovery, independence, and hope. It encourages listeners to believe in themselves and their own potential, even in the face of daunting challenges and unknown outcomes. The song is a testament to the human spirit's ability to navigate uncharted territory and emerge stronger on the other side.
Line by Line Meaning
I come from that kind of town where everyone know's your name
I was born and raised in a close-knit community where everyone knows each other
They lay ya down in that dirt that you were born in.
It's a place where people are rooted to their origins and rarely venture out
The one thing you can count on is that everything stays the same
The town is characterized by its consistency and resistance to change
Sure as the magnolias bloomin' in the mornin'
This is as certain as the blooming magnolias in the morning
I'd like to believe I'm still that naive when I cross over the county line.
I want to hold onto my innocence and ignorance when I leave my hometown
So don't tell me it's all been done
Don't tell me that there's nothing left to explore
And that the best ain't yet to come.
And that my greatest experiences are in the past rather than the future
My story's out there still untold,
I have yet to fully discover my personal narrative
Out on this open road.
I need to explore the wide open spaces in order to uncover my destiny
I've been careful what I wish for, kept it all inside
I've been cautious to express my deepest desires to the world
It's almost like I never had a choice
It feels as if circumstances have dictated my life path without my input
But I was lucky enough along the way to keep my hope alive
Despite this, I've managed to maintain a sense of optimism
And put my faith into that little voice
Believing in the small inner voice that encourages me to pursue my dreams
I might lose my nerve, I might take a wrong turn, but I'll get there my own way.
I may experience setbacks, but I'm determined to reach my goals through my own unique journey
Oh, yeah. It's gonna be alright through this drownin' rain tonight 'cause I know I'm not alone.
I feel reassured despite the tumultuous weather because I know I have my own back
My wheels are turnin', I'm not there but I'm learnin'.
I'm moving forward and even though I'm not yet where I want to be, I'm gaining knowledge along the way
And it's one that only God know's
My ultimate destiny is known only to a higher power
Somewhere down this open road.
My journey will eventually lead me to my destined path
Oh, out on this open road.
I'm excited to explore new experiences and challenges along the way
Contributed by Arianna V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.