Carson McHone is one of “10 Country Artists You Need to Know Right Now” (Rolling Stone) and a veteran of landmark Austin clubs the White Horse Saloon and the Hole in the Wall. She draws comparisons to Kelly Willis, Patty Griffin and Amanda Shires.

1. What’s been keeping you up at night?
I have terrible nightmares. Last night wasn’t so bad – I dreamt my best friend was a french fry. Sometimes I write them down or try to decipher them. I keep having ones where I’m driving on impossible roads, like they go directly up or sideways and I’m certain the car will fall backwards or slide off. I don’t know about the french fry one…

2. What’s the coolest thing you’ve seen or heard lately?
I just finished reading The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. I don’t know that I’d call it “cool”, but I found it profoundly relevant for being written in the 40’s by a 22 year old woman living in the South. I finished it on the plane ride home, after playing the house show you were at in Chicago, and I just sat quietly in my empty row and cried a little to myself. It’s brutal, but beautiful, and somehow familiar, which I guess is the sign of a great work – whether it relates to your life or not, that you feel some sort of connection to it. When I got home I went to the bookstore and bought every copy they had and just started showing up on my friends’ doorsteps, or at their work, giving away copies. In fact, the copy I read was a gift, I think that’s special, when someone shares a book with you that just really blows you away, it’s kind of intimate. Anyway I’m grateful to have been handed it when I was and I hope I can pass that along.

3. What’s the most exciting thing you’re working on right now?
I just premiered my first music video:

Other than that, I’ve been writing quite a bit, I hope to begin work on the next album soon.

4. If you could add anyone, alive or dead to your team, who would it be?
Wanted: a young woman of similar age but more educated, organized, creative, and experienced than I …seems like a good person to bounce ideas off of. Really though I have a great team, and a wonderful support system of friends and family, I learn from them every day and I’m really grateful for that.

5. When the movie of your life is made, what will it be called?
I just got a few “negative” reviews from local press and to make light of that I sort of started calling myself “the hometown letdown”, just to some friends, but I mean I figure if you can’t laugh at yourself you haven’t got a chance. Maybe it’d be called that, or just plain “Sad”, it’s almost funny.

Carson McHone is a songwriter and performer living in Austin, Texas. You can learn more about her at her website.