Just a few years ago, the type of music Brooke Eden created would be considered a risky career move. After publicly coming out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in 2021, Eden became a breath of fresh air in the country community. She embraced her sexuality head first and subsequently started to create her most stunning music to date.
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Much of that new sound can be chalked up to her marriage to Hilary Hoover. Eden is very much loved up. It’s written all over her face and lining every note she sings. That love is the subject of her latest EP, Outlaw Love. The four-track EP is more or less a timeline of their relationship–the ups and the downs.
The opening track, “Whispering,” recounts the moment Eden decided to come out. Best friends, back then it’s what we called it / ‘Til we had no choice but to fall in / Keepin’ a secret was fun ’til it wasn’t / So I went and kissed you in public, she sings. Eden kicks in the door with this song, starting this EP with a powerful declaration of freedom.
The final track, “All My Life,” acted as the first dance song at her and Hoover’s wedding. She explains in the lyrics that she never thought she would get married: All my life / I’ve been wastin’ my time / Overthinkin’ why white / Ain’t my color. Of course, that all changed after meeting Hoover.
The track is both a testament to Eden’s world-altering love and her inspiring influence in the LGBTQ+ community. As Eden explains, the song has now been used in other same-sex weddings. A fact she is very proud of.
Eden sat down with American Songwriter to explain the arc behind Outlaw Love, her relationship with Trisha Yearwood, and more. Check out our full conversation, below.
American Songwriter: I want to start by talking about the EP. Did you have a specific vision in mind for Outlaw Love or did it develop as you were writing?
Brooke Eden: A little bit of both. I am in this place where I want to tell my truth. I always write about exactly what is going on in my life and I am in this really empowered place. I really want to talk about my journey. I wrote a few of these songs a year ago. I wrote “Outlaw Love” three days before we went into the studio. I knew that I wanted to tell the journey of my relationship. It was this really epic place in my life.
It starts out with “Whispering” which is about the beginning of my relationship and it ends with “All My Life” which was our first dance song at our wedding. I wrote that specifically for that and I never planned on sharing it. Then I did and so many people have used it for their first dance. That is super cool.
AS: Trisha Yearwood officiated your wedding and you two also performed a revamped version of “She’s In Love With The Boy” at the Opry a little while ago. Can you talk about those two experiences and about what her support means to you?
BE: In 2021, I got a call from Trisha Yearwood and she said, “Okay, it’s the 30th anniversary of my song ‘She’s In Love With The Boy.’ I’ve always wanted to do something to change the words because, I’ve had people come up to me after the show and say, ‘Don’t tell anybody but I sing he’s in love with the boy or she’s in love with girl.'”
Hilary and I had just gotten engaged and she worked with Garth and Trisha on their record label. She said, “It’s Pride Month and it’s the 30th anniversary of ‘She’s In Love With The Boy.’ What if we did this at the Grand Ole Opry.” I said, “Are you sure?” She said, “Yes, I want to stand in my allyship.”
Two hours before the show, she switched the words (to She’s in love with the girl). It was such a cool moment. The crowd was so wonderful. I think that’s so important in country music right now–to show that these country icons are on the right side of history. After the show, she said, “What am I doing in this wedding?” We asked her to officiate. She’s just a naturally witty person and it was the coolest thing ever to have her officiate. Garth sang us down the aisle to “Make You Feel My Love.” It was the most remarkable heartwarming act.
AS: What was Hilary’s reaction to hearing the EP for the first time?
BE: Hilary is so funny when it comes to comes to music, because she has always been on the business side. She’s very honest. I always know that I can take her word for what she really means. She loved it though. She thought it was so empowering.
AS: I want to dig into each song a little. Can you talk about writing “Whispering?”
BE: I wrote “Whispering” with two of my good friends, Brandon Day and Willie Morrison. Willie is one of my best friends so he knows our whole story from the beginning. He asked, “When you first got together, what was it like?” I put myself back in that place where we would be in a room and weren’t allowed to talk about our love for each other, but everyone else was hinting at it. I realized our story became somebody else’s story.
I wanted to make “Whispering” our story. It’s about small-town gossip. When you have that kind of love you just think, “You can say whatever you want.” I was lucky enough to find the kind of love that everyone is looking for. So if I’m lucky enough to find that, you can say whatever you want.
AS: Is it hard to get back into that headspace now that you’re in such an empowered place?
BE: I feel like because I’m so healed, it’s not as hard as I thought it would be. It’s more like a grateful feeling of “Wow, I’m so happy I’m on the other side and can talk about it from a place of healing.”
AS: I love “Chills.” Can you talk about writing that one?
BE: Thank you. That came from real life. It was hot as hell outside and my wife came over and kissed me and I was like, “Babe, you just gave me chills.” It was the middle of the summer in Nashville, Tennessee. I just think that is such an involuntary thing for your body to have chills from someone’s touch.
I went into the writing room that day, with BRELAND, actually. He is such a poet and we just started going back and forth. It was so much fun to write that song.
AS: How did you get connected with BRELAND?
BE: BRELAND and I knew each other from shows. We both were on the ACM set this year and we were in Vegas together. And [I knew him] just from living in Nashville. We had always talked about writing and so our publishers got us together. It was a great day.
AS: What do you think is the most powerful line from “Outlaw Love?” Or maybe your favorite?
BE: I love leave the judgin’ to Jesus. We’re in this time where people are using religion as a weapon for homophobia. I grew up in church learning about Jesus and I thought, “Well, if the Jesus that I know were still on this earth, he would be my homie.” There would be no issues. I know where I stand with Jesus. So if you have a problem with that, that’s your own problem.
AS: How do you hope that this EP challenges the conventions of country music or helps LGBTQ fans?
BE: For so long there hasn’t been much LGBTQ+ representation in country music. For me, I hope people finally see themselves in country music and know that they don’t have to stray away.
So many people grow up on country music and then realize they are queer and feel like they don’t have a place there anymore. I hope this EP gives people who love country music and are queer a safe space within the genre.
Photo: Choosing You Main EP Image
