Georgia Webster keeps an actual box of memories under her bed, packed with mementos given to her from friends and former lovers. She saves “the most random things,” she admits. While shuffling through the box one day, the Hampden, Massachusetts native found herself spiraling down a rabbit hole, Alice in Wonderland style.
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“Sometimes, looking through it can bring back a lot of memories that are difficult to relive,” she tells American Songwriter. “Box of Memories,” produced by Paul DiGiovanni, bookends her new EP, First Goodbye, on which she penned all five tracks herself. “Songwriting is like my therapy, and I love that I can be 100 percent honest with myself when I’m writing and not feel like I have to hold anything back.
“The end of this song definitely stands out most to me,” she continues. “I love how the lyrics go back to how they were in the first verse and how there’s no chord ending the song.”
Now based in Nashville, the singer-songwriter first picked up a guitar to learn numerous cuts from Taylor Swift’s early catalog, mostly her country work. Soon, she took to the local scene, performing in various coffee shops and other spaces, and uploading her songs to social media. Last summer, she struck on a viral smash with “Tell Your Mom,” igniting a fervent fan base on TikTok. She then linked up with DiGiovanni, most known as lead guitarist for Boys Like Girls and boasts credits with Justin Moore, Dan + Shay, and Jordan Davis, among others.
With a strong musical foundation, Webster continues proving her staying power. And it most certainly helps her songwriting process is as straightforward as they come. “I’m usually just feeling really strongly about something,” she says, “and then taking that to my bed with my guitar and writing about it. Sometimes I’ll come up with a melody first or a good lyric first, but usually it kinda just all flows.”
Reflecting on her quick success so far (her impressive streaming numbers reflect a passionate fanbase), she offers the best advice she’s ever received so far. “Definitely don’t write what you hear on the radio, because it’s already on the radio. Write what you would want to hear.”
Listen to “Box of Memories” below.
