After years of penning hits for artists like Miranda Lambert, Kenny Chesney, and Camila Cabello, award-winning songwriter Nicolle Galyon was ready for a new challenge. In 2021, she released her debut album, firstborn, an intimate collection of songs that allowed her to tell her own story for the first time. Galyon’s profoundly personal project includes a song called “five year plan,” her first co-write with husband and fellow acclaimed songsmith Rodney Clawson.
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One day, as she and Clawson reflected on the track they created together, Galyon felt her creative gears turning. That moment kicked off a series of events that would lead to her EP, second wife. The release serves as a sort of companion piece to “five year plan,” pivoting from Galyon’s life experiences to the love she shares with Clawson.
In January 2023, the couple set aside two weekends to connect and create together at their Tennessee farmhouse. Isolated from the distractions of the world, Galyon and Clawson reflected on the many chapters of their relationship.
“We were intentionally rediscovering ourselves and recalling things that had happened over the years that normally we would’ve never sat down and talked about,” Gaylon tells American Songwriter. “It was a fun, understated way of doing it. It is what it is; that’s really my husband’s style, and, honestly, he makes me not have to overthink in life, too. So it kind of fits the whole theme.”
The environment and experience of co-writing with her husband was a stark contrast from the methods Galyon had become accustomed to. Instead of trying to find bits of inspiration from someone else’s perspective, the pair drew from a well of shared experiences.
“Usually, in co-writes, you’re talking about the other person, their life, and drawing from that,” she explains. “But this whole project was just us talking about us. We would plop down on the couch, start talking about life, and then it would turn into a song.”
In order to make the process of finding a creative starting point easier, the pair took turns asking questions and telling stories, sometimes using prompts to help spark conversation.
“We would just make cocktails, sit and play this card game called We’re Not Really Strangers, which makes you start talking and asking questions you would’ve never asked,” Galyon says.
“There were so many times in that process that we had said to each other, ‘Wow, I never really knew that.’ Especially when we were going back and talking about when we were dating or engaged or a lot of time had passed.”
The creation of second wife opened up a new method of communication for Galyon and Clawson while adding a new layer of intimacy to their already strong bond.
“You would think that writing songs wouldn’t be scary after you’ve known somebody for 20 years, been married for 16, had kids, and been through all kinds of life. But I think some of the bravest things we can do are to show ourselves and our emotions, which was something that was new for us as co-writers,” she reflects. “We learned about each other more than we did about songwriting.”
Those days of reconnection and reflection led Galyon and Clawson to create six tracks that would become her latest EP. Rooted in honesty and told with the wit and wisdom of time passed, second wife is a joyful and captivating peek into the many facets of a loving partnership.
“It represents the things that I’m most proud of, which is to be happily married this many years later, to have healthy kids, live in Kansas, and to have the creative freedom in life to even make a project like this,” Galyon says.
From the anxieties of navigating a new relationship (“rooms.”), their fearless faith in committing for the long haul (“prenup.”), to a playful nod to Clawson’s home state (“texas hold em.”),second wife touches on the many moments and ties that keep them tethered together.
Galyon hopes the project serves as a time capsule, telling the stories of their lives in the best way they know how.
“We did it for us, but I want it to be something that our kids and grandkids can look back on later, understand in their family tree where they came from, and see us for who we are at this age.”
For those wise enough to listen and embrace second wife for themselves, Galyon asks listeners to approach with an open heart, just like she and Clawson did during those days at the farmhouse.
“I hope that it makes them think about their own relationships, the conversations that they want to have with their partner, and makes them think back and recall their own stories,” she explains. “Because I think that’s the most beautiful, powerful thing about songs.”
Photo by Claire Schaper
