Nicolle Galyon Brings 'firstborn' to Life

Leading up to her headlining solo show at the Country Music Hall of Fame, Grammy Award-winning songwriter Nicolle Galyon shared on her Instagram Stories, "I am not a performer. I am a creator and a storyteller and I'm very proud of the story I've lived and the story I've written. And I felt the story wasn't complete if I didn't tell it face to face at least one time."

Within Galyon's songwriting, which can continuously be found at the top of the mainstream country music charts whether audiences know it or not, there's always been a sense of vulnerability even as she helped tell other people's stories instead of her own. Performing her debut record firstborn in front of a live audience helped pull her gift of writing to the forefront, but this time telling her own narrative.

Galyon sang the 11-track project from top to bottom, beginning with "winner:" a track that immediately catches listeners off guard with the brutal lines, "I lost my dad at three / Along with half my family tree / And I lost my virginity / Later than everybody / And still wasn't ready." Wearing a brown pantsuit that featured an oversized blazer, Galyon sang the words with slowing confidence as the song grew and grew. Her vocals were delicate and sweet as she began her story.

After performing "sunflower," Galyon took her heels off and spoke about some of the people on "team firstborn." She said the very first people to show up for her record were Jimmy Robbins and King Henry; the two came out to play acoustic guitars throughout the rest of the set while sitting on a white couch placed on the left side of the stage. She also noted that being in front of a crowd performing her music was a big deal since the album was specifically written to tell her children the story of her life exclaiming, "In all seriousness, I wrote this music with two in mind, and those people were Charlie and Ford Clawson."

During "consequences," which was originally recorded by pop star Camila Cabello, Galyon sat at the grand piano and brought out fellow songwriter Emily Weisband who co-wrote the track to sing with her. Where Galyon's voice was sweet and honey-filled with endearment, Weisband's voice was powerful and solid with a dismal rasp; despite the difference in their tones, the back-and-forth vocals felt like magic.

"Fancy Like" singer Walker Hayes made an appearance to play his duet with Galyon titled "Halloween." He also praised her, stating that firstborn was, "Better than anything I've ever done."

Galyon's stripped-down piano-based version of "boy" reflected her recording on the LP. The tune, which was made big by Lee Brice, was one of the standouts of the night. Written when she found out she was having a son, "boy" is everything a country ballad should be: true, filled with imagery, and bittersweet. While she sat at the piano, images of her son were flashing behind her.

Before her next performance, Galyon spoke on how five years into living in Nashville, she got married to someone who changed the course of her sails. She brought out her husband Rodney Clawson, another hit songwriter, to sing "five year plan." During the chorus, Galyon subtly motioned toward him while crooning lines, "Then you had to throw a wrench and a little picket fence / Into all the boxes I was checkin' and goals that I was settin' / Now all of a sudden, I got a ring on my finger / Think being a singer just got knocked off the top of my list."

Throughout the evening, other friends of Nicolle's showed up to sing backing vocals such as Hilary Lindsey and Carobae. She shared, "I think the songwriters in this town are some of the best singers we have" before mentioning others like Sasha Sloan and Kelsea Ballerini who also did vocals parts for firstborn.

Her finale, and arguably the most moving moment of the firstborn showcase, was "death bed." Kimberly Perry from The Band Perry showed up on stage to sing a bit of the band's hit "If I Die Young" before transitioning into the final act. "death bed." wraps up firstborn like a beautiful present. With lines like "Just know that it killed me not tuckin' you in / And I hope you know you're the best thing that I ever did" and "If I made it look easy pullin' out of the drive / You just weren't in the car to see Superman cry," this incredibly detailed and heartfelt track is the highlight of Galyon's songwriting on her pristine, country record. Towards the end of the runtime, Perry and Galyon went back and forth singing phrases, "If I die young / On my death bed."

After her final performance, before leaving the stage she threw her hands up and exclaimed shyly but with excitement, "I played my first show."

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