Jenna LaMaster Tugs at the Heartstrings with New Single, “Holy Smokes”

Jenna LaMaster, as both she and Hank Jr. put it, is unashamedly a clinger to sad ol’ songs. When given the chance, she’s sure to dial up (or write) a heartbreaker that’s sure to put a tear in your beer. And with her new single, “Holy Smokes,” she’s done just that.

Finally unearthing a song that was written nearly half a decade ago, the northern California native enlisted the help of legendary studio musicians Paul Franklin and Glen Worf to produce the track, which captures a timeless vocal performance from LaMaster on top of a stone cold country backing track.

Pro Country: Your bio mentions that rodeo was one of your first loves, but as time passed, you were more and more drawn to music. What was it about music that was calling to you, and what was it like to make the decision to pursue a career in music over a career in rodeo?

Jenna LaMaster: I grew up in the rodeo world. I started competing when I was eight, and eventually climbed the ranks to where I got to perform on the professional circuit for a while. Rodeo and country music go hand-in-hand. There’s a lot of rodeos that have a concert; country music has always been a part of the rodeo lifestyle. I had grown up singing in church, but I never really thought pursuing music would be in the cards for me. While I was on the circuit, they would have cowboy church services for the contestants. Most of the time, they wouldn’t have worship beforehand. I thought that I could learn how to play the guitar; it couldn’t be that hard [laughs]. I started leading worship for cowboy church, and after that, I had a passion for playing and learning every country song I ever knew. I became “the girl with the guitar in the horse trailer.” I felt my passion for that growing. Simultaneously, I started not performing as well on the rodeo circuit. It’s a very blue collar, pay-to-play sport; when you’re not winning, you’re not making any money. I came to a crossroads where I felt like I was supposed to do music. I felt it in my soul; I felt called to it, but I had to figure out how to make it work….

Read full interview with Pro Country here