The last decade has seen a surge in genre-bending country, from the chart-topping defiance of Lil Nas X and Beyoncé to the masked crooning of Orville Peck. But this shift isn’t just about style; in an era dominated by AI and digital noise, listeners are hungry for the “un-artificial.” Authenticity in country music isn’t a gatekept secret; it lives in the artist’s history.
Meet Alissa Arnason, an independent artist whose sound is a map of family, memory, and the Saskatchewan landscape. Ahead of her new album Waltzes (releasing January 30th, 2026), Arnason sat down with IINAG to discuss the lineage behind her lyrics.
Kendra Brea Cooper: Why country music?
Alissa Arnason: I come by it honestly. I’m the fifth generation of a Saskatchewan farming lineage. In our house, the tapes and CDs were almost exclusively country. My dad and grandmother were both songwriters; I have fuzzy memories of them singing in harmony around the kitchen table, cigarette smoke thick in the air and beer bottles on the table. That was my version of heaven.
I spent my childhood falling asleep under piles of coats in prairie community halls while my dad performed. By 14, I actually tried to get as far away from country as possible because I was self-conscious about my “self-taught” sound. But as the years passed, I realised those influences were in my bones. This album, Waltzes, is an homage to my dad and grandmother. It even features a song he wrote, “You Know How I Miss You.” It’s a way to preserve my personal history.
KC: Do your songs follow real-life experiences?
AA: Deeply. I haven’t written anything that doesn’t feel personal. I use imagery to paint a picture of an emotion, though I like to leave space for the listener to interpret it.
“Good Time Girl” is a great example. I wrote it as a tongue-in-cheek song about partying, but a year later—and a year into a break from alcohol—I see it differently. It was actually a reckoning. I was looking at how much alcohol had been a main character in my life and asking, “What do I have to show for it?”
KC: What does your songwriting process look like?
AA: It feels a bit “witchy” and otherworldly. I usually feel a creative impulse in my body that feels urgent. I have to take action quickly, or the spark gets lost. Sometimes I just free-flow on paper; other times I pick up my guitar and let a melody show itself. As long as I capture that initial spark in a voice memo, the song eventually reveals its full self to me.
KC: Do you have a favourite track on Waltzes?
AA: It’s tough to choose! “Broke My Heart In Two” captures that classic, dreamy Patsy Cline sound I love. But “Good Time Girl” is special because of the production. We recorded the piano on an out-of-tune upright in a local Boy Scouts hall; it gave it this perfect, playful honky-tonk feel. It also features Kacy Lee Anderson, which gives the track a real Willy and Waylon vibe.
KC: Who are your greatest influences?
AA: My dad, my grandma, and Patsy Cline. Beyond them, I grew up on powerful Canadian women and icons like Sarah McLachlan, Lauryn Hill, Shania Twain, Linda Ronstadt, and Dolly Parton.
KC: If you could pick a dream collaboration, who would it be?
AA: I’d totally melt to work with Gillian Welch or Erin Rae. They are both “god-like” in their songwriting and production.
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