Paige Plaisance Is ‘Swampytonkin’’ All Over the Hill Country With a Brand-New Album Out This September

Dear Austin country fans: If you don’t already know Paige Plaisance by name, there’s a high chance you’ve seen her onstage.

Plaisance, KUTX’s August Artist of the Month, is a repeat performer at some of the city’s most beloved music venues, including Sagebrush, White Horse and Continental Club. She also organizes and emcees Sagebrush’s recurring Honkytonk Catwalk, which returns Sept. 26 and was covered by TRIBEZA this past February.

Plaisance, who was raised in rural Louisiana but is now based full time in Austin, has described her sound as “swampytonkin’.” Her music merges Texas’ two-step twang with classic country and blues storytelling, making it a fitting soundtrack for a night at a Hill Country dive bar or an afternoon beneath Louisiana’s Spanish moss.

“Swampwater,” Plaisance’s second studio album, which she recorded at the Finishing School, is out in early September. “I feel like it’s my best work yet,” Plaisance shares, noting that she’s especially proud of the album’s horn section and roster of collaborators, which includes Monica Valli, Jonathan Terrell and Rose from Valley Flower.

Plaisance will celebrate the release of “Swampwater” with a special show at Antone’s Nightclub on Sept. 5. The concert will feature Valli as the opener, a full nine-piece band and custom performance outfits handcrafted by Kennimer and Station 19 Designs. Tickets are available on Antone’s website.

Ahead of the album’s official release, Plaisance sat down with TRIBEZA to discuss “Swampwater,” her songwriting and her thoughts on Austin’s ever-evolving live music scene.

TRIBEZA: First off, congrats on your second studio album, “Swampwater.” What can we expect from this new project?

PAIGE PLAISANCE: This album goes into more of my swampier, blues side, but it’s still a mixture of my love for the honkytonk scene and my Louisiana background. Some of the songs are two-step songs, and then some are ballads. The title track, “Swampwater” itself, is kind of a mysterious song that is based in Louisiana. 

T:  Many of the songs off your first album, “Louisiana Lonely,” echo classic country music themes of returning to and longing for home. Does “Swampwater” continue in that tradition? 

P: Yeah—I’m still telling stories, and my inspiration is definitely the nature and the beauty of Louisiana and taking that to Texas. I have my Louisiana roots, and I stay true to that—I try to listen to Louisiana artists as much as I can and write about my love for home, while also living in Austin full-time. I have a song on this album called “Honky Tonkin’ ‘Round the Hill Country” that I wrote about my love for the Texas Hill Country honky-tonk scene. That song documents that Austin is my home, too. 

T: How has playing across Texas influenced your music, especially on this new album? 

P: My time in Austin has really shaped who I am as a musician. The city is one of the coolest places to go out and see music. It’s not just country, there’s all different types of music that you can be involved in; it just so happens that our country scene is really thriving right now. People are looking at Texas and watching what Texas artists are doing. Ella Langley has that song, “Choosin’ Texas,” and if you go to somewhere like Sagebrush or White Horse, you’ll see why— it’s just electric. There’s something super magical about it. 

T: You grew up in a small town in northeast Louisiana. How does that influence what you’ve you called your “swampytonkin’” sound? 

P: Where I’m from is just so rural. It’s out in the middle of nowhere. Like I am from the country; it’s genuine, and I’m not trying to be anything.

I write from my personal experiences with how I grew up. My dad was a farmer. He retired, but I grew up on a farm and I’ve watched that way of life for my whole life. A lot of times it gets glamorized, but it’s a really hard-working life. It’s also very rewarding and beautiful. So, that also translates into my songwriting. I like to keep things simple, but as beautiful as I can make it.

With “swampytonkin’,” I’m not sure exactly who invented that word. I’m sure someone else has said it before. But I say “swampytonkin’” because it sums up what my sound is: country music with a little bit of blues and soul on it. Where I’m from is right on the Mississippi River, and it has a huge history of blues and soul music that I think influences really all types of music from R&B to country.

I was really excited to bring in some friends and other blues artists, like Monica (Valli), on this album—that’s also super traditional (of the blues) to collaborate with artists that you respect and love. A lot of blues music started on the porch, just by picking your guitar with a band. So I bring that in, too. 

T: What advice do you have to TRIBEZA readers who want to get more into the country and blues scene here? 

P:  I’d say just getting out there and dancing and going to the shows. There’s two-step lessons that are fun because you can meet people. You don’t have to have a partner, you just have to be brave enough to go in there and try to have fun. A lot of people have found a community in it. 

Going out to see bands is probably the number one way to get involved. It’s also important to keep the music going. The smaller venues do struggle sometimes, so getting out and buying those lower-priced tickets really goes a long way for local artists. 

“Swampwater” will be available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming services Sept. 5. For more information on Plaisance, visit her website. To purchase tickets to the “Swampwater” release party, visit antonesnightclub.com.