All dressed up
Country singer Leah Blevins draws on Elliott County roots
It’s been said that pressure creates diamonds. If that’s the case, then Leah Blevins’ latest record All Dressed Up is a prized gem.On her new album, which was released March 20, the Sandy Hook-born singer delivers the most reflective and expansive collection of her career thus far.
All Dressed Up sees Blevins reflecting on her 20s and early 30s after moving to Nashville, but many tracks also recall the singer’s childhood singing in church and listening to her grandfather’s band, The Harbor Masters, in Eastern Kentucky. Blevins’ church connection is particularly prevalent on songs like Hey God, Be Careful Throwing Stones and Diggin’ In The Coal.
“Growing up in a small town, it’s often human nature to want to get out of there as soon as you can,” says Blevins. “But I’ve come to find that back home in Kentucky is where I find the most peace, and the church is a big part of that. As I’ve grown up and learned more about myself, I’ve discovered that I enjoy being in simplicity, and that’s exactly what Sandy Hook, Kentucky, provides for me.”
Blevins’ 2026 tour includes shows in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Photo: Citizen Kane Wayne
Diggin’ In The Coal also serves as a nod to a rough upbringing that forced Blevins to grow up fast. Like Loretta Lynn’s Coal Miner’s Daughter, Blevins is a coal miner’s granddaughter. She hints at the relationship with her image of a “yellow bird”—a reference to the canaries coal miners used to test for safety before entering mines.
“I held onto that thought for so long and wound up transforming it into a song about what a personal relationship looks like,” says Blevins. “To me, that means thinking about the Lord and how I came to know Jesus for myself.”
On the wispy ballad Lonely, Blevins remembers her grandmother, who recently died—a self-described “virtuous woman” who taught her about femininity and how to be ladylike. The album’s cover art by Perry Shall and photographer Jim Herrington features Blevins wearing a headdress and pearl necklace that belonged to her grandmother.
“She was everything that you could want out of someone,” says Blevins. “Because of that I pull from her energy and the way that she was as much as possible, because so much about these songs feels like a return to my roots. Dan [Auerbach, her co-writer] was also very intuitive in terms of allowing me to embrace my backstory and bring this creative vision that she was such a massive part of my life.”
Blevins’ sound and appreciation for country music have also been inspired by Keith Whitley, a fellow Sandy Hook native and Country Music Hall of Famer who passed away in 1989. Blevins has drawn inspiration from Whitley’s music, including hits like Miami, My Amy and I’m No Stranger To The Rain—and she’s also connected to his legacy through family. She remembers going through 4-H camp with Whitley’s nieces, and visiting his mother, Mamaw Faye, for chicken and dumpling dinners when she was growing up.
Leah Blevins co-wrote her new album, All Dressed Up, with Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. Photo: Jim Herrington; Cover art: Perry Shall
“Everyone who loves country music knows Keith Whitley,” says Blevins, who made her second appearance on the Grand Ole Opry March 26. “It’s not dependent on me having grown up where he did. That being said, he did make a name for Sandy Hook and put us on the map, so I just always want to carry on and remember his name in any way I can.”
The new album marks Blevins’ first collaboration with Auerbach, the producer and founding member of rock duo The Black Keys. The pair met through a mutual friend, musician Marcus King, and Blevins says they hit it off right away, eventually co-writing all of the album’s 10 tracks together in a matter of days.
“There was a rhythm to everything that helped me to not overthink and get in my own way,” Blevins says. “We were truly moving at light speed, which felt like a superpower compared to how I’ve recorded in the past.”
With summer shows in the United Kingdom and a headlining stateside tour on the horizon, Blevins feels more confident than ever. All Dressed Up is a big reason why.
“This record has taught me that I’m capable and that I’m a force of nature,” says Blevins. “In my down days, when I feel otherwise, these songs will be a beautiful reminder that I just need to keep my blinders on, have faith in God and trust the process.”
