Nicolle Galyon Unveils Surprise EP 'Second Wife' This Friday

Nicolle Galyon, an award-winning songwriter with 10 No. 1s, has made a career writing about her hometown, heartbreak and strength, with a nostalgia that has surpassed her age; however, Galyon has reserved a privacy around a role she's played for the last 16 years: wife.

Married to fellow hit songwriter (George Strait, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney) Rodney Clawson her entire adult life, Galyon releases a surprise EP aptly titled second wife this Friday, Oct. 13 on their 16th wedding anniversary.

PRE-SAVE SECOND WIFE.

The six song EP was co-written by Galyon and Clawson over a long weekend at their farm, just outside of Nashville, and recorded with co-producers Jimmy Robbins and King Henry at the famed Sonic Ranch in Texas. The EP arrives 15 months after Galyon's critically acclaimed artist-debut, firstborn, dubbed “candid and vulnerable” by Forbes. 

“second wife shows the side of me that is flawed, self-deprecating, understated, silly, and yet unconventionally traditional. The side of me that fell in love at 21. That's a side of me that I don't always show — the married one,” shares Galyon.

“If firstborn was a memoir, second wife is more of a fun adventure in real time." Of the record, Galyon adds, “the thing about second wife is even the title itself is imperfect. That's probably my favorite thing about being one. The illusions (and delusions) I had as a firstborn were gone once I became one.”

The EP's provocative title, which Galyon calls “imperfect, honest and kind of irreverent,” invites listeners into Galyon and Clawson's world offering a glimpse into a life that is true to them. The EP opens with a one minute prelude titled “jo.” which finds Galyon expressing her gratitude to her mother-in-law, detailing all of the ways she helped shape Rodney.

Swinging right into the upbeat, tongue-in-cheek “prenup.”, Galyon and Clawson poke fun at their lack of need for a prenup upon marriage with Clawson's vocals carrying the second verse and chorus. “the grain.” is an airy, piano-driven ballad that reminds listeners how different love stories can look as it nods to her home state of Kansas.  

The second half of the EP opens with “rooms.”, a vulnerable confession chronicling how different walking into rooms together has evolved throughout their relationship. A metaphor for so many experiences in life, Galyon's anxieties are ultimately overshadowed by her unwavering desire to be with Clawson. 

“texas hold 'em.” brings the collection to a crescendo in energy, as Galyon shows a lighthearted version of herself, while belting the cheeky, romantic hit. Finally, second wife concludes with “under the rainbow.,” which serves as a poignant foreshadowing of her family's recent move back to her hometown of Sterling, Kan. – the very place that has been the focal point of the last two decades of her writing.

Photo credit: Claire Schaper