Are you New country? Old country? No country? No matter your musical preference, Tenille Townes and her album The Lemonade Stand will catch your ear. Tenille Townes is a Canadian country music artists from Grande Prairie, Alberta. After releasing two albums in Canada, she signed to Columbia Records in 2018 and relocated to Nashville. The Lemonade Stand is Townes’ debut major record release, in which she co-wrote each song and worked with producer Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Carrie Underwood, Ashley McBryde). The Lemonade Stand is a counter-cultural album that reveals the beauty of authentic and other-centred faith.
From the very first song we hear Tenille Townes go against common country music themes to speak her view. Holding Out For the One rebuffs the many guys she meets who are interested in partying and casual sex. She sings: “Yeah, maybe I'm a little bit different I guess. But I ain't giving my heart to just anyone. I'm holding out for the one.” Many of the love songs on The Lemonade Stand subverts popular culture and its ideas of romance. In White Horse, Tenille Townes looks for love on a white horse but it arrives on a dark horse. And many songs simply ignore the topic of romance altogether as Tenille Townes is more interested in telling the stories of others.
Several songs on The Lemonade Stand explore the experiences of others in a way that reveals Townes’ empathy. other-centred and empathetic. Come As You Are is an infectious anthem that encourages the value in each person. Somebody's Daughter reflects on the back-story of a homeless person Tenille Townes met. She imagines the life this person might have led in an effort to see them as human. The source of her love for others quickly becomes clear.
Tenille Townes integrates her faith into all she is and does, including her music and lyrics. The Jersey On The Wall - I’m Just Asking is a heart-felt, lament-filled conversation with God about the death of a teenager in a car accident. It comes out of Tenille Townes’ personal experience as well as others she has met who have suffered similar tragedies. Faith in this song is gritty and the questions raw. At one point Tenille observes: “And somewhere there's a mother, who stopped goin' to church, ’Cause Your plan quit makin' sense down here on Earth.” Yet later on the album, Townes’ voice cuts clearly through to create a vision of her arrival in Heaven. When I Meet My Maker reveals a God eager to show his love to each one of his creations. She sings: “He’ll tell me that he’s proud, and I’m probably going to cry.” Tenille Townes has the beautiful ability to help the listener experience many of the more difficult and beautiful feelings in life.
While the music on the The Lemonade Stand is a catchy eclectic mix of old and new country, what stands out most are the counter-cultural themes of authentic other-centred faith. Tenille Townes will encourage and inspire Christian listeners. Her honesty in prayer is refreshing. Her courage to wait for romantic love is restorative. And her zest for a faith-filled life is infectious. No matter what your opinion of country music is, The Lemonade Stand by Tenille Townes will not disappoint you.
ABOUT MICAH
Micah received a Masters of Popular Music Studies from the University of Glasgow and has worked for several years in the music industries as a musician, critic, and band manager. He has a passion for helping audiences find better music through discernment, critical-thinking, and empathy-development. He integrates the work of several Christian scholars such as Dr. Al Wolters and Andy Crouch alongside the latest research in behavioural psychology, sociology, and popular music studies.