Plymouth Teen Desires Stronger Voice for Women in Country Music

Devon Worley’s Gun Powder & Lead: A Tribute to Miranda Lambert is locked and loaded to celebrate “girl power” with a bang at the legendary Fine Line Music Café on February 27th. Worley will honor the country music star by performing Lambert’s most beloved songs as well as original music from Worley’s own award winning album, Silver Creek (2013).

It’s not surprising that Lambert, the most decorated female country artist of her time, is a major influence on emerging country singer/songwriters such as Worley. “Miranda is awesome! It’s her boldness, and bravery, her edgy style and authentic voice that I respect so much”, Worley noted, “I wish there were more like her.”

Billboard’s year-end Country Airplay Chart lists the 60 most played songs on country music radio. Just six of last year’s songs were from solo female artists. Amidst the “bro-country” debate, the glaring shortage of strong female voices on the radio doesn’t sit well with Worley, who said, “What I want to know is what happened to them.”

Instead of wallowing in the injustice of the gender divide, she’s taking a cue from Miranda Lambert herself. Worley is busy doing her thing. She’s writing songs, playing about 100 shows a year with the Devon Worley Band and working hard to contribute to the resurgence of female voices in country music. With nearly five years of fronting a major touring band under her belt, Worley, like Lambert, has grown up in the music industry. She’ll mark her 18th birthday this summer as the Devon Worley Band joins Lee Brice, Tyler Farr and Joe Nichols in the mainstage lineup at Headwaters Country Jam, Montana’s largest country music festival. And she’ll graduate from high school too.

Tunes from Silver Creek and even tracks off Worley’s yet to be released sophomore album are getting airplay at independent radio stations. Minnesota’s Total Country BOB FM (105.5/106.1/107.5) has been especially supportive of the Plymouth, MN native. Her music is included on both volumes of the Minnesota Country Salute, the station’s compilation CD that benefits Minnesota military families. BOB’s own Paul Thomas (PT), who will emcee the tribute show at the Fine Line chuckled and said, “We retired Devon Worley’s new song Banshee, from the Hot Tracks segment because it kept on winning week after week; beating out songs by Garth Brooks, Travis Tritt, Patty Loveless and more. You could say it’s now in the Hot Tracks Hall of Fame.”

Aiming to pack a girl power punch with her Gunpowder & Lead tribute show, Worley chose female fronted Diesel Fire to be on the bill and invited other female musicians to make guest appearances alongside her and her band. Worley hopes a message will resonate with the audience. “I want to put some focus on women who have something to say. I want to remind country music fans that women can rock, we can hang with the guys and we can be taken seriously”, remarked Worley, “We aren’t all home crying in our pillow because we lost the boy.”

For more information about Devon Worley, visit http://www.devonworley.com

Devon’s Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/devonworley

Devon’s Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DWB

Devon’s YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/DevonWorleyOfficial

Devon on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/silver-creek/id737890521