Interview with Deborah Allen

Interview with Deborah Allen

by Christian Lamitschka for Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show

Christian Lamitschka: I’m Christian Lamitschka and today I present you Deborah Allen. Deborah, welcome to the show.

Deborah Allen: It’s so great to be here, I’m so glad to see you again.

Christian Lamitschka: Deborah, what has happened since the last time we met each other?

Deborah Allen: I guess it’s been about two years right, which is super hard to believe how time just flies the way it does. I’ve been so busy. I’ve been writing a lot of songs and I’ve been getting my new album together to release on Delta Rock Records, which is a partnership; it’s got a lot of arms to it, it’s got a publishing company, production company and a record label. My new record is on Delta Rock Records. The new single is called “Anything Other Than Love”. It’s a song that I wrote with my good friend Gary Burr and we’re just super excited about it. It’s just to kick off the album, there are a lot of ballads and things in it, but this first song I think you’re going to like it because it’s a real kind of rocking country fun shuffle. So I’ve been working on that, and also I’ve been  discovering some new talent and producing a new artists as well named Margaret Phillips, that I am proud of.

Christian Lamitschka: You are working at the moment as a songwriter, as an artist, and as a producer.

Deborah Allen: Oh yes, you know I’ve always produced my own music. Luckily I’ve had some great co-producers along the way, but I’ve been very hands-on, no matter whose name is on it. It’s just a natural evolution for me to continue on with the production. Of course songwriting is like the air that I breathe, I’m going to be writing songs every day no matter what.

Christian Lamitschka: Deborah, let me ask you something. I know you have a big, big heart for children and I can remember by the last time you told me something about supporting children. What’s going on there?

Deborah Allen: Well, you know through the mentoring program that I did in Mississippi that I met the new artist I am working with now, Margaret. It’s just going really great. You know a lot of kids that I’ve worked with have gone on to really explore their song writing. To be honest with you, I am not making quite as many trips to Mississippi; that started off as a three-month thing that I was going to do. It was so exciting to me and it was so fulfilling it wound up lasting about 2½ years. So that was good, right now I’ve kind of tapered off and I’m spending most of my time helping Margaret and working on my new record and spending more time in Nashville. I do have a big heart for children, and I do have a foundation called The Art Of Dreaming, which I’m hoping to build. It’s a very fledgling foundation right now. As my career takes back off and things go well, I’m hoping to be able to fund other children through that.

Christian Lamitschka: Let’s talk about your album again, how many songs on it and what’s your personal favorite. Not the single please.

Deborah Allen: I think there are like 12 or 13 songs on it, I can’t remember; but there’s a full album worth of material. I have some favorites on it. I do like the single because it’s fun and it’s rocking, it’s a great way to open the doors to country music again. I guess some of my favorites are some of the ballads that are on there. There is a song on there called “There’s A Last Time For Everything”, which is one of my favorite songs, I’ve had it for a little while now. That’s why I’m so excited about this album because finally it’s coming out and it’ll be available to everybody. “Last Time For Everything” is just a song about valuing life and others around you; how precious time really is.