NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Allie Colleen has been around music her entire life. She began writing poetry at age eight and got serious about learning guitar by age 14. Combining these two hobbies, she dove headfirst into songwriting.
Colleen proclaimed, “I absolutely love writing. I love that world of characters and narratives. And as a songwriter, you’ve got like three minutes. But choosing the time that you’re going to allot to any emotion is very cool. It’s like, you’ve got three minutes to feel this way, and then we’re done with it.”
Because so many are trying to make a living, Colleen respects the commercialism of the music industry, but that is not what drives the singer/songwriter. When you write a song that you hope will make it to radio, you have a different motivation than simply writing from the heart.
She agreed, “I do like to spend time on my craft. I realize that commercial songs are what get us through our day-to-day and give us something to party with on the weekend. But I don’t spend too much time worrying about what’s on the radio when I write my music.”
Colleen has wanted music as a career for her whole life. She attended Belmont University and majored in songwriting and business. In 2018, she graduated got married, and continued working on her career. But it was not until she started performing and touring was when she finally figured out what all that entailed.
At age 22, the very first song that Colleen released was in 2019, “Work In Progress” an autobiographical tune that takes an honest look at herself. The first song they sent to radio in 2020 was “Ain’t The Only Hell (My Momma Raised)” a song she wrote when she realized her mother did in fact have this whole life before she and her siblings came along. The song made the Top 30.
Her musical style defines how life shaped her, alongside the personal lyrics and transparency in her vocals and performance. However, it was in 2020, during quarantine, that she and her partner realized how different they were. This season of her life eventually led to a divorce which stirred up a lot of feelings that she poured into her songwriting.
“Being divorced at 25 was definitely a very big pride thing for me that was very tough to swallow. It wasn’t what it was supposed to look like and that was a big learning experience for me,” she confirmed.
In 2022, Colleen released the Outlaw Country female empowerment tune, “Halos and Horns” which so far has been her most popular tune to date with millions of streams.
“My whole life has been a clash of ‘everything that is a blessing is also a curse.’ It has made me who I am. Everything about me, about all of us as individuals, seems to come with a challenge or an opinion. It has been a huge focus of mine lately and through the creation of “Halos and Horns” to accept all those things about myself and put them to work” shared Colleen. “I love this song and how it showcases one of the many sides of who I am as an artist.”
One of her favorite songs she has written is “Honest Man.” The girl in the song calls out the guy who says he loves her, “Let’s set these plans with a stone,” she implores.
Colleen explained, “‘Honest Man’ is something that I had wanted to write for a very, long time. It was a dream I’ve had since I was a little kid, to get to propose to my partner. I hope my niece doesn’t sit around and wait to be asked to the prom. I hope she asks whomever she wants.”
Never one to shy away from sharing her true feelings, the song “Tattoos” is strictly about lust. It’s about seeing someone who is “fine as hell” and wanting to hook up with them. The song is very popular with her peer group.
Colleen teamed with Lee and Sara Brice to write the heart-wrenching song, “While We’re Still Friends.” The raw emotion-filled song lyrics are brimming with honesty and sincerity, and you know it comes from a place deep within her.
The video was released in March of 2024, and she had no idea how much it would cost to film/produce the whole thing. “We didn’t have a budget for anything, so I wore my wedding dress in the video and used our family church where I got married. It was a bit of an overwhelming personal experience for me by allowing that song to represent that part of life.”
There has been a lot of support for “While We’re Still Friends,” because so many relate to its lyrics. “I’m very proud of the song and the narrative that it has,” she stated.
Colleen’s newest song “Grass On The Grave” shows she is finally ready to let go of a failed relationship. With the lyrics, she concedes, Sometimes you have to leave some things behind/ It was never getting better/ It all felt so wrong/ It was supposed to be forever.
Teaming up with her co-writers, Alyssa Trahan, Craig Wilson, and Krystal Polychronis they knew they had a commercial song they could pitch to a Morgan Wallen or a Lainey Wilson, but she felt very connected to the song and wanted for her fans to hear her story. “It came from a season of grief that I was in,” Colleen expressed.
Not only does Colleen write for herself, she writes songs for others as well. Her pal, Carter Winter recently put out her song, “The Other Side” a song that addresses both of their battles with mental health.
Colleen’s songs are so raw and real that the room never fails to silence when she sings about the layers of love and heartbreak that have shaped her. She brings a special connection to her well-thought-out lyrics as she figures out who she is and how she wants to be represented.
Songwriting is therapeutic for most artists and as she continues to grow and hone her craft, you will want to see what new sonic works of art Allie Colleen shares with the world.
Be sure to attend Colleen’s Fan Club Party at 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville on June 6th and see her perform at Fanfare in the Music City Center on June 7th.
You can follow Allie Colleen on her website, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X, TikTok, and all streaming services.
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Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Instagram, and X.
Photos “Allie Colleen” by Victoria Roth.
