Country-Latin singer-songwriter Ana Cristina Cash has released her new single, “The Harpeth River feat. Alison Krauss and Marty Stuart,” along with its official music video. Stream the song here and watch the video here.
Co-written by Ana Cristina and her husband, John Carter Cash, who also produced the track, “The Harpeth River” pays tribute to the enduring memory of country music icon Loretta Lynn, developed into an intimate meditation on friendship, grief, remembrance and the ways the people we love continue to live within the places and memories they leave behind.
“The Harpeth River” was born out of a personal moment of reflection in Bellevue, Tennessee. Can you tell us about the exact moment you started strumming that initial melody and how the spirit of Loretta Lynn began to enter the song?
A few years ago, I was sitting on my back porch with my guitar and looking at the trees, and I started strumming the chords that are currently on the verses of “The Harpeth River.” I then wrote down several lyrics in my notebook and set it aside for a few days. For some reason, I always had Alison’s voice in mind, particularly when I was writing the music, I played it for my husband John Carter Cash and he added several lyrics. We ended up co-writing it and made many changes to the words to reflect our feelings about Loretta’s recent passing at the time. We miss her so much, and we wanted to honor her memory while processing our grief. She was a close friend. John has known her his whole life, and I had the chance to befriend her and work with her in the studio.
You co-wrote and produced this song with your husband, John Carter Cash. What was the collaborative process like as you both drew on your shared grief and memories of Loretta while writing this track?
I felt it was natural for us to collaborate because I came to him with mostly finished music and many lyrical ideas already in place. The lyrical ideas he brought to the table truly complemented the vision, and we both reworked everything to reflect our feelings about Loretta. When writing about a real person and feelings that are so tangible, the song kind of writes itself in a way. We were definitely on the same wavelength
The single features guest contributions from country legends Alison Krauss and Marty Stuart. How did their involvement come about, and what unique magic did they bring to the recording?
I am so delighted to have my wonderful and talented friends, Alison Krauss and Marty Stuart, join me on “The Harpeth River.” Even at the very beginning, when I was writing the song, I always heard Alison’s voice on it. I mustered up the courage to ask her to sing on it and sent her the song. I’m so thrilled that she decided to be a part of it!
The same was true with Marty! During production, John and I knew the track needed mandolin, and we thought it would be so cool to ask Marty to play on it and sing harmony on the chorus. Alison sings all the responses to my verses in this song, as well as harmonies on the chorus.
They both brought such a dreamy vibe to the track, and I am forever grateful to them.
The lyrics include vivid, bittersweet imagery, such as a friend walking in a “glittering dress” and references to her dressmaker, Tim Cobb. How important was it for you to weave these specific, intimate details into the song?
I really wanted to make sure to include a tribute to Tim in there as well. Tim Cobb, aside from doing Loretta’s hair and makeup, was also the designer of so many of her glittering gowns. When describing Loretta in the song, I knew I had to include a line about her glittering, sparkly dresses. Once that was in there, I was reminded of how Tim was the creator of so many of them. It was such a sad coincidence that Tim passed away shortly after Loretta. It felt like their souls were connected.
When John and I worked with Loretta, Tim was with us on the sets, at the shows, or on her bus most of the time. We visited both Loretta and Tim together for the very last time at her property in Hurricane Mills. I thought that now that they are both in heaven, Tim can borrow the stars from the Milky Way to make those glittering gowns.
A central refrain in the song states, “The river learns, the river writes / It writes the song that tells your life.” How do you view the river as a character or storyteller in this piece?
This part of the song is particularly important to the story. It was the first phrase I wrote for the song when I was originally writing the melody. I wanted it to symbolize the circle of life, so I was adamant about having this phrase both open and close the song.
This might sound funny, but I was inspired by the phrase “water has memory” that Olaf, the enchanted snowman, says in the movie Frozen 2. I thought the concept of water having memory was really interesting. This idea, paired with the flow of the river, was very important to me.
The Harpeth River is near John’s and my home in Nashville, and it coincidentally runs through Loretta’s property in Hurricane Mills. I also thought about how, when someone skips a rock across a lake, river, or other body of water, it creates a ripple, which also alludes to the idea of water having memory.
The single’s artwork is inspired by 1,000-year-old sacred indigenous pictographs on Paint Rock Bluff along the Harpeth River. What drew you to this historical visual element for the cover art?
I feel like it ties in perfectly with the river itself. Indigenous people have lived along the Harpeth River for ages, and I thought this would be a beautiful way to honor them and acknowledge the history of the land.
You’ve partnered with Tennessee Riverkeeper for this release to raise awareness about clean water. Why was it important for you to tie an environmental conservation message to this specific song?
John and I have been involved with Tennessee Riverkeeper events and have supported their work for years. Clean water is a basic human right, and keeping our rivers clean is essential to ensuring the health and safety of the communities that depend on them for years to come.
You recorded this song in Nashville, continuing a tradition of working at the historic Cash Cabin studio. How does the environment at the Cash Cabin influence the way you capture such personal material?
The cabin is very earthy and made of wood. You feel like you’re in a cozy environment rather than a sterile studio. It inspires so much creativity and makes it feel natural to capture personal music.
From starting your career at age six on Sábado Gigante to stepping into the Grand Ole Opry circle 17 times, your music bridges Miami roots and country tradition. How does “The Harpeth River” reflect where you are today in your musical journey?
This song represents a certain maturity in my songwriting and reflects where I am musically today. It carries a lot of symbolism, and I am especially proud to have written it with my life partner and to have performed it alongside legends I admire, such as Alison Krauss and Marty Stuart.
