The Sit Down with Alyssa Bonagura
Accomplished singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer Alyssa Bonagura has announced her new album “America’s Backroads” for release on June 5 via Lookout Mountain Records which is available to pre-save HERE. Fresh from returning from the States after a run of shows with Caroline Jones of the Zac Brown Band, the lead up to the release of the record has been busy having just played Buckle & Boots Festival in Stockport and also being a part of Highways Festival at London’s iconic Royal albert Hall. With the new record dropping next Friday, a nine date UK tour on the horizon and the small matter of her wedding in October to plan for, Jamie caught up with Alyssa in the glorious London sunshine to chat about everything that is going on.
This is gonna go down in the little black book as Alyssa Bonagura number four, which is crazy because, like we were just saying over the weekend, this is our five-year friendiversary and it kind of did come full circle with us both being back at the farm where we first met. How was it being back at Buckle & Boots for their tenth anniversary?
“It was so awesome. I love that festival, it's such a good vibe, the people are kind and they're there to listen, to have fun and I'm glad they asked me to do it. It was really great.”
Have you played anywhere that's comparable to that? It's quite unique in the way that it's all quite close together, everyone just kind of like wanders around and it's not like any of the other ones here.
“Yeah, you know, The Long Road is a little bit like it, but it's bigger, you know? I haven't played a festival like Buckle & Boots, it's small, it's in a beautiful part of the world and driving in, I was just like, where are we? This is so stunning. They bring over a lot of great American artists, so I'm glad they asked me to do it again.”
A little bit different to where you played the week before though, wasn’t it? You'd obviously done things at Highways before, but how cool was it to get up on that main stage?
“Unreal, unreal. I mean, I've been wanting and dreaming of playing Royal Albert Hall for years, you know? Even just being in the building is such an honour, I've seen some of my favourite artists there and it's just iconic. I was really grateful that I got the call, it was sad that Randall King couldn't be there and I'm wishing him all the best, but I'm so glad that I was the one they called to fill in.”
I know you've obviously spent more time over here than most Americans but growing up, does that as a venue have that same prestige over there as what the Opry does at the Ryman or what Red Rocks is or Madison Square Garden? Is it as highly regarded over there?
“One hundred percent. I mean, it's a bucket list place to play, mainly because the acoustics are unbelievable and also because of the history that it holds, it's like stepping on the Ryman stage so it’s pretty cool. I mean, I hate to say this, but it was more magical to me than the Ryman, because of the way that it sounds when you sing in it. Like, you could literally sing there by yourself with no amplification and it would be unbelievable and that's why I think it's so cool to be in a room like that.”
Also, a lot of people get to see you just before we've got a new record coming next week. Firstly, why did you decide on “America's Backroads” as the title for the record? Why was that the title track and the one to pull it all together?
“America's Backroads” was written years ago about a trip I took with my mom and my dad. We were playing a casino in Española, New Mexico and for fun, after the gig, she's like, let's go play the penny slots. Let's put twenty bucks in the penny slots and let's see if we win. So, we're at the penny slots and all of a sudden, it just starts going off and my mom is like, Alyssa, what's happening? I'm like, I think he won and she freaking won the jackpot. It was like three grand in two seconds! She's like a little lucky charm, it was so cute and we took the money, my dad went home to Nashville as he had some work to do, so me and my mom drove, like Thelma and Louise. We went to Taos for a night, we blew all of our money in Taos and in Colorado, then we drove home and I just wanted to capture that moment in a song, because that's my life! Growing up with them and being a kid, it was so special and anyway, that being my mom's favourite song, I was like, you know what? A lot of these songs are my story of growing up on a freaking tour bus across America's Backroads and it felt like the right title for this fourth album.”
It covers a large span of time in terms of the songs right. You said that one is quite an old song, then there's a couple of ones that other people have cut, which we will talk about separately but how hard was it to settle on what would be on it and bringing all these songs together? It's not a case of like when you're typically writing specifically for a project as such and they're all from a similar mindset.
“A lot of them are new and a lot of them are old to me, but I thought that every single song had a place because I've always wanted to record them. I actually recorded “Circles” and “Small Town Tuesday” and “Hippies & Gypsies” years ago but never got to release them and I had done them with a different producer so this was really my chance. I mean, I saved and saved and saved to make this record, I've put everything that I own and everything I have in my heart in this music so it was my chance to kind of just be like, hey, you know, this is how I would do “Circles” and this is how I would do “I Wanna Go” then “Small Town Tuesday” was the song that is about chasing your dreams. So, I was like, that has to be on this record and that's kind of how I picked the songs, they were just songs that I loved but I never got to record or songs that I wrote here, like “Life Is A Road” I wrote here, that's my song about London. I wrote that with David Snedden and Theo Hutchcraft from Hurts, so it's just kind of the overall arc of my life and all these songs in one album.”
I’ve obviously seen you play a lot and unless you've just been doing one or two songs, I don't think I've ever seen you live where you’ve not played “Circles” and if people came to see you for the first time and look for it after, they would only be able to find the version that Jana (Kramer) recorded. Now it’s cool to be able to go, hey, you've heard me play this so much and you can finally listen to how I do it.
“Totally. I think that's really important as a part of my story and I think that the more I do this as an artist, it's about your story, about telling your story and connecting with your fans so that's what I'm so excited that those songs are out, finally.”
“It was so awesome. I love that festival, it's such a good vibe, the people are kind and they're there to listen, to have fun and I'm glad they asked me to do it. It was really great.”
Have you played anywhere that's comparable to that? It's quite unique in the way that it's all quite close together, everyone just kind of like wanders around and it's not like any of the other ones here.
“Yeah, you know, The Long Road is a little bit like it, but it's bigger, you know? I haven't played a festival like Buckle & Boots, it's small, it's in a beautiful part of the world and driving in, I was just like, where are we? This is so stunning. They bring over a lot of great American artists, so I'm glad they asked me to do it again.”
A little bit different to where you played the week before though, wasn’t it? You'd obviously done things at Highways before, but how cool was it to get up on that main stage?
“Unreal, unreal. I mean, I've been wanting and dreaming of playing Royal Albert Hall for years, you know? Even just being in the building is such an honour, I've seen some of my favourite artists there and it's just iconic. I was really grateful that I got the call, it was sad that Randall King couldn't be there and I'm wishing him all the best, but I'm so glad that I was the one they called to fill in.”
I know you've obviously spent more time over here than most Americans but growing up, does that as a venue have that same prestige over there as what the Opry does at the Ryman or what Red Rocks is or Madison Square Garden? Is it as highly regarded over there?
“One hundred percent. I mean, it's a bucket list place to play, mainly because the acoustics are unbelievable and also because of the history that it holds, it's like stepping on the Ryman stage so it’s pretty cool. I mean, I hate to say this, but it was more magical to me than the Ryman, because of the way that it sounds when you sing in it. Like, you could literally sing there by yourself with no amplification and it would be unbelievable and that's why I think it's so cool to be in a room like that.”
Also, a lot of people get to see you just before we've got a new record coming next week. Firstly, why did you decide on “America's Backroads” as the title for the record? Why was that the title track and the one to pull it all together?
“America's Backroads” was written years ago about a trip I took with my mom and my dad. We were playing a casino in Española, New Mexico and for fun, after the gig, she's like, let's go play the penny slots. Let's put twenty bucks in the penny slots and let's see if we win. So, we're at the penny slots and all of a sudden, it just starts going off and my mom is like, Alyssa, what's happening? I'm like, I think he won and she freaking won the jackpot. It was like three grand in two seconds! She's like a little lucky charm, it was so cute and we took the money, my dad went home to Nashville as he had some work to do, so me and my mom drove, like Thelma and Louise. We went to Taos for a night, we blew all of our money in Taos and in Colorado, then we drove home and I just wanted to capture that moment in a song, because that's my life! Growing up with them and being a kid, it was so special and anyway, that being my mom's favourite song, I was like, you know what? A lot of these songs are my story of growing up on a freaking tour bus across America's Backroads and it felt like the right title for this fourth album.”
It covers a large span of time in terms of the songs right. You said that one is quite an old song, then there's a couple of ones that other people have cut, which we will talk about separately but how hard was it to settle on what would be on it and bringing all these songs together? It's not a case of like when you're typically writing specifically for a project as such and they're all from a similar mindset.
“A lot of them are new and a lot of them are old to me, but I thought that every single song had a place because I've always wanted to record them. I actually recorded “Circles” and “Small Town Tuesday” and “Hippies & Gypsies” years ago but never got to release them and I had done them with a different producer so this was really my chance. I mean, I saved and saved and saved to make this record, I've put everything that I own and everything I have in my heart in this music so it was my chance to kind of just be like, hey, you know, this is how I would do “Circles” and this is how I would do “I Wanna Go” then “Small Town Tuesday” was the song that is about chasing your dreams. So, I was like, that has to be on this record and that's kind of how I picked the songs, they were just songs that I loved but I never got to record or songs that I wrote here, like “Life Is A Road” I wrote here, that's my song about London. I wrote that with David Snedden and Theo Hutchcraft from Hurts, so it's just kind of the overall arc of my life and all these songs in one album.”
I’ve obviously seen you play a lot and unless you've just been doing one or two songs, I don't think I've ever seen you live where you’ve not played “Circles” and if people came to see you for the first time and look for it after, they would only be able to find the version that Jana (Kramer) recorded. Now it’s cool to be able to go, hey, you've heard me play this so much and you can finally listen to how I do it.
“Totally. I think that's really important as a part of my story and I think that the more I do this as an artist, it's about your story, about telling your story and connecting with your fans so that's what I'm so excited that those songs are out, finally.”
You mentioned “Hippies & Gypsies” which is very you when I listen to that, so is that one of the older songs as well then, one that's been kicking around for some time?
“Yeah, that was actually a batch of songs, it was “Noise”, “Hypies & Gypsies”, “Small Town Tuesday” and “Circles” that were all in the same era of my life and it was right before the Sisterhood Band started. Those songs were not really Sisterhood Band songs so, I always wanted to do them and I was like, you know what? Now's the time and they're fun, they're a fun part of my artistry. I don't get to play a lot of electric guitar, because I'm always doing acoustic gigs and that's why I'm so excited about the tour because I'm gonna bring my electric and we're gonna rock out.”
You definitely get that from it and I think again, in kind of a weird sort of like circle kind of thing, the last time we spoke, well, obviously we spoke at the weekend, but like last time we did like this, was at Black Deer. I'd text you the other week after I listened to it and was like Hey girl, someone’s gone into their Sheryl Crow era and she headlined that festival but then for you to say how you’re excited for you to bring your electric and do the songs in that way is so cool and you can give that energy you can’t expand as well acoustically.
“Some people know that I play guitar, but not a lot of people, you know? I love playing guitar and I'm such a guitar nerd, my guitar is my friend and I take everything out on the guitar so, I'm looking forward to that.”
Lastly in terms of the songs are the record, Joe Bonamassa is on there with you. I know that you've known each other for a while and that he's been on stage with you but was that actually the first time you had recorded together? Had you been in a studio together before?
“Joe and I have been friends a long time because we're both Bonas and when we met, it was so funny, we met at a studio in Nashville and it was so cute. He was in the same recording studio as me and he had just bought a new guitar, which is classic Joe but when he opened it up, inside in the case were all these two dollar bills that are really hard to find these days. He was like, hey, do you want a two dollar bill? I was like, hell yeah, thanks Joe but only if you sign it, so I have this two dollar bill signed by Joe Bonamassa and that’s how we met. It was really funny because when I met him, I had just played this show and somebody thought I was his daughter and he was like, I'm not old enough to be your dad, so anyway, it was a great icebreaker, but we've been friends a long time now and I've always wanted him to play on one of my songs. I called him up and said Joe, do you think he could pop by, we're recording today and I would love for you to play on this record. He literally just came in, did two takes, then he left and it was awesome. I knew that that needed a guitar virtuoso and his solos are so good.”
Sticking with expanding the Alyssa Bonagura multiverse, because we’ve just talked about Joe, then we’ve talked about Steve and Jessie (James Decker) in the past but I realised whilst I have talked about you with Caroline, when we’ve done more formal chats like this, me and you have never talked about Caroline. That girl is an absolute workaholic with how she does all her own shows between dates playing with Zac (Brown Band) and like you she’s big on the production side and this great musician too. The two of you have just been out on the road together so, what’s Caroline Jones like to be on tour with and how did the two of you meet?
“Oh my god, Caroline and I met online, it was on Instagram, we just like messaged each other and she was like, do you want to go on a hike? So, we went on a hike and we've literally been best friends ever since. I love Caroline because she is a master of her craft, she can play every instrument, she's a true artist in every sense and we just are two little peas in a pod and we're sisters from another mister. I’m so grateful she asked me to come play with her in the States because I hadn't been back to the States in a long time as I've been working this market over here and I'm so grateful to be here but it was so fun to get out and do some of those shows with her. You know, I forgot that I have a lot of fans in America, so I'm excited that I got to do that, but she's the best, and we're really, really close.”
“Yeah, that was actually a batch of songs, it was “Noise”, “Hypies & Gypsies”, “Small Town Tuesday” and “Circles” that were all in the same era of my life and it was right before the Sisterhood Band started. Those songs were not really Sisterhood Band songs so, I always wanted to do them and I was like, you know what? Now's the time and they're fun, they're a fun part of my artistry. I don't get to play a lot of electric guitar, because I'm always doing acoustic gigs and that's why I'm so excited about the tour because I'm gonna bring my electric and we're gonna rock out.”
You definitely get that from it and I think again, in kind of a weird sort of like circle kind of thing, the last time we spoke, well, obviously we spoke at the weekend, but like last time we did like this, was at Black Deer. I'd text you the other week after I listened to it and was like Hey girl, someone’s gone into their Sheryl Crow era and she headlined that festival but then for you to say how you’re excited for you to bring your electric and do the songs in that way is so cool and you can give that energy you can’t expand as well acoustically.
“Some people know that I play guitar, but not a lot of people, you know? I love playing guitar and I'm such a guitar nerd, my guitar is my friend and I take everything out on the guitar so, I'm looking forward to that.”
Lastly in terms of the songs are the record, Joe Bonamassa is on there with you. I know that you've known each other for a while and that he's been on stage with you but was that actually the first time you had recorded together? Had you been in a studio together before?
“Joe and I have been friends a long time because we're both Bonas and when we met, it was so funny, we met at a studio in Nashville and it was so cute. He was in the same recording studio as me and he had just bought a new guitar, which is classic Joe but when he opened it up, inside in the case were all these two dollar bills that are really hard to find these days. He was like, hey, do you want a two dollar bill? I was like, hell yeah, thanks Joe but only if you sign it, so I have this two dollar bill signed by Joe Bonamassa and that’s how we met. It was really funny because when I met him, I had just played this show and somebody thought I was his daughter and he was like, I'm not old enough to be your dad, so anyway, it was a great icebreaker, but we've been friends a long time now and I've always wanted him to play on one of my songs. I called him up and said Joe, do you think he could pop by, we're recording today and I would love for you to play on this record. He literally just came in, did two takes, then he left and it was awesome. I knew that that needed a guitar virtuoso and his solos are so good.”
Sticking with expanding the Alyssa Bonagura multiverse, because we’ve just talked about Joe, then we’ve talked about Steve and Jessie (James Decker) in the past but I realised whilst I have talked about you with Caroline, when we’ve done more formal chats like this, me and you have never talked about Caroline. That girl is an absolute workaholic with how she does all her own shows between dates playing with Zac (Brown Band) and like you she’s big on the production side and this great musician too. The two of you have just been out on the road together so, what’s Caroline Jones like to be on tour with and how did the two of you meet?
“Oh my god, Caroline and I met online, it was on Instagram, we just like messaged each other and she was like, do you want to go on a hike? So, we went on a hike and we've literally been best friends ever since. I love Caroline because she is a master of her craft, she can play every instrument, she's a true artist in every sense and we just are two little peas in a pod and we're sisters from another mister. I’m so grateful she asked me to come play with her in the States because I hadn't been back to the States in a long time as I've been working this market over here and I'm so grateful to be here but it was so fun to get out and do some of those shows with her. You know, I forgot that I have a lot of fans in America, so I'm excited that I got to do that, but she's the best, and we're really, really close.”
Then Jackie Lee is somebody else that you're super, super close with, how excited are you for him to get to come over for the first time and what are the things you’re adamant he needs to see when he’s here on tour with you?
“Well, I've already I've already been trying to plan our tour, with where we're staying, so that he can at least go check out the cities as he's never been to the UK. Jackie and I met right before COVID and he was a pivotal person in my life that really helped me through a tough time and the two of us have become such good friends over the last few years and he's been through a lot in his life. I think God sends you people at the right time and that is my friendship with Jackie. When I looked at this tour, I was thinking to myself, Jackie's putting out new music, it's so good, he hasn't been on tour in a while so I said do you want to come tour with me and he said yes, so I'm excited.”
As well as putting out your own music, you're doing a lot more on the production side, which you are absolutely slaying at and Kez’s album sounds awesome. How cool is it for you being based over here now to see girls like her, Jade and so many others that are killing it and I guess they make your life a lot easier as you’re sat in the chair.
“Yeah, they do, because they're amazing artists, Jade (Helliwell) is a freaking force, Kezia (Gill) is a force, the two of those girls love music so much and they love country music. They're the ones that have been keeping country music alive in the UK and waving the flag. I have so much respect for both of them, I love what they have to say because everything that they have to say is so genuine and it connects with people. The fact that they came to me to produce them is so humbling and also so exciting because I think female to female, it's a different vibe. Like, I love male producers, but there is something that a female knows with another female to do in the studio and I’m just grateful that they trusted me.”
So, we've got nine shows on this run coming up next month, that are all full band apart from the one in York and then we’ve got Country Calling in Chelmsford in summer, which is my home town and where I grew up, so even more exciting things ahead.
“Full band baby. York is the only one we're doing as a special acoustic night at 45 Vinyl and there's only like 60 tickets which is almost sold out, which is exciting. We’ve sold out Bristol and Glasgow already and Norwich is almost sold out, so I'm just grateful that people are buying tickets to see my show. This is the first time I've ever done a full band tour with my own music. I mean, I did it with Sisterhood Band, but I have never done it at solo, so it's taking a risk, putting everything I’ve got and going for it, baby. That's what we’ve gotta do.”
Then next Friday, everyone can hear the record so the know all the songs in time for the tour.
“Oh my god, I can't believe it’s next week. The thing is, like, as you know, being an independent artist, I survive when people buy tickets to my shows, when they buy merch, when they buy the vinyl and we're gonna get a chance to go for a number one record. So, if you buy a vinyl or CD at my show, it’s gonna count towards a number one record, which would be an absolute dream for me. I've had a lot of number one records with other artists but it would be such a dream to have one as my own artist.”
Wednesday 10th June 2026 - BIRMINGHAM Hare & Hounds 2
Thursday 11th - MANCHESTER The Lodge
Friday 12th - BRISTOL Louisiana
Saturday 13th - NORWICH Waterfront Studio
Wednesday 17th - GLASGOW The Glad Café
Thursday 18th - LEEDS Hyde Park Book Club
Friday 19th - NOTTINGHAM Bodega
Saturday 20th - LONDON The Lower Third
Alyssa Bonagura’s new album ‘America’s Backroads’ will be released on June 5 via Lookout Mountain Records and is available to pre-save HERE. In celebration of the release of the album, Alyssa will embark upon an 8-date headline UK tour where she will be joined by Jackie Lee starting in Birmingham on June 10th with full dates shown above and ticket information available on her WEBSITE.
You can also keep up to date with all that Alyssa is up to by checking out her socials on TIKTOK INSTAGRAM X & FACEBOOK.
“Well, I've already I've already been trying to plan our tour, with where we're staying, so that he can at least go check out the cities as he's never been to the UK. Jackie and I met right before COVID and he was a pivotal person in my life that really helped me through a tough time and the two of us have become such good friends over the last few years and he's been through a lot in his life. I think God sends you people at the right time and that is my friendship with Jackie. When I looked at this tour, I was thinking to myself, Jackie's putting out new music, it's so good, he hasn't been on tour in a while so I said do you want to come tour with me and he said yes, so I'm excited.”
As well as putting out your own music, you're doing a lot more on the production side, which you are absolutely slaying at and Kez’s album sounds awesome. How cool is it for you being based over here now to see girls like her, Jade and so many others that are killing it and I guess they make your life a lot easier as you’re sat in the chair.
“Yeah, they do, because they're amazing artists, Jade (Helliwell) is a freaking force, Kezia (Gill) is a force, the two of those girls love music so much and they love country music. They're the ones that have been keeping country music alive in the UK and waving the flag. I have so much respect for both of them, I love what they have to say because everything that they have to say is so genuine and it connects with people. The fact that they came to me to produce them is so humbling and also so exciting because I think female to female, it's a different vibe. Like, I love male producers, but there is something that a female knows with another female to do in the studio and I’m just grateful that they trusted me.”
So, we've got nine shows on this run coming up next month, that are all full band apart from the one in York and then we’ve got Country Calling in Chelmsford in summer, which is my home town and where I grew up, so even more exciting things ahead.
“Full band baby. York is the only one we're doing as a special acoustic night at 45 Vinyl and there's only like 60 tickets which is almost sold out, which is exciting. We’ve sold out Bristol and Glasgow already and Norwich is almost sold out, so I'm just grateful that people are buying tickets to see my show. This is the first time I've ever done a full band tour with my own music. I mean, I did it with Sisterhood Band, but I have never done it at solo, so it's taking a risk, putting everything I’ve got and going for it, baby. That's what we’ve gotta do.”
Then next Friday, everyone can hear the record so the know all the songs in time for the tour.
“Oh my god, I can't believe it’s next week. The thing is, like, as you know, being an independent artist, I survive when people buy tickets to my shows, when they buy merch, when they buy the vinyl and we're gonna get a chance to go for a number one record. So, if you buy a vinyl or CD at my show, it’s gonna count towards a number one record, which would be an absolute dream for me. I've had a lot of number one records with other artists but it would be such a dream to have one as my own artist.”
Wednesday 10th June 2026 - BIRMINGHAM Hare & Hounds 2
Thursday 11th - MANCHESTER The Lodge
Friday 12th - BRISTOL Louisiana
Saturday 13th - NORWICH Waterfront Studio
Wednesday 17th - GLASGOW The Glad Café
Thursday 18th - LEEDS Hyde Park Book Club
Friday 19th - NOTTINGHAM Bodega
Saturday 20th - LONDON The Lower Third
Alyssa Bonagura’s new album ‘America’s Backroads’ will be released on June 5 via Lookout Mountain Records and is available to pre-save HERE. In celebration of the release of the album, Alyssa will embark upon an 8-date headline UK tour where she will be joined by Jackie Lee starting in Birmingham on June 10th with full dates shown above and ticket information available on her WEBSITE.
You can also keep up to date with all that Alyssa is up to by checking out her socials on TIKTOK INSTAGRAM X & FACEBOOK.