thirty-one

"Because these songs are so real to me, that's why I feel them so deeply. Acting is as real as it can be, but music is so personal. It's my life." That's especially true on thirty one, where Kramer shows she can craft a narrative and a compelling melody as well as anyone in her genre. "When I first got to Nashville, I was so shy and timid, knowing that I was writing songs with people who had written a million Number Ones," she admits. "But then I realized I have stories to tell too. So I came into the new album knowing exactly what I wanted to write -- and it had to be 100 percent about my life." If anything, Kramer admits, this means being even more country than much of what defines that genre these days. "I didn't want to follow what other people are doing," she says. "Of course, I love a lot of what I hear on country radio. But I definitely feel that Scott and I did a great job of bringing in elements of today's sound while keeping that country element I identify with too."