Lauren Watkins Announces First-Ever Hometown Headline Show At Nashville’s Exit/In On October 8
Tickets on sale this Friday, June 26
Watkins to release new track “Convenient” this Friday, June 26
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Big Loud Records / Songs & Daughters Tennessee songbird Lauren Watkins has announced her first hometown headline show at Nashville’s Exit/In on Thursday, October 8. Tickets will be available for purchase starting this Friday, June 26, at 10 a.m. CT via laurenwatkinsmusic.com.
The show marks a full-circle moment for the Nashville native, bringing Watkins home for her first-ever Nashville headline show after a year spent bringing her old-school country grit and “direct-yet-poetic songwriting” (Billboard) to stages across the country. Following recent dates with Dylan Scott and upcoming dates with Luke Bryan, Watkins will return home for a headline night of her own.
In addition to the Nashville show announcement, Watkins has also announced the release of her next song, “Convenient,” out this Friday, June 26. Written by Watkins with Will Bundy, Emily Landis, and Mark Trussell, the track will continue a summer of new Musik from Watkins that kicked off in May with “Heartbreakaholic,” her first release following 2025’s 10-track album In A Perfect World. All Country News praised the track for continuing to “cement Watkins as one of country music’s most promising young storytellers,” noting that she “carries the emotional precision of classic country while delivering it through a modern lens.”
Last year, Watkins made her debut on some of music’s biggest stages, including the Grand Ole Opry, NBC’s TODAY, and Madison Square Garden, as well as touring with Zach Top, Riley Green, and Lainey Wilson. For tour dates and more information, keep up with Watkins at laurenwatkins.com und weiter TikTok, Instagram, und Facebook.
About Lauren Watkins:
After an acclaimed album debut and a year-plus on the road with stars like Morgan Wallen, Riley Green, and Lainey Wilson – plus Billboard accolades and a monumental first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry – Big Loud Records / Songs & Daughters artist Lauren Watkins has emerged as a proudly defiant projection of pure country-music moxy.
A Nashville native inspired by crowd-pleasing outlaws like Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Lee Ann Womack, and Miranda Lambert, Watkins’ 17-track 2024 debut, The Heartbroken Record, introduced a mainstream maverick with a thirst for lyrical truth – and an old-school country rebel whose modern instincts never succumb to trends.
Coming to know the fast lane by heart, the modern-classic singer-songwriter has racked up millions of streams and rocked full-on stadiums, while learning from legendary songwriters like Nicolle Galyon, Luke Laird, and The Warren Brothers. Yet In A Perfect World, Watkins finds herself in a fresh phase, with her dreamy vocals awake to new charms and challenges. Featuring an earthy mix of sunset country and hazy heartland grit, she’s no longer expecting to get her heart broken and is not pushing the idea of home away.
Produced by husband and CMA/ACM Award winner Will Bundy, with additional co-production from hitmaker Joey Moi on select tracks, Watkins builds on her of-the-moment and always-organic sound; 10 co-written songs capture the passion and promise of a new outlook.
Steel guitars and ethereal atmosphere create a sense of wide-open space, while bold twang and rootsy rhythms keep the Tennessee songbird’s vocal grounded. With In A Perfect World, Watkins captured a season of growth and self-discovery, setting the stage for new music led by “Heartbreakaholic,” out now. She continues to bring that sound to stages across the country while touring with Dylan Scott and Luke Bryan throughout 2026
Exit/In: A Storied Stage With Deep Nashville Roots
The choice of Exit/In as the venue for Lauren Watkins’ first hometown headline show is anything but arbitrary. One of Nashville’s most historically significant music rooms, Exit/In has hosted landmark performances from artists spanning country, rock, and Americana since its opening in 1971. Located on Elliston Place in the heart of the city, the venue carries the kind of lived-in character and intimate energy that aligns naturally with Watkins’ old-school country sensibility and her commitment to direct, unfiltered storytelling.
With a capacity that places artists close to their audience, Exit/In demands a performer who can hold a room on the strength of voice and song alone. For Watkins, whose songwriting has drawn consistent praise for its emotional precision and lyrical honesty, the setting offers an ideal backdrop for a night that is equal parts homecoming and artistic statement. The venue’s storied past, combined with Watkins’ rising profile, positions October 8 as a genuinely significant evening on the Nashville live music calendar. Fans who have watched her command arenas and amphitheaters alongside major touring acts will have the rare opportunity to experience her in a space where every detail of her craft is fully on display.
The Arc From 'The Heartbroken Record' to 'In A Perfect World'
Understanding the significance of this headline show requires an appreciation of the artistic journey Watkins has undertaken in a remarkably compressed period. Her 2024 debut, Das herzzerreißende Album, introduced her as a songwriter unafraid to confront emotional complexity head-on, drawing comparisons to classic country’s most candid voices. The 17-track project established her commercial and critical footing, earning Billboard recognition and opening doors to some of the most coveted stages in the industry.
Her 2025 follow-up, In einer perfekten Welt, signaled a deliberate shift in perspective. Produced by her husband and CMA/ACM Award winner Will Bundy, with additional co-production from Joey Moi, the 10-track album traded raw heartbreak for something more textured and forward-looking. Steel guitars, ethereal atmospherics, and rootsy rhythms framed a set of co-written songs that reflected personal growth rather than personal loss. Critics and fans alike noted the maturity of the collection, with Watkins demonstrating a range that few artists achieve across two back-to-back projects.
The summer 2026 single cycle, beginning with ‘Heartbreakaholic’ in May and continuing with ‘Convenient’ on June 26, suggests a third creative chapter is already taking shape, one that builds on both records without being defined by either.
What the Lauren Watkins Headline Show Means for Country Music's Next Generation
Lauren Watkins is not the first young country artist to graduate from opening slots to headline billing, but the speed and substance of her ascent place her in a category worth examining closely. Within roughly two years of her debut release, she has performed at the Grand Ole Opry, appeared on NBC’s TODAY, played Madison Square Garden, and toured alongside artists including Morgan Wallen, Zach Top, Riley Green, Lainey Wilson, Dylan Scott, and Luke Bryan. Each of those experiences represents a different layer of the industry, from heritage institutions to mainstream stadium culture to grassroots touring circuits.
What distinguishes Watkins within that crowded field is the consistency of her artistic identity across all of those contexts. Where many emerging acts soften their edges to accommodate larger audiences, Watkins has maintained the direct-yet-poetic songwriting voice and the unapologetically traditional sonic palette that first earned her critical attention. Her influences, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Lee Ann Womack, and Miranda Lambert, are not passing references. They are clearly legible in her phrasing, her production choices, and her approach to live performance.
The October 8 headline show at Exit/In arrives as both a milestone and a signal. It confirms that Watkins has built an audience ready to show up for her specifically, not simply as a warm-up act, and that she is prepared to carry an evening entirely on her own terms.
