You can feel it when she walks into a room—Priscilla Block is a singular force. From the moment she graces your space, you’re met with someone who is blithe, infectious, and unwavering.
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After meeting her, it’s no surprise her music is much the same. Whether she’s staking her claim at her local dive or putting the final nail in a heartwrenching relationship, you can’t help but get on board with whatever Block is putting down.
If you don’t believe me you can look at the millions of streams she’s amassed, the world tours she plotted, and the names she has in her corner as evidence. The entire world is joining the Block party and with this much in store, trust, you don’t want to get stopped at the door.
Block first started garnering attention in 2020 when she shared songs like “Thick Thighs” and “PMS” on Tik Tok in the middle of the lockdown. Though she never imagined it, her deeply relatable lyricism began to make waves across the internet which has since translated into packed rooms full of screaming fans.
When she first moved to Nashville, however, things were off to a slow start for Block until she had a chance encounter with one of her heroes, Taylor Swift, who pulled over to chat with a younger Block who was wearing her Swiftie status proudly on her shirt. After chatting with the superstar, Block knew it was a make-or-break moment.
“I thought ‘I’m either gonna sit in my misery, have excuses on why I can’t make it, or I’m gonna go make shit happen,” she tells American Songwriter. Lucky for all of us, she decided to give this whole music thing a real shot—a bullseye, as it turns out.
Block released her debut album earlier this year to much acclaim. Chock full of anthemic country tunes and wistful odes to heartbreak, Block feels the record is evocative of all that she offers.
“I feel like this album is very much like me as a whole,” she says. “There’s the sassiness, the trashiness, the sad girl vibes. This album was my introduction to the world.”
She continues, “There are songs that make you laugh your ass off, and then some songs that would make you cry your eyes out when you’re driving down the road. I feel like that’s very much where I am right now in my life – either the life of the party or the train wreck, falling apart.”
One song from the record, “Just About Over You,” fully cemented Block’s status as one to watch. While some of the earlier songs she released on Tik Tok certainly grabbed attention, it was “Just About Over You” that set her on the path she’s on now.
“‘Just About Over You’ is obviously the song that changed my life,” she says. “It brings you back to that heartbreak we’ve all gone through while still having that light at the end of the tunnel. I feel like it was yesterday that song blew up, but it also feels like it’s been 10 years. All I’ve ever wanted to do is sing country music and hopefully, one day have the opportunity to take things bigger, and ‘Just About Over You’ allowed me to do that.”
Elsewhere on the album is the “sassy banger” “My Bar.” On the track, she sings about an ex trying to weasel his way into her stomping grounds, post-break-up. They know me by name / And my go-to drink / Yeah, I come here every Wednesday / Out of the corner of my eye / I see the door guy checkin’ your ID / Don’t come walkin’ in like you own it, you own it, she sings.
“I felt the day that I wrote “My Bar” that there is something in it for all of us to relate to,” she recalls. “We all have those places where if someone is trying to find us, that’s where they will go. There’s something confident in this song.”
The string of hits keeps on rolling for Block. Even since releasing her album in February, Block has released another single “Off The Deep End” and a duet with Justin Moore, “You, Me, And Whiskey.” Why quit while you’re ahead, eh?
Off The Deep End seems tailor-made for a girl’s night out—volume all the way up and screaming out the window.
“I was talking to a friend and they said they hear the bars on wheels going up and down Broadway in Nashville with these bachelorette girls singing ‘Off The Deep End,’” she says. “It’s about letting loose so having girls who are on a bachelorette party get super excited about it is really cool.”
“Off The Deep End” has indeed joined the ranks of “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” when it comes to anthems for letting your hair down.
Of her duet with Justin Moore, which was released Friday (Oct. 7), she says, “Such a dream! This is my first duet and I remember listening to it and thinking ‘this song is special. It felt really authentic to who I am.”
“You, Me, And The Whiskey” is in the vein of classic country duets that grab a hold of a crowd with both deeply accessible subject matter and ear-worm melodies.
Check it out below.
In celebration of the album’s release, Block has recently embarked on a European tour, which she remarks as “super special.” She says, “It’s been a huge goal of mine. Why wouldn’t I try and reach as many people as possible?”
For the remainder of the year and well into next, Block will continue bringing her music to the masses with a North American tour as well as a few festival dates scattered throughout. Find the full run of dates below.
It’s a testament to just how captivating her music is that Block has been able to headline her own tour overseas in just a few short years. When asked about what advice has allowed her to pen hits so soon into her career, she says, “The best piece of advice I’ve ever gotten is to not feel like I have to be part of the cool kids. When you’re writing and wanting to land on hits, I think it’s easy to want to write with the best songwriters in the world. You think, ‘if I can get into the room with this person, my whole life will change.’
“I don’t necessarily think that’s always the case. It’s about making music that you’re proud of. Some of my favorite songs so far – the ones that fans have responded to—have come from just riding with my friends and I think that’s pretty damn awesome.”
Welcome To The Block Party Tour Dates:
10.11 – Mars Music Hall – Huntsville, AL
10.13 – LRH – Liberty Township, OH
10.14 – Jergel’s – Warrendale, PA
10.15 – 8 Seconds Saloon – Indianapolis, IN
10.20 – Wooly’s – Des Moines, IA
10.21 – Joe’s on Weed – Chicago, IL
10.22 – Elevation at the Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI
10.26 – Rick’s Cafe – Starkville, MS
10.27 – Cotton Eyed Joe’s – Knoxville, TN
10.28 – Silverado’s – Black Mountain, NC
10.29 – Rome River Jam – Rome, GA
11.3 – Nashville Palace – Nashville, TN
11.11 – Bluestone – Columbus, OH
11.12 – Boondock’s – Springfield, IL
11.17 – Blue Room – Statesboro, GA
11.18 – Blind Horse – Greenville, SC
11.19 – Music Farm – Charleston, SC
04.28 – Stagecoach – India, CA
Album cover Courtesy UMG
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