Kacey Musgraves had just turned six years old when Deana Carter catapulted to country stardom with the release of her debut single, 'Strawberry Wine,' in 1996. Still, the two found they had plenty in common when they got together to write for Carter's new album, 'Southern Way of Life.'

"When I sat with her and watched how she played guitar -- she had such open tunings and cool ideas -- I was like, 'I used to be that way. I used to just not worry about it and just create,'" Carter tells American Songwriter of working with Musgraves. "It was so refreshing to be with her and do that. I’m so proud of her, it’s so great."

The women penned 'That's Just Me' for the new album, which Carter says is one of her favorites on the record.

"It was just fun, it had a lot of Dolly [Parton] roots to it," she explains. "A good riff and tempo. It talks about the roots of who we are and making the best of a situation. The lyric says 'It’s not the crown that makes the queen.' It’s that kind of thing. 'What’s the point in a pot of gold if you haven’t got a hand to hold?' Just cool little lyrics that now, seeing her whole career and how she writes and us together, it was just a real good match. It was serendipity."

In fact, it was such a good match that the song almost wrote itself. "That first writing appointment, we got the song done in like two hours. So we were going, 'Okay, we can make happy hour,'" the songstress recalls. "There have been a lot of days when I’ve struggled to get through a song in a day, but that one came really quick and easy."

Inviting Musgraves to help her write for 'Southern Way of Life' was a leap of faith, since Carter says it is the most personal album she has ever recorded.

“Most of these songs mimic my own life,” she notes. “Instinctively autobiographical, the project weaves through many levels of emotions and situations culminating with the title track that will make any Southern smile.”

Musgraves is a sought after writer these days. She also penned the song 'Get Outta My Yard' for Gretchen Wilson's 2013 album, 'Right on Time.'

Purchase 'Southern Way of Life' here.

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