Rose Falcon’s ’19th Avenue’ Paved With Truthful Country

"The best advice I've ever heard was, 'If you want to be an artist, you can't have a Plan B.' I really believe that with all my heart. I have no Plan B," insists singer-songwriter Rose Falcon. But that's not because she practically grew up in a recording studio. The 28-year-old daughter of famed musician/producer Billy Falcon insists her career choice "happened naturally."

"He wasn't like a stage mom," Rose tells The Boot with a laugh, gushing about her dad, who wrote several big hits for Bon Jovi, along with his own illustrious catalog of solo hits. "I used to write poetry, and one day I asked my dad to write a song with me. We did, and that song ended up being on my first record!"

Rose's self-titled debut album was released when she was just 19 years old. While her solo career stalled for a few years after, her songwriting never faltered, as she went on to pen songs recorded by the likes of Faith Hill and Lady Antebellum, among others.

Now on Toby Keith's record label, Show Dog-Universal, Rose has reinvigorated her recording career with the release of two EPs in under a year, 19th Avenue (Volume 1) and the brand-new 19th Avenue (Volume 2). The Boot sat down with the angelic-voiced talent to talk about the new music and the thrills of keeping on the path of Plan A.

Who was the first famous person your dad ever introduced you to as a kid?

It was probably Jon Bon Jovi when I was four or five years old. I was singing a little part on one of my dad's records, and I wasn't any good! Jon came in the studio, and I got scared out of my wits. I mean, it was Bon Jovi ... with that beautiful long hair!

You signed your first record deal as a young teenager. Knowing what you know now, if you could go back and give your teen self some advice, what would you say?

Chill out! You've got a lot to learn, and you have no idea what you're in for and where your heart ends up being, in terms of where you're comfortable and what makes you happiest in the music world. Trust God's timing.

What's the significance of the titles of your two EPs, 19th Avenue?

People may not realize songwriting is a job; some people do it every day. I write for a company called Cal IV that's on 19th Avenue in Nashville, near Music Row. That's where I wrote most all the songs for Volumes 1 and 2, so it's a special place for me.

What's the story behind the first single from the second volume, "If Love Had a Heart"?

It's not about a specific breakup, maybe a few different ones. It's just about wishing love were a little more kind to my heart. I wrote it with Tommy Lee James on my birthday. I told him I had the idea for a lyric: "If love had a heart ..." And he said, "Then it wouldn't break mine." Perfect!

Can you remember the first time you saw an audience member singing your words back to you at a show?

That's an amazing feeling ... and shocking! It hasn't happened yet with "If Love Had a Heart," but one time when I played "Give In to Me," a song I wrote for the movie "Country Strong," I looked out and saw someone crying. That was crazy to me, that music affects people like that.

Having a sound that is no doubt country, but also with a pop influence, do you get sick of the debate about what exactly is country music?

I do! I just think what makes country music is the truth. When you go back to old country music, the people singing are telling the truth. That's why I love country music. I grew up in Nashville and am a storyteller -- that's country music. Plus there's a lot of stuff on country radio that's a lot less country than I am!