Listen to music by Priscilla Block

Artist webpage: Priscilla Block

Bio

“This is me,” says Priscilla Block. “Love it or leave it.”

It’s that kind of attitude towards life, and her fearless music-making, that has made the rising country star one of the genre’s most exciting new artists and one of its most authentic and relatable voices. One part endless party, one part unmitigated honesty, and one part best friend who always gives it to you straight, even when it hurts, Priscilla’s debut album, Welcome to the Block Party, finds an artist who is redefining ‘three chords and the truth’ for an entirely new generation.

Though she came to prominence in 2020, Priscilla’s rise has been years in the making, full of hard work, long hours, and country grit. Originally from Raleigh, NC, she moved to Nashville to pursue music shortly after high school after being encouraged by her mom to pick up the guitar when she found one in the attic of the house she shared with her four siblings. “I auditioned for every single singing show,” she remembers with a laugh. “Then as soon as I could leave town, I packed my bags and moved to Nashville.”

Nothing went right at first: her house was broken in to more than once, and she wasn’t yet old enough to even get into bars to perform or attend songwriting rounds–it was discouraging to say the least. It was while working at a yogurt shop, taking classes in the evening, and reaching what she thought may be her final straw of misfortune in town, when things suddenly changed: Taylor Swift drove by, spotting Pricilla wearing one of her shirts, she pulled over. “Taylor was like, ‘hey, I love your shirt so much, thanks for supporting me,’” Priscilla remembers fondly. “I went to class that night and I decided that I really needed to give music a proper shot. I quit my job and school that night.”

From then on, Priscilla dedicated every waking hour she could to songwriting. She built a close group of collaborators –including her roommate Sarah Jones –and even made a fake booking company to try and secure the band gigs around town. She played outside of Bridgestone arena during big concert nights, and “the hustle was at an all-time high,” she says, nannying, dog walking, and selling goods on Craigslist just to pay the bills. “Anything I could do was how I got by.”