SPOTLIGHT: 'Exactly Where You're Meant To Be' [ESSAY]

Editor's Note: Tami Neilson is No Depression's Spotlight Artist for July 2025. To kick off her Spotlight, she performed an exclusive, acoustic version of her song "Salvation Mountain" from her new album, Neon Cowgirl, which was released July 11 via Outside Music. In this essay, she takes readers along with her during a stretch of her US tour in June. Stay tuned for more from Neilson all month long.

JUNE 24
Nashville

Got into Nashville at 3 a.m. after flight from JFK was cancelled and they had to find us another plane. My jetlag has jetlag.

Staying at my girl Nicole Atkins’ place while she’s away on tour. Nice to be surrounded by her things and feel her presence. I’m getting lonesome missing my fam. It’s the middle of the night in New Zealand where they’re all asleep, so, I call my brother Jay in Toronto and ask him to help me decide which three songs to sing on the Grand Ole Opry this week. Get a text from Annie (Willie’s wife) saying they’re in town and spending the day in studio. Sam (my manager) picks me up and we head over to East Iris to join them. Spend the afternoon with Annie and the gang, watching Willie track his vocals and play Trigger with the legendary Buddy Cannon at the helm. Absolutely magical. Sitting on the arm of the sofa with Annie’s arm flung across my leg and Lily (Meola) sitting on her other side while Waylon (Payne) lounges behind us across the back of the couch feels like being cocooned in a family nest and chases the lonesome away.