RIVER STONE
For years, Amanda Nelson sang when nobody was listening.
In the car.
Around the house when she had it to herself.
She wrote songs. Sang covers. Found little ways to keep music in her life without ever quite letting it become the life.
She calls it her secret chapter.
Apparently, it wasn't very good at staying secret.
Because after becoming a mother, something shifted. The excuses became harder to believe. The thing she had wanted since she was thirteen suddenly felt like something she owed herself the chance to try.
Today, her second single, River Stone, is out.
It is a song about family, small-town roots, being underestimated and knowing exactly where you came from, even when the outside looks considerably more polished.
And in this conversation, Amanda talks about the people who made her, the songs she may never release, why ownership matters to her, and the 13-year-old version of herself she is finally giving a chance.
The secret chapter is public now.
01 — THE SECRET CHAPTER
1. Your artist biography describes music as your "first love" and says that for years it was your "secret chapter." What did that private musical life actually look like before you became a recording artist?
That private musical life looked like a lot of me singing in the car and singing in the house when nobody was home. I found outlets to still do my music, and while that wasn't necessarily performing, it was either writing or singing or doing covers. It always found its way out, no matter how bottled up I tried to keep it. It was always stronger than the bottle I always put it in.
02 — WHAT MOTHERHOOD UNLOCKED
2. By the time you released "Loud Mouth," you had already built businesses, an audience and a very public identity. What changed in 2026 that made you ready to finally release your music publicly?
The catalyst for me was really becoming a mother. I had my son in 2024, and shortly after he turned one, I decided that I owe it to myself and to him to finally go after what I wanted to do the most, to stop letting excuses get in the way, and to be courageous enough to just act on it. I truly felt like I could do anything after becoming a mom, and I saw all these other people do it, and I was like, if they can do it, then what the hell is stopping me?
03 — A NATURAL EXTENSION
3. "River Stone" feels deeply rooted in family, place and identity. Why did this particular song feel like the right second statement to make after "Loud Mouth"?
I have several songs that are more or less ready to be released, and I really wanted the one to follow Loud Mouth to not be completely different but still have that edgy country feel with my authenticity tied to it. It's definitely deeply rooted in family. However, when you listen to the lyrics and when you hear the song, I think you will understand how it feels sort of like a natural extension of Loud Mouth.
04 — DON'T GET IT TWISTED
4. "Don't get it twisted, I know who I am" sits at the centre of "River Stone." What did you feel people might be getting wrong about who Amanda Nelson actually is?
This is my favorite question. I have this polished look on most of my social media pages that people always just think I've had it really easy in life, that I come from money, that I've never had to work for anything, and that is all well and good, but at the end of the day, it couldn't be further from the truth. I'm very proud of my grit. I'm very proud of my underdog story, and I think success tastes better when you've worked for it.
05 — POLISHED AND ROOTED
5. "River Stone" contrasts being polished on the outside with roots in dirt, toughness and small-town life. What does that contrast mean to you personally?
Contrast is everything in life, in any aspect. I don't think you should be too extreme on either side. I think dichotomy is a beautiful thing, and some of the best people in my life have that dichotomy and have that range.
06 — WATCH THE UNDERDOG UNFOLD
6. You repeatedly sing, "Watch the underdog unfold." You entered music with an established career and a large audience, so what does being an underdog mean to you now?
Being an underdog overall is one of the core pillars of my identity. I think fighting for something and coming out the other side and finally getting that thing, even if you've had to go through all of this adversity, sort of like a River Stone: life can wear you down sometimes, but if you come out polished and smooth and you don't forget where you came from, I think that can take you a long way. Also probably unrelated, but I was originally born in Buffalo, New York, and I have strong ties to that area, so I am a Buffalo Bills fan. We have gone to the Super Bowl many times and we have never won, lol, so I would say being an underdog is definitely part of who I am, ha ha ha.
07 — THE VILLAGE THAT RAISED ME
7. Your father, grandfather and grandmother all become part of "River Stone." What made this the song where you wanted those generations of your family to enter your music?
This is a very important question to me. I think it's not just about my father or my grandfather or my grandmother. I think it's a part of who raises you, that village. My mother was also a single mother and had such a huge hand in the way I was brought up, and they all gave me different musical influences that I pull from when I write my songs and when I perform my songs. And they all left their mark on me in one way or another.
08 — WHAT STAYS PRIVATE
8. You have spoken before about boundaries between public and private life. When you are songwriting, how do you decide which parts of your own history belong in a song and which remain yours alone?
I'm still figuring that out. It's a very delicate balance. I have a lot of songs that I have written that are very powerful and about people who were in my life and are not anymore. I'm not sure if those will ever see the light of day, but it's definitely a part of my creative process. I owe it to myself to see where the song goes, so I'll take it into production and I'll record it in the studio, and then after we have a semblance of a song, I decide if I want to move forward with finishing it or if it's something just for me for right now.
09 — OWNERSHIP FROM THE START
9. You own 100% of both the master and publishing for "River Stone." How important was it to build your music career with that level of ownership and control from the beginning?
It's very important to me. I don't like being told what to do, and I don't think I'm comfortable right now with trusting anybody with a high level of ownership unless it is so very aligned and we share the same vision.
10 — THE 13-YEAR-OLD VERSION
10. Within a few months, you have moved from releasing your first single into live performances and full sets under your own name. What do you want Amanda Nelson the artist to become?
I want Amanda Nelson the artist to become the version that 13-year-old Amanda wanted her to become. I want to make my music and share it with as many people as possible. I want to inspire other people that they are able to chase their dreams, that they are able to speak their mind and be their authentic self in whatever way makes sense to them, and show people that even if you came from a small town or hard times, you are more than your circumstances.