Local Artist Jonathan Alverson Shares Story Behind “Mama’s Kitchen” During WEIS Studio Visit
Centre — WEIS Radio welcomed local county artist Jonathan Alverson to the studio Wednesday morning, where he joined Jerry Baker to talk about his music, his roots and the story behind his growing country career. Listeners may already recognize Alverson’s song “Mama’s Kitchen,” which has been featured on the station. You can hear it below:
Alverson shared that he has a long history with WEIS, recalling memories of hearing “Spellbound” on the station while growing up. During the conversation, Baker and Alverson reflected on his upbringing in the area and the role the station played in shaping his love for country music. Alverson said he has been playing music his entire life and spent years performing in bands, but songwriting is a newer chapter. He said he has enjoyed the process so far and that this has been a good start.
When asked how long it took to write “Mama’s Kitchen,” Alverson said, “A lot quicker than you think.” He explained that he has always heard that the best songs come as quickly as they can be written down. He said he finished the song faster than he could process it, noting that it felt natural because it came from real memories rather than clichés or borrowed lines.
Alverson spoke about the song’s origin, pointing to his grandmother, who retired from the lunchroom at Centre Elementary School and passed away just over a year ago. He described her as the cornerstone of the family and said the song reflects how families move forward while remembering the good times. He said the song recalls life before “everyone had a cell phone in their face” and before life moved at ninety miles per hour.
He shared memories of Sunday afternoons, saying he always knew better than to make plans because mamaw would be cooking and everyone was expected to be there. Those real and familiar moments, he said, are what make songs meaningful. If a song can take listeners back to a place they recognize, he believes the writer has done their job.
Baker asked about the influence of the band Alabama and similarities in style. Alverson said he learned to play music by listening to Alabama and remembered staying home in high school to learn their songs while others were out playing. He said he connected with the group’s focus on family, love and country living.
Alverson revealed that the story in “Mama’s Kitchen” is written from his mother’s perspective. He created the song as a Mother’s Day gift, telling the story through her eyes growing up in the Blue Pond and Yellow Creek area.
He also discussed traveling to Nashville to attend songwriter shows and hear the stories behind the music, saying he enjoys learning how songs come to life. As for the future, Alverson said it is in the Lord’s hands and that he wants to give Him the credit and glory. He said he does not seek fame, but hopes people will one day say he loved the Lord and made “pretty good country music.”
Fans can expect more music soon. Alverson said he already has “three or four more (songs) in the chamber” and believes he is just getting started. He said he especially enjoys the writing process and the experience of creating something from scratch and seeing it progress from idea to airplay on FM 100.5.
He described the journey from paper to recording, saying he was told, “If you want to be one of the big boys, you have to do it the way the big boys do it.” That process began in Boaz with producer and guitarist Josh Bright, who owns a production company and has played with major artists. Alverson contacted Bright for help developing the song, and they booked time at Saxman Studios in Mount Juliet, Tennessee.
He noted that many of the musicians on the record are familiar voices on country radio. The bass player performed on Taylor Swift’s last two albums, and the guitar player has been Kenny Chesney’s road guitarist for more than 20 years. Alverson said the best approach was to share his vision and let the professionals do their work, and get out of their way, adding that he told the steel guitarist to show out, which he believes he did.
Alverson praised the musicians’ talent and said he was proud of the finished song. He also announced that “Mama’s Kitchen” will be released on all streaming platforms on Valentine’s Day, with CDs expected to be available in the coming weeks.
https://www.facebook.com/jonathanalversonmusic/
For a small-town artist with deep local roots, Alverson still has many stories to tell — and that should be music to your ears.
If you missed the interview, you can listen to it in its entirety here:
