Cadie Calhoun is a Mississippi-born country singer, songwriter, and bandleader whose music blends country soul, heartfelt storytelling, and Southern rock energy. After nearly 15 years in Nashville, she has performed on stages across the South, opened for Scotty McCreery, and shared the spotlight with Ritchie Owens’ star-studded band. A former B95 Pine Belt Country personality, Cadie will return to her radio roots in August 2026 when B95 gives her new single, “Mississippi Rivers,” its first spin.
We sat down with Cadie to talk about her song “Mississippi Rivers” and her sorty worth singing.
Where do you come from? What brought you together?
I’m from Mississippi, and after spending about 15 years in Nashville chasing music, life eventually brought me back home. Coming back to Mississippi changed me, both personally and creatively. I think sometimes you have to leave home to understand what home actually means to you.
The band came together around this new chapter of my music. I’m a solo artist, but what people see onstage is very much a band. I’m surrounded by incredible musicians who understand that I want a show to feel alive, not like we’re simply recreating a recording.
Tell us about one of your tracks and the process behind it
“Mississippi Rivers” is the perfect song to introduce this chapter because it feels like my life right now.
It’s an upbeat country love song about finding something real back home. There’s Mississippi heat, muddy water, hometown love and that feeling of finally being exactly where you’re supposed to be.
I spent years believing that if I wanted a life in music, I had to be somewhere else. Then I came home and realized some of the best parts of my story were waiting for me right here.
The song was recorded in Nashville at Stoner Creek Studios with my producer, Peter Keys of Lynyrd Skynyrd. There’s something really special about taking a song inspired by my Mississippi life back to Nashville to record it. It feels like those two chapters of my life finally meeting each other.
What message would you like to give your fans?
Don't assume your story is over just because it didn't happen according to your original timeline. Life can surprise you. Some of the things I once thought were endings turned out to be redirects toward something much better.
What would you like people to do while listening to your song?
For “Mississippi Rivers,” roll the windows down. Turn it up, drive somewhere pretty, dance in the kitchen, take the long way home. I want it to make you feel good.
If you compared your music to an animal, what would it be?
A wild horse. Strong, Southern, a little stubborn and much happier when nobody is trying to put it inside a fence.
What are you known for?
Energy, connection and storytelling. I don't want there to be an invisible wall between the stage and the audience. I talk to people. I laugh. Things occasionally go sideways. That's part of live music. I want people leaving a CADIE show feeling like they were part of it.
Would your music have sounded the same 10 or 20 years ago?
Absolutely not. Twenty-year-old me had something to prove. The woman I am now has something to say. That's a huge difference.
I think my music today has more honesty, more confidence and less concern about fitting into whatever box somebody thinks I belong in.
What musician, artist or instrument would you like to add to your band?
I love a big country sound, so anything that adds texture gets my attention: fiddle, steel, dobro, mandolin. And if Dolly Parton ever wants to walk onstage, I promise we'll find room.
What's something interesting we don't know about you yet?
Music is actually only one part of my creative world. I own Cadie’s Corner, a furniture consignment and home décor store in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where I get to channel my love of interiors, design and giving beautiful pieces a new life. I’m also a painter and create custom paintings and fine art, which gives me a completely different way to tell stories without words.
And now I’m stepping into another dream of mine: children’s books. I have a new series called CadieLand coming out, filled with whimsical bedtime stories, original characters and meaningful messages for kids and families.
Sometimes it's waiting right where you started.
I’ve realized that whether I’m writing a song, painting a canvas, designing a space or creating a children’s story, it all comes from the same place. I just really love making things that tell a story and hopefully leave people feeling something.
How do you deal with performance anxiety?
Preparation. Nerves get much louder when you don't feel prepared. Once I know we've done the work, I can turn that nervous energy into excitement. And the second the music starts, I'm usually home.
Which musicians inspire you?
I'm inspired by artists with longevity and identity. Dolly Parton is an obvious example. She built an extraordinary career without losing the qualities that made people connect with her in the first place. I admire artists who evolve without becoming unrecognizable.
What do you like most about playing music?
That moment when the audience gives the song back to you. They sing a lyric, dance, smile, cry or react to something you wrote privately somewhere months or years earlier. Suddenly it isn't only your song anymore.
What accomplishments do you see yourself achieving in the next 5 to 10 years?
I want to build something that lasts. I want to release a body of music I'm genuinely proud of, continue growing the live show, reach audiences far beyond Mississippi and create songs that people still want to hear years from now.
But success looks different to me today than it did when I was younger. I used to think the destination was the whole point. Now I want a career and a life that I actually enjoy while I'm building it.
This new music feels like the beginning of that. I spent a long time chasing where I thought I was supposed to go. Coming home taught me that sometimes the next chapter isn't waiting somewhere farther down the road.
Sometimes it's waiting right where you started.
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