Cigarettes & Truckstops

2012 sophomore release from the Canadian singer/songwriter. Cigarettes & Truck Stops was largely inspired by Ortega's move to Nashville from her hometown, Toronto, which brought her closer to the origins of many of her influences, including Hank Williams. By reading a biography of Williams, Ortega discovered his mentor Rufus Tee-Tot Payne, the street performer who taught Williams to play guitar. This sparked Ortega's interest in the influence of blues on early country: a fascination that comes through strongly on the record. Ortega brought on praised producer and T-Bone Burnett musician Colin Linden (O Brother Where Art Thou, Lucinda Williams, Bruce Cockburn) for the project when she found that he shared her interest in blues and the roots of country music.